How to Pin or Unpin a Folder to Taskbar in Windows 7 and Windows 8
Information
This will show you how to pin a folder to the taskbar directly or as a toolbar with a small or large custom icon, and with or without a text name in Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Note
The pinned taskbar items are located in this
hidden systen folder:
C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar
Tip
You can use this tutorial to pin either one of these
hidden folders below to simulate the
Classic Start Menu.
NOTE: Leave the arrows to expand the folder by.
Start Menu Used By Current User Account Only:
C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Start Menu Used By All User Accounts:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
EXAMPLE: Folder Pinned on the Right Side of the Taskbar
NOTE: This with using OPTION TWO and the folder having a large icon with and without a text name.
EXAMPLE: Folder Pinned on the Left Side of the Taskbar
NOTE: This with using OPTION TWO and the folder having a large icon with and without a text name.
OPTION ONE
To Pin a Folder Directly to Taskbar
Note
This option will show you a workaround to pin a folder directly to the taskbar that behaves the same as any other
pinned program to the taskbar.
1. In
Windows Explorer (Windows 7) or
File Explorer (Windows 8), navigate to the folder that you want to pin to the taskbar.
2. Right click or swipe down on the folder, click/tap on
Send to and
Desktop (create shortcut), and close Explorer.
3. On your desktop, right click or swipe down on the folder shortcut, click/tap on
Properties,
Shortcut tab, type
explorer in front of the
Target path of the folder leaving a space inbetween them, and click/tap on
Apply. (see example screenshots below)
4. In the same
Shortcut tab, click/tap on the
Change Icon button. (see screenshots above)
5. In the
Change Icon window, type
imageres.dll in the "look for" field and press Enter, then select the folder icon and click/tap on
OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can use any icon that you would like to have displayed on the taskbar for this folder though.
6. Click/tap on
OK. (see screenshots below step 3)
7. Right click or swipe down on the folder shortcut on your desktop, and click/tap on
Pin to Taskbar. You could also drag and drop the pinned folder icon to where you like within the other pinned icons on the taskbar.
8. When finished, you can delete the folder shortcut on your desktop if you like. It will not affect the pinned folder icon.
OPTION TWO
To Pin or Unpin a Folder as a Toolbar to Taskbar
Note
You cannot pin a root folder directly to the taskbar using this option. Instead, you can only pin a subfolder in that root folder instead. You just need to make sure that there is only one subfolder in the root folder though. If not, then the other subfolders in the root folder will show up on the taskbar as well. For example, if you selected your C:\Users\(User-name) folder instead to pin the My Music in the example in step one below, then you would have all of the (User-Name) subfolders pinned to the taskbar as well since they are all subfolders in the C:\Users\(User-name) root folder.
1. Unlock the taskbar.
2. Right click or swipe down on an empty space on the taskbar, and click/tap on
Toolbars and
New toolbar. (see screenshot below)
3. Navigate to the
folder (ex: C:\Users\(user-name)\My Music) and select it, then click/tap on the
Select Folder button. (see screenshot below)
4. Right click or swipe down on the dotted lines, then uncheck
Show Title by clicking on it. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you leave Show Title checked, then the icon of the selected folder (step 3) will not show, and only the folder name would.
5. To Select a Small or Large Folder Icons
A) Right click or swipe down on the
dotted separator line, then click/tap on
View and select either
Large Icons or
Small Icons for the folder on the taskbar. (See screenshots below)
6. To Keep or Remove Folder Text Name
A) Right click or swipe down on the
dotted separator line, then click/tap on
View and click on
Show Text to check (keep) or uncheck (remove) the folder name. (See screenshots below)
7. To Keep the Folder on Right Side of Taskbar
A) Click/tap on the
dotted separator line and hold, then drag it to the left and right to make any adjustments to how you want the folder positioned on the right side of the taskbar. (see screenshot below)
B) Release the left click when done.
C) Go to step 9.
8. To Have the Folder on Left Side of Taskbar
A) Click/tap on the
dotted separator line of the
pinned taskbar programs on the far left side and hold, then drag it to the right past the folder and release. (see screenshot below)
B) Click/tap on the
dotted separator line of the
pinned taskbar programs on the now right side and hold, then drag it to the left next to the folder and release. (see screenshot below)
9. Lock the taskbar.
10. You now have a pinned folder on the taskbar. (See example screenshots at the top of the tutorial)
11. You can now open the pinned folder and put whatever other files, folder, or shortcuts you want in this folder as you would any other folder for easy access to them from the taskbar.
12. To Unpin a Folder from the Taskbar
A) Right click or swipe down on an empty space on the taskbar, click/tap on
Toolbars, and click/tap on the pinned folder (step 3) to uncheck and remove it from the taskbar. (see screenshot below)
That's it,
Shawn