Windows 7 - Windows Explorer Taskbar Icon - Change Open To Target

How to Change the Windows 7 Pinned Windows Explorer Taskbar Icon Open To Target

   Information

This will show you how to change the Windows 7 pinned Windows Explorer taskbar icon from the default Open To the Libraries window target to Open To the Computer window target or other possible locations that are available to choose from instead when you click on the Windows Explorer icon on the taskbar.

   Note

Special thanks to Chappy (aka: Dave) for pointing this out to me, and to Limneos for the additional locations.

   Warning

By design in Windows, these shortcuts will open a new window in a new process (explorer.exe) each time you use the shortcut. When you close the opened window from the shortcut, the extra explorer.exe process will close with it as well a few moments afterwards.

1. Right click on the pinned Windows Explorer taskbar icon, then right click on Windows Explorer in the Jump List and click on Properties. (see screenshot below)

2. In the Shortcut tab, make sure that the field box to the right of Start in is empty.

3. In the Shortcut tab and to the right of Target, type or copy the path (code) for the location below that you want the Windows Explorer icon to open to instead, then click on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can do this for any item that you know it's {CLSID} registry entry for. You can also specify a specific folder e.g. :
%windir%\explorer.exe /n, /e, /select, C:\somefolder

   Note

Using the Explorer.exe Command Line Syntax/:
%windir%\explorer.exe [/n][/e][,/root],X,[[/Select],Y]

X specifies the object, and optionally with sub-object Y. The /e switch shows the left Windows Explorer tree view in the navigation pane together with the right pane in list view, while /n hides the left navigation pane. When the /root parameter is present, Explorer.exe will explore the root object X and objects belonging to X. On the other hand, when the /root switch is not present, Explorer.exe explores the object X, its children, and other Explorer objects as well. The /Select switch puts the focus on a file or folder.

For example:

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /N,%WinDir%\System32,/Select,%WinDir%\system32\calc.exe

The command above will explore the C:\Windows\System32 folder and put the focus on the calc.exe (calculator) program.

• Windows Explorer (default) (opens to Libraries)

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe

• Computer

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

OR

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:MyComputerFolder

• My Documents

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}

• Documents Library

Code:

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries\Documents.library-ms

• Downloads

Code:

%UserProfile%\Downloads

• Recycle Bin

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E

• Network Neighborhood

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}

• Default Web Browser (ex: Internet Explorer)

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}

• Computer Search Results Folder

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{1F4DE370-D627-11D1-BA4F-00A0C91EEDBA}

• Network Search Results Folder

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{E17D4FC0-5564-11D1-83F2-00A0C90DC849}

• Web Folders

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{BDEADF00-C265-11D0-BCED-00A0C90AB50F}

• Control Panel

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

• Printers and Faxes

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

• Scanners and Cameras

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{E211B736-43FD-11D1-9EFB-0000F8757FCD}

• Fonts

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524152}

• Network Connections or My Network Place

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}

• Administrative Tools

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524153}

• Tasks Scheduler

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

• User Profile (personal) Folder

Code:

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:Profile