Windows 7 - Start Menu - Pin or Unpin a Program to

**Brink**

How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Start Menu

Information

This will show you how to pin or unpin a program of your choice to the Windows 7 Start Menu pin area to have a easy to access shortcut of it.

Note

The pinned items in the Start Menu are located in the hidden system folder:

C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\StartMenu

Warning

It is best to pin the program from it's EXE file location instead of from a shortcut of the program. It is easier for a shortcut to be moved or deleted, causing the pinned program in the Start Menu to not work anymore.

EXAMPLE: Pin to area of the Start Menu
NOTE: This is the white left side of the Start Menu.

OPTION ONE

Pin a Program to the Start Menu

1. Right click on the program exe file or shortcut that you want to pin to the Start Menu.
NOTE: If you delete or move this program exe file or shortcut, the pinned program in the Start Menu will no longer work.

2. Click on Pin to Start Menu. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Sometimes you may need to press and hold the Shift key, then right click on the program exe file or shortcut to see the Pin to Start Menu option.

OPTION TWO

Unpin a Program from the Start Menu

1. Right click on the pinned program in the Start Menu, and click on Unpin from Start Menu. (See screenshot below)

OR

2. Right click on the program exe file or shortcut, and click on Unpin from Start Menu. (See screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**natri23** · 12-09-2008

I just dragged the Computer to the StartMenu and realized that I can't take it off...anybody help? This problem come with build 6956...

**Brink** · 12-09-2008

Hello Natri,

What options do you have when you right click on this Computer shortcut in the pin area?

Shawn

**natri23** · 12-10-2008

When right click on that:

And when Shift+right click:

The Libraries even worst

**Brink** · 12-10-2008

Natri,

Strange. I will have to do some research on this to see if I can find the registry location on this to manually remove them. I will get back with you if and when I find them.l

**Brink** · 12-11-2008

Ok Natri,

I think I found something that may help you out with this. It will basically reset the Pin To area of the Start Menu back to default.

If you cannot remove the shortcuts from the hidden folder C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Taskbar Pinned\StartMenu and after restarting the computer, then this below may help instead.

Start Menu - Reset Pin To Area

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**natri23** · 12-11-2008

Thank you very much, Shawn! Editing Regedit works fine...I also create a reg file if someone needs it

**Barman58** · 12-11-2008

Thanks for this Shawn,
and to Natri, for the reg file,

I had this problem on my previous 6956 install and did some quite extensive searching for an answer - this is the first solution to this problem, as far as I know, to emerge on the web.

another first for the SevenForums

**Brink** · 12-11-2008

You're welcome guys.

Thank you for the reg file Natri.

Guess what the next new tutorial is going to be.

**madbusu** · 04-04-2009

can i put add/rem programs in this zone ?

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