Pin to taskbar

[Bocky25]

Has anyone worked out how to programatically pin a program to the taskbar?

If you place a shortcut in the directory below, it does not appear on the taskbar (like it logically should but im not one to bash 7 )

C:\Users\*USER NAME*\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar

I have a feeling its got something to do with something in the registry...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband

Anyone happen to know how to manually pin a program to the taskbar (without Right-Click, Pin to Taskbar) or anyone trying to do the same thing as me?

 

[Mark]

They are not using the quicklaunch toolbar any longer but if you want it back all you need to do is right click on taskbar and add new toolbar and direct it to the quicklaunch folder and you now have your quicklaunch toolbar back, alternatively you can directly pin programs to the taskbar by right clicking a shortcut and selecting pin to taskbar or simply drag it on to the taskbar until you see the pin to taskbar arrow pop up.

So there is method to their madness in leaving it off by default but it would be better if it could be enabled again a bit easier if it is desired.

 

[Bocky25]

Thanks a lot for your reply,

I understand that the 7 taskbar has replaced the quicklaunch feature however what I am trying to do is programatically pin programs to the taskbar (instead of right-clicking > pin to taskbar).

You will find the programs pinned to your taskbar are in..

%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar

Technically u should be able to create a shortcut in this directory and it will appear on your taskbar but this is not the case even after a restart.

I was wondering what else you have to do in order for it to appear in the taskbar without having to right-click > Pin to taskbar.

 

[Clank]

Open the program, click + hold the icon and drag it towards the start button.

Works for me.

 

[Bocky25]

i must be explaining this really badly, i know how to use windows GUI. click drag, right-click pin, yes i understand, that but programatically you cannot write an event as such. you cannot program a click and drag so alternatively there must be registry entries that determine what programs are pinned to the taskbar etc etc

 

[Lee]

Please, trying to understand why you would want to go into the register to add a program/application when all you have to do is right click and indicate whether you want to pin it to the taskbar or the start menu Sorry, to ask this question, albeit at times I can be a slow.

 

[Bocky25]

sorry for not explaining my situation.

I would like to do it this way because I'd like to create a script that pins different programs to the taskbar depending on the users that log in (in a domain environment).

 

[Lee]

Thanks for the come back. Now I understand, but can't help; never had to do that.

 

[Bocky25]

anyone else got any ideas?

 

[johngalt]

Some good reading: The Deployment Guys : Pin Items to the Start Menu or Windows 7 Taskbar via Script

I found this by performing the following search: pin programs to taskbar script - Google Search

one of the links there, to MSFN, led back to the main forum page at MSFN - so I searched at MSFN for Pin to taskbar and saw a link to a utility that was posted from another website - Eoxsys Corporation

I just tried it, and if you extract it to a folder on your HD, and provide the *exact* path to the app you want to pin, it pins it for you. I just tried it in Windows 7 Ultimate x64 RTM, using an app I install on all my systems, RegEditX - Tweaks for the Windows Registry Editor (REGEDIT) and now I have RegEditX pinned to my taskbar.

HTH

 

[Bocky25]

Thanks JohnGalt! Works well!

 

[jmacie]

can't work eoxpin

johngalt,
tried exopin, thanks for discovering it, followed your seemingly easy instructions, can't get it to work. Say for example i put eoxpin in c:, and say I, for simplicity, wanted to pin IT to the taskbar. After starting eoxpin, would I type eoxpin c:\eoxpin -s
I tried different progs to pin and different usage like with .exe and without the -s, but can't work it, can you help? I want to ultimately pin an aero/peak show desktop to the middle or left side of taskbar. At this point just to get a centered\left show desktop icon on taskbar, I've added a new toolbar, a show desktop shortcut where I want it on the left, but whenever I engage auto-hide the new toolbar disapears and I have to remake. thanks, jm

 

[Tinker]

Hi, jmacie

I've never used eoxpin, but I think I can see what you do wrong here:

On eoxsys.com (where you downloaded eoxpin) you can see how it should be used:
It says: Usage: eoxpin.exe ["filename"] -s
Which means you have to run it from a command line (Window key+R and run "cmd"), not just double click on the executable! And "filename" means file name, including the ".exe".
Use these commands (assuming eoxpin is in "C:\eoxpin.exe"):
cd C:\
eoxpin.exe "C:\eoxpin.exe" -s

That should do it.

 

[ronsum]

Programmatically add items to the Windows 7 Taskbar

The following was put together based on ideas from other techs/coders and assumes that you are using an english version of Win7, as it uses Verbs (the items you see when you right click a file) to "Pin to Taskbar". Other languages will need to replace the text accordingly.
These two scripts and batch file that I put together for my agency are currently being used, and are implemented via SCCM. It is applied on first logon for any user to any PC.
We wanted to programmatically configure the icons on the Taskbar as follows -
Remove:
Windows Media Player
Add:
Outlook
Change:
Windows Explorer (Libraries) to Windows Explorer (Computer)
Create the three files and put them in the same folder...
***************************************
Name this script (Pin.vbs)
***************************************
Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set filesystem = CreateObject("scripting.Filesystemobject")
If filesystem.FileExists(Wscript.Arguments(0)) Then
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace(filesystem.GetParentFolderName(Wscript.Arguments(0)))
Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName(filesystem.GetFileName(WScript.Arguments(0)))
Set colVerbs = objFolderItem.Verbs

Select case WScript.Arguments(1)
case 0
For Each objVerb in colVerbs
If Replace(objVerb.name, "&", "") = "Unpin from Taskbar" Then objVerb.DoIt
Next
case 1
For Each objVerb in colVerbs
If Replace(objVerb.name, "&", "") = "Pin to Taskbar" Then objVerb.DoIt
Next
case 2
For Each objVerb in colVerbs
If Replace(objVerb.name, "&", "") = "Install" Then objVerb.DoIt
Next
End Select
End If
***************************************
The following script can be used to programmatically create Shortcuts. I could have used a preconfigured .lnk file and just xcopy'd it, but this is just cooler
You'll notice there are commented (') out sections for Shortcut Name. You can use one of the three depending on the way you'd like to reference the destination folder for the icon being created.
***************************************
Name this script (MyExplorerLnk.vbs)
***************************************
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell" )
' Shortcut Name (Special Folders)
' strLocation = WshShell.SpecialFolders("AllUsersDesktop" )
' Set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strLocation & "\Windows Explorer.lnk" )
' Shortcut Name (Environment Variables)
strLocation = WshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%APPDATA%" )
set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strLocation & "\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Explorer.lnk" )
' Shortcut Name (Normal Path)
' Set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut("C:\Windows Explorer.lnk" )
' Path to application
oShellLink.TargetPath = "%Windir%\explorer.exe"
' Command line arguments
oShellLink.Arguments = " shell:MyComputerFolder"
' Window Style
oShellLink.WindowStyle = 1
' Hotkey
oShellLink.Hotkey = ""
' Icon for Shortcut
oShellLink.IconLocation = "%windir%\explorer.exe"
' Shortcut Comment
oShellLink.Description = "Windows Explorer"
' Working Directory
oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = ""
oShellLink.Save
***************************************
The following Batch file is used to launch the above scripts, and also documents the use of Pin.vbs
Our agency primarily uses Win XP, Win 7 x86, and Win 7 x64... hence the limited version check.
***************************************
Name this Batch file (TBcustom.cmd)
***************************************
:: Set Environment
@ECHO OFF
CLS
TITLE Taskbar Customization Tool
COLOR 3f
PROMPT $s
SET UsrPinTBar="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar"
:: *** Usage - Pin.vbs
:: *** WScript.exe "%~dp0\%~dp0\Pin.vbs" [drive:][path]filename [Argument]
:: *** [Arguments] = 0 1 2
:: *** 0 = Unpin from Taskbar
:: *** 1 = Pin to Taskbar
:: *** 2 = Install
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:: Identify Windows Version
:: *** Assign ver output to variable VerResult ***
FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('ver') Do Set VerResult=%%A
:: *** Parse VerResult and assign variable according to OS version ***
ECHO "%VerResult%" | find "Version 6.1" > nul && GOTO Windows7Var
ECHO "%VerResult%" | find "Version 6.0" > nul && GOTO WindowsVistaVar
ECHO "%VerResult%" | find "Version 5" > nul && GOTO :WindowsXPVar
ECHO Error - Unexpected Version Information
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:Windows7Var
IF %processor_architecture%==x86 GOTO 7x86Var
IF %processor_architecture%==AMD64 GOTO 7x64Var
IF %processor_architecture%==IA64 GOTO 7x64Var
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:WindowsVistaVar
ECHO This PC is running Windows Vista
:: *** Unsupported ***
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:WindowsXPVar
ECHO This PC is running Windows XP
:: *** Unsupported ***
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:7x86Var
ECHO This PC is running Windows 7 32Bit
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS EXPLORER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Explorer.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk"
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Media Player.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk"
:: *** ADD CUSTOM WINDOWS EXPLORER (opens to shell:MyComputerFolder) ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" %windir%\explorer.exe 1
WScript.exe "%~dp0\MyExplorerLnk.vbs"
:: *** ADD OUTLOOK***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe" 1
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:7x64Var
ECHO This PC is running Windows 7 64Bit
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS EXPLORER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Explorer.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk"
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Media Player.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk"
:: *** ADD CUSTOM WINDOWS EXPLORER (opens to shell:MyComputerFolder)***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" %windir%\explorer.exe 1
WScript.exe "%~dp0\MyExplorerLnk.vbs"
:: *** ADD OUTLOOK***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%ProgramFiles% (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe" 1
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:EOF
EXIT
***************************************
This method is what worked best for our particular needs, as our agency deploys virgin OS images and customizes and deploys software as SCCM task sequences and packages. It also does not dictate that a user can't customize the Taskbar as they see fit, and won't remove their own customizations, as would other methods posted that replace the Taskband registry values.
I hope this helps, and feel free to criticize or ask for assistance with it!