Quick Launch Bar

[DwightStegall]

I heard that the Quick Launch Bar has been removed in Windows 7. I sure hope that isn't true. Maybe someone will write a third party app to replace it. I use it over a hundred times a day. I would miss it greatly.

 

[Orbital Shark]

Hi DwightStegall, welcome to the forums.

If you create a new toolbar (right-click taskbar, toolbars, new toolbar) and in the text field at the bottom, type %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch this will restore the quick launch toolbar.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html



Jeff

 

[Captain Zero]

Dwight, it still exist, it's just changed a little. I actually prefer the way it works now and I'm a QL junkie as well. Most of us are and as you can see below, I use QL as I always have.

 

[DwightStegall]

Thanks I was hoping you could still use it. I guess I can go ahead and upgrade now. I swore I wouldn't if they had eliminated it.
Have a gr8 day!

 

[Orbital Shark]

You're welcome mate

 

[paulk]

I mainly used the Show Desktop XP (never bothered with vista !!) im glad to see this has heen included on the taskbar by default, as im a devil for saving stuff on the desktop...!:huh:

Like you without this I would be really uninpressed.

As for other icons could you not just use Pin to Taskbar..?

Becoming a big 7 fan just wish my crappy old laptop would support all the Aero stuff..

 

[swarfega]

In my view the new win7 taskbar has negated the need for quicklaunch since you can pin anything to it and itl run. Look at it as an updated quick launch.

@captain zero: nice wallpaper! Mind sharing the link for it?

 

[Kakuri]

I don't like the new task bar at all, but I suppose I can be grateful, since it led me to discover RocketDock which is perfect!

Task Bar Problems:
1. The horizontal spacing between application shortcut icons is too big.
2. Application shortcuts get mixed in with running applications, rather than having their own dedicated quicklaunch section to the left, with running apps being to the right of quicklaunch.
3. If you set task bar icons to small, the clock is small (I like having the weekday displayed on the clock); if you set them to big, they're too big. (I know you can keep small icons and make the task bar big so it displays the expanded clock, but then the task bar is too big)

Perhaps some of these problems can be solved, but I'm very pleased with my new setup:
1. Auto-hide task bar (I barely even use it anymore, which is a big change for me! In XP I couldn't imagine life without it)
2. Use RocketDock for all my app launch shortcuts (the magnify effect looks great, but I don't find it to be very functional, so I turned it off)
3. Put the Presto's Clock gadget in the top-right of my screen.

 

[Orbital Shark]

2. Application shortcuts get mixed in with running applications, rather than having their own dedicated quicklaunch section to the left, with running apps being to the right of quicklaunch.

Not if you switch to 'Never Combine' in the taskbar preferences

 

[Captain Zero]

@captain zero: nice wallpaper! Mind sharing the link for it?

Seems a lot of people are asking for it, I'll post it in the desktop thread. Cheers.

 

[Lordbob75]

Hey guys, you know you can move QL bar back to the left right?

~Lordbob

 

[Urtica]

I don't like the new task bar at all, but I suppose I can be grateful, since it led me to discover RocketDock which is perfect!

Task Bar Problems:...

I totally agree, and what is the point of reiterating "recent items" when what we need to do is open a NEW app; "frequent" might have one or two among the list which would be OK if one used only two or three apps/files regularly -- I sure don't.

So I was very interested in Rocketbar until I came to "64-bit not yet supported..."

So, my question: are you running 32 or 64 bit? If 64, did you have to do anything special to install Rocketbar?

It would be totally fine with me if some genius would reinstate the old, so simple shortcut bar -- make folder, fill with shortcuts, drag to edge. What could be simpler or more functional. One-click access and taskbar is uncluttered except by programs/files in use and whatever program(s) I choose to pin to it.

m

 

[Lordbob75]

It would be totally fine with me if some genius would reinstate the old, so simple shortcut bar -- make folder, fill with shortcuts, drag to edge. What could be simpler or more functional. One-click access and taskbar is uncluttered except by programs/files in use and whatever program(s) I choose to pin to it.

m

I guess you don't like to read a thread. That bar you are talking about? It is called Quick Launch. It does EXACTLY what you asked for.
So I guess that makes MS a genius, because it is still there.
If you had READ the thread, you would have thought it would take a genius.

Hi DwightStegall, welcome to the forums.

If you create a new toolbar (right-click taskbar, toolbars, new toolbar) and in the text field at the bottom, type %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch this will restore the quick launch toolbar.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html



Jeff

~Lordbob

 

[Urtica]

I guess you don't like to read a thread. That bar you are talking about? It is called Quick Launch. It does EXACTLY what you asked for.
So I guess that makes MS a genius, because it is still there.
If you had READ the thread, you would have thought it would take a genius.

You may note that I referred to the oh so simple and efficient SHORTCUT bar as implemented in XP and Vista, not a cumbersome "quick launch" area on the already cluttered (if one is running a program or six) taskbar.

And isn't this rather rude for what purports to be a moderated forum?

m

 

[LPDad]

I would have been completely lost without the xp "quicklaunch", however after installing win7 x64 I figured I would give the new taskbar a chance. I figured I could always revert to the old quicklaunch if the windows7 version did not work out.
With a few little tweaks (see the tweaking/how to section of these forums), and after learning how the thing is ment to work...I am a convert.
The new Taskbar is the best!!
Learn how to use it and then tweak it a little bit to match your needs and you will love it too.:sarc:

 

[LPDad]

And isn't this rather rude for what purports to be a moderated forum?

m

LOL... I would be careful. He has LOTS of Ribbons under his name....and quite a few posts too.

 

[win7noob]

I would have been completely lost without the xp "quicklaunch", however after installing win7 x64 I figured I would give the new taskbar a chance. I figured I could always revert to the old quicklaunch if the windows7 version did not work out.
With a few little tweaks (see the tweaking/how to section of these forums), and after learning how the thing is ment to work...I am a convert.
The new Taskbar is the best!!
Learn how to use it and then tweak it a little bit to match your needs and you will love it too.:sarc:

which tweaks did you do

 

[LPDad]

Here is a Complete listing of Window7 "how to" (very nice)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/257-windows-7-tutorial-index.html

There is a whole section under T for Taskbar.

and Don't forget this especially useful one (this keeps the My Computer from disappearing into the 'taskbar folder'...although once you learn to right click on the taskbar folder it is pretty useful);

(Much to my Chagrin--I cannot locate the "Add My Computer to the Taskbar" trick at this time..but it is there..somewhere...Honest...I am at work now, when I get home I will try to find it and stick it here )

Ahhhhh..YES!!! Here it is:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/6916-computer-pin-taskbar.html

Here is the "show Desktop" on taskbar, should you really need it :

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26379-show-desktop-icon-taskbar.html

Basically, take the time to learn how the taskbar works first. (it really is improved over the older quicklaunch). Learn to use Jumplists and how to tweak them (turn recent items on/off, etc). Then determine what would work for you and "Make it Yours".

Jumplist Tutorials:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3227-jump-lists.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/4820-jump-lists-change-number-recent-items-display.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/14067-jumplist-launcher-create-custom-jump-lists.html


WARNING: Go Luck going back to XP after getting used to this nifty new Win7 taskbar.

Browse through all the Tutorials..there are lots of useful items there..and a big THANKS to everyone who Contributed to those.

 

[Lordbob75]

I guess you don't like to read a thread. That bar you are talking about? It is called Quick Launch. It does EXACTLY what you asked for.
So I guess that makes MS a genius, because it is still there.
If you had READ the thread, you would have thought it would take a genius.

You may note that I referred to the oh so simple and efficient SHORTCUT bar as implemented in XP and Vista, not a cumbersome "quick launch" area on the already cluttered (if one is running a program or six) taskbar.

And isn't this rather rude for what purports to be a moderated forum?

m

Let me post some screnies since you seem to not understand what I meant (HOWEVER, I may have misinterpreted your meaning of a shortcut bar. If that is so, please EXPLAIN or post screenshots of what you DO mean).

QuickLaunch Bar on my Computer (seven ult):

And isn't this rather rude for what purports to be a moderated forum?

m

LOL... I would be careful. He has LOTS of Ribbons under his name....and quite a few posts too.

Indeed, lol.

I think I may have perhaps misinterpreted what he meant by a shortcut bar. Since he thinks it is so obvious, I have posted screenshots to show him what the QuickLaunch bar is.

~Lordbob

 

[flirno]

Quick Launch was just a name for the default/prefabricated/predfined toolbar. This could be pulled out of the default location in the task bar and put wherever.

'Quick Launch' for the toolbar is analogous to the default/prefabricated/predifined 'Links' folder in the old Internet Explorer Bookmarks.

What is missing is toolbar from XP which could be put on any side of the monitor.

THEN

You could create a new toolbar and name it Quicker Launch, and then put THAT on another side of the monitor.

THEN

You could do this 2 more times and have 4 totally different toolbars (only one of which was the 'quick launch', each defined by unique system folders) on each side of your monitor. (These toolbars could also be 'copies' of each other instead as they really just pointed to a system folder; you could have multiple copies of the quick launch at need.)

THAT is no longer possible in windows 7. Its a loss especially for people who use multiple monitors. I mean come on -- motherboards nowdays can easily give you PCIe space for 3 sli/cf graphics cards allowing you to setup an array of six monitors (and that's just with normal GPUs not using DVI links) -- you do NOT want just one toolbar for that, you want toolbars accessible on those other monitors or you have a mouse traversal nightmare.

This aspect of the windows xp toolbar is gone entirely.

---

A lot of people don't seem to realize the "Quick Launch" was just a folder name on the Hard Disk where the default Tool Bar contents was defined. Most people didn't realize apparently that you could have multiple totally different 'quick launch' bars defined and put all over the desktop.