Quick Launch - Enable or Disable

How to Enable or Disable Quick Launch in Windows 7​

   Information

By default Quick Launch is disabled in Windows 7. This will show you how to enable or disable Quick Launch as a taskbar toolbar using small or large icons in Windows 7.

   Note

Quick Launch is a toolbar on the taskbar. Quick Launch is used to open a program quickly from a shortcut from within it separate from the pinned programs on the taskbar.

The Quick Launch folder is located at the hidden system folder location below to add shortcuts to.

C:\Users\(user-name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

   Tip

Microsoft has made available a hotfix that will resolve a problem where the taskbar customizations are lost and reset to defaults when automatic logon is enabled in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. More details are available at FIX: The Taskbar is reset to the default settings when you use the "Automatically Log On" feature in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2.



If you still have the issue of where the pinned Quick Launch used in this tutorial disappears on you after logging off and on or restarting the computer, then a workaround for this issue is to either:

• Save your current theme after adding Quick Launch.
• If you have a 32-bit Windows 7, then it has been reported that you may need to turn off UAC if Quick Launch is disappearing on you after every restart.
• Open the hidden Quick Launch folder in the NOTE box above, then right click in the folder and click on New and Shortcut to add a shortcut into Quick Launch instead.
• Create a new folder, copy the shortcuts in the Quick Launch folder above into the new folder, then pin the new folder to the taskbar instead just like the Quick Launch folder here.
• To use a Microsoft hotfix. It is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.
  • Information: FIX: The Taskbar is reset to the default settings when you use the "Automatically Log On" feature in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2
  • Download link: Help and Support

EXAMPLE: Default Windows 7 Taskbar

EXAMPLE: Quick Launch Enabled on Right Side of Taskbar
NOTE: This is the new Quick Launch toolbar with text and title, small icons, or large icons.

EXAMPLE: Quick Launch Enabled on Left Side of Taskbar
NOTE: This is the new Quick Launch toolbar without text and title, and with small icons or large icons.

OPTION ONE

To Add Quick Launch to Taskbar

1. Right click on a empty space on the taskbar, then select (hover on) Taskbar and click on New Toolbar. (See screenshot below)

2. In the Folder line, type or copy the location below. (See screenshot below)
%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

3. Click on the Select Folder button. (See screenshot above)

4. You now have a Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Click on the arrow to see your Quick Launch shortcuts.

5. To Expand the Quick Launch Toolbar
A) Unlock the taskbar.

B) Left click and hold on the dotted separator line just to the left of Quick Launch, then drag it to the left or right to adjust to unhide all of the icons. Release the left click when done. (See screenshot below)

C) Lock the taskbar.
6. To Remove Quick Launch Toolbar Icon Text or Title
A) Unlock the taskbar.

B) Right click on the dotted separator line just to the left of Quick Launch, then uncheck the Show Text and Show Title by clicking on them. (See screenshot below step 5B)

C) Lock the taskbar.
7. To Have Small or Large Icons for Quick Launch Toolbar
A) Unlock the taskbar.

B) Right click on the dotted separator line just to the left of Quick Launch, then click on View and select to have Large Icons or Small Icons. (See screenshot below step 5B)

C) Lock the taskbar.
8. To Have Quick Launch Toolbar on Left Side of Taskbar
A) Unlock the taskbar.

B) Left click and hold on the dotted separator line just to the left of Quick Launch, then drag Quick Launch as far to the left on the taskbar as you are able to and release.

C) If you still have any pinned program icons to the left of Quick Launch, then left click and hold on the dotted separator line just to the left of the icons and hold, and drag it to the right past Quick Launch and release. (See screenshot below)

D) The Quick Launch toolbar is now on the far left side of the taskbar. (See screenshot below)

E) Left click and hold on the dotted separator line for the other icons and drag them left or right to make any adjustments to how you want them placed on the taskbar. (See screenshot above)

F) Lock the taskbar.

OPTION TWO

To Remove Quick Launch from Taskbar

1. Right click on a empty space on the taskbar and click on Toolbars and Quick Launch to uncheck and remove it from the taskbar. (See screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add Quick Launch to the "Send to" Context Menu in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Backup and Restore Taskbar Toolbars in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Reset and Clear All Taskbar Toolbars in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Pin or Unpin a Folder to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Use Small or Large Icons on the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Taskbar Button Grouping
• How to Lock or Unlock the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Move the Windows 7 Taskbar Location on the Desktop
• How to Show or Hide the Windows 7 Taskbar with Auto-hide
• How to Center the Taskbar Icons in Windows 7
• How to Create a Internet Website Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Use Toolbars in Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Pin or Unpin a Drive to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Add or Remove a Toolbar on the Taskbar in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Adding and Removing Taskbar Toolbars in Vista and Windows 7

 

[kneel]

just did this trick...thank you for posting this.

It's weird. My HP netbook has 7 Home premium, and has quick launch already there and ready to go. I had to do this hack to my HP 64 bit Ultimate Win 7.....

Man, I like an empty desktop, so I rely on quick launch....


Thanks again for this Tut.!!!!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Kneel.

 

[teckneeculler]

Hi Brink (and others). I've been reading this 31xpage thread with interest. I'm doing an experimental install of Win7 Ultimate on a workshop machine (my own pcs are running XPP) so I can better tune the Win7 laptops that customers are starting to bring to me.

Re the Quicklaunch workaround (which I'm just about to try), I had a couple of thoughts about alternatives. I'm not a fan of wide screens; I reckon that they distort a lot of images.

So on my own Acer XP laptop, with a 15" screen that measures 330mm x 210mm, I keep my Taskbar\Quicklaunch panel at the left of the screen, not the bottom. This way, my desktop more approximates a 'square format'. If I moved it to the more conventional bottom of screen, this would accentuate the screen's 'wideness'.
The side position works well because I have four vertical columns of icons in my Quicklaunch area, with a total of around 60 icons.

Now, I haven't tried customizing my workshop Win7 yet, but it occurred to me that, if it were possible to pose some sort of elongated folder on either side of the screen, perhaps that would serve as a 'dock' for regular shortcuts?

Again on that subject, there was a great little app around in the days of W98. It was called 'Desklist' and, once installed in the tray, it showed with one click, every desktop icon. The developer abandoned it, but I've always thought it had a lot of promise.

Anyway, I'll post this and get on with my customized Win7.
Cheers from New Zealand.

 

[Brink]

Hello Teckneeculler, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might take a look at the free program StandaloneStack to see if it may be close to doing what the old program "Desklist" did.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[teckneeculler]

Thanks Shawn, an interesting little app. BTW, your Quick Launch tip works perfectly

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Teckneeculler. Thank you.

 

[CX gamer]

Hi,

I use quicklaunch a lot, mainly because I need to open several instances of a program very often and because I don't like clutter.
Now I fixed this myself after a bit of looking around. But there is one thing that comprimised the 'quick' from quicklaunch; a security alert. Every time I open a quicklaunch instance (apart from 'run'), it asks if I want to open this .lnk file. I think because it can't confirm the publisher of the file, even though I get this with calc, notepad and paint too. :s

Thank you in advance,

CX

Open file - security alert

Do you want to open this file?

Name: C:\Users\CX\Favorites\Koppelingen\Notepad.lnk
Publisher: Unknown publisher
Type: Shortcut
From: C:\Users\CX\Favorites\Koppelingen\Notepad.lnk

[Open] [Cancel]
---
Dispite the fact that files that you have downloaded from internet could be useful, can this filetype cause harm to your computer. Do not execute this software of you hesitate about the orgins. What's the risk?

 

[Brink]

Hello CX Gamer, and welcome to Seven Forums.

See if you may just need to unblock them.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/124367-open-file-security-warning-unblock-file.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...urity-warning-allow-prevent-unblock-file.html

If not, then create new shortcuts directly from the exe file, and use them in Quick Launch instead to see if that may help.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[CX gamer]

Thank you for your reply. I've tried those now.

Both options one of the first link don't work, as I don't have the corresponding button or checkbox.
I've tried the first option of the second link, though I didn't notice a difference after applying and rebooting either of those registery fixes. I don't have the corresponding windows version to try the second option.
Dragging the .exe files directly to the quicklaunch (both moving and creating a shotcut to it) resulted in the same outcome.

I've attached my active processes, note AVG's pc tuneup and ESET Nod32 anivirus.

Thank you in advance,

CX

 

[Brink]

CX,

Open the hidden Quick Launch folder in the NOTE box at the top of the tutorial, then right click in the folder and click on New and Shortcut to add the shortcuts into Quick Launch instead.

 

[CX gamer]

Thanks for your reply once again.

I've removed the icons (except Run, which works properly) from my quicklaunch first, then I placed shortcuts to my applications. After rebooting, I noticed that there were no new icons in my quicklaunch apart from Run. Have I missed something?

I've attached a screenshot of how it's set up. Note that Bureaublad weergeven (show desktop) and Tussen vensters schakelen (Switch between windows) never showed up either, but I don't need those at all.

Sincerely,

CX

EDIT: Also, the quicklaunch folder isn't set to hidden for me.

 

[Brink]

It's the AppData folder that is normally hidden, and faded when it is set to not be hidden.

Do the shortcuts work when you click on them there?

You might restart the computer to see if they show up afterwards.

If not, then as a test, create a new administrator account and add Quick Launch to the taskbar to see how it work in that user account.

 

[CX gamer]

Oh right.

Yes, the shotcuts work when I click them from inside the Quick Launch folder.
And yes, I had rebooted my system after I added them.

I've added a new admin account, but somehow I managed to disable the usage of multiple accounts. :huh:
I'll try to enable that, it might take a while. Thank you for the quick replies.

Translation;
Change user
Logoff
Lock
Reboot
Hibernate

EDIT: Couldn't find any way to enable the usage of multiple accounts. :s

 

[Brink]

If you mean "Switch User", then this may help.

Fast User Switching - Vista Forums

 

[CX gamer]

O.O you guys have tutorials for everything.
Okay that worked, and I tested it with my temporary admin account.

The admin account had the same dialog box.

If you have the time, would you be willing to assist me using teamviewer, it could speed things up.

 

[Chimel]

@CX Gamer: Looks like you missed one step in the tutorial, you actually haven't created the QuickLaunch bar, you are using your Internet Explorer's Favorites folder, this is why all .lnk files require manual confirmation before opening. Or you somehow linked your Favorites folder to the QuickLaunch bar. Try this:

1) Delete all the shortcuts to applications from your Favorites folder.
The Favorites folder should contain only your web sites favorites, not programs.
2) Go through Shawn's tutorial once again until the QuickLaunch toolbar appears.
3) Create shortcuts safely by drag and drop from the Start menu. Zum Beispiel:
- Click on Start|All Programs|Accessories ("Start" AKA the "Windows" button)
- Right-click on Notepad and drag and drop to the QuickLaunch toolbar
- Release the right-click and select "Create shortcuts here"

2 other configuration tricks I find useful:

1) Move the QuickLaunch toolbar on the left next to the Windows|Start icon
- Right-click "Unlock the taskbar" on the taskbar if it's currently locked
- Click on the left between the vertical 3-dotted line and the first taskbar's icon
- A 4-arrow anchor should appear. Then move the taskbar to the right
- Once the 2 bars are switched, resize them with the vertical 3-dotted lines.
Remember, the trick is to move the taskbar right, not the QuickLaunch bar left.

2) Expand the height of the taskbar to 2 lines instead of 1:
- Again, unlock the taskbar if it's not unlocked already
- Move the mouse to the bottom of the screen
- Move it upwards slowly until it becomes a 2-arrow cursor
- Then click and move it upwards again until the taskbar expands to 2 lines
- Right-click "Lock the taskbar" to preserve your settings
You can then use twice more shortcuts or keep the bar's width to the minimum.

 

[CX gamer]

Thank you for your reply. Right now I'm having a facepalm moment of which 2 hands just isn't enough. I've used the Links toolbar, rather than having followed this tutorial. I thought we were talking about the same thing. I'll follow this tutorial now. Sorry to be of such bother, but thank you for your helpfull expertese.

EDIT: Yes, works like a charm.

 

[Brink]

Very nice catch Chimel. I knew it had to be something simple that was being overlooked by us somewhere.

 

[Chimel]

Haha, nothing to it, it was in CX's first screenshot.
I created a Notepad shortcut in my Favorites folder, and sure enough, it asked me for the same confirmation.

@CX Gamer: RTFT Read The Frigging Tutorial! ^-^ Glad to help. Tchüss!

 

[annabrand]

got a question about quick links hope this is the right section i had a skim through

I prefer to use quick links over desktop icons but ive noticed it freezes for sometimes a minute because i use a large number of icons, is there anyway to get around this handicap or shall i just use less icons or stop using it?