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

 

[Night Hawk]

Not actually! Once you have the main folder setup in no time any new shortcuts can be dragged right into it from the desktop with any Windows Explorer window open. You can even drag them right upto the one visible icon on the task bar being the first item on the quick launch to see that added in immediately.

 

[makio89]

Oh yeah, once it's set up it's fine. I just think that they should have kept it there (as a standard toolbar) from vista, coz it's been around forever. I wouldn't have minded so much if you can just turn it on or off. You shouldn't need to create an entirely new toolbar and put in some convoluted file address.... imo...

 

[Night Hawk]

Since I wasn't able to attach those before the two images show how simply dragging the recycle bin icon right upto the position will see a new shortcut added. Not shown there however is a very small message prompt asking to add shortcut to Quick Launch. The second shows how that went.

The main reason it was eliminated from the 7 taskbar makes sense in that you can simply drag just about any desktop item right onto the taskbar without fuss.

On XP and Vista the quick launch bar was rather limited once filled with tiny icons while you can pack a large number on the new version for that and still see them retain size. Just take a look at how those appeared on the Vista quick launch once I filled that up with several seen in this image.

 

[chrysalis]

talking of things dissapearing after reboots, my terminal font dissapeared.

Here is a quick launch of mine, 16 icons and barely any space used on my taskbar.

this is XP by the way, and notice how slim the theme is and how tightly packed icons are together around the system tray also.

What I dont want on my taskbar?

1 - I dont want launch icons merged with running icons, so if I open IE on the docking system, I then have to click the app on the taskbar to launch a 2nd instance, very bad.
2 - I want my launch icons seperate from the running icons.
3 - I want no text on my launch icons but I do want text on my running icons.
4 - I want to be able to choose the order of the running apps on my taskbar, to be fair you cant drag around in xp and vista but a 3rd party makes it work well, how microsoft have managed to avoid allowing this by default is baffling, it seems such an obvious feature.
5 - I want tightly packed icons, there is tons of big inefficient gaps between icons in windows 7.

 

[Night Hawk]

With the add on of a new toolbar you would be surprized at how much can be absorbed from the taskbar to start with. The only text visible when adding a new bar is the first item where you simply right click on that to uncheck the show text and show title items.

 

[JaJa]

Hurray Normality has Returned!!

Thanks for this fix it worked wonderfully.

IMHO I found the new method of pinning icons to the taskbar irritating and prior to finding this fix I had unpinned everything from the taskbar and relyed upon the startmenu for all the programs I usually keep on the QuickLaunch menu.

It is not that I don't like to try new things, and may in the future find a use for this new taskbar pinning thing (possibly), but I must say that I think it a mistake that SIMPLE options are not available in order for my PC to look and behave like MY PC.

By all means explore and develop new things, if they are good people will want them and use them, but shouldn't the choice be with the consumer not the manufacturer when it comes to choosing what the customer wants???

In all seriousness I really hope that windows seven does well when it is properly released, but is it too much to ask for a simple right click choice available on the taskbar in order for people to choose a toolbar which they are familiar with?

Thanks again for the fix

 

[Night Hawk]

The items I see pinned on the taskbar ironically are only those most frequently used with a few exceptions.

For the occasional but not daily used items why clutter the desktop or taskbar? Have any stand alone utilities like Core Temp whch don't create anything for the Start>Porgrams? Once you create a new desktop short drag into the folder used for the new quick launch!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome JaJa, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You can also pin another folder of your choice to have multiple Quick Launch like items on the taskbar if you like to.

Shawn

 

[Night Hawk]

Actually I have three of them already one for the recycle bin as well as one for some games kept separately from various others like system tools I created short cuts. Some of them on the first image will look familiar as a result of other tweaks.

 

[JaJa]

I am happy that my Windows7 taskbar now looks like it did in Vista & XP, with the added addition of an ‘option’ to pin things to the taskbar if I wish.

The items I have ‘on show’ in my QuickLaunch Menu are those I use most frequently, the occasional programs I use are hidden behind the arrow which extends my QuickLaunch menu.
For any other program (i.e. ones that I almost never use) I open the start menu and type in a key word which most always finds the program wanted with very little effort.

My setup works very well, and takes up only a very small part of the taskbar on the left in the same fashion as Vista or XP, which I find very uncomplicated and neat.

I am intrigued by my new found ability to pin things to the taskbar, and as I said in my previous post I may yet find a use for it (I am not opposed to new things). However my first impressions of the ‘Windows7’ taskbar were not favourable and I have to say that I agree with the comments/observations that “chrysalis” has been making.

Never the less my biggest grumble is not that I prefer one style over another but that the options to change between have not been made easy. In short I had to find this forum and follow through this unnecessarily complicated “fix” in order to make my machine work the way I wanted it to.
It is always good to have new ideas and the pinning things on the taskbar for me may yet have its uses.

However it is a BIG mistake to take away peoples options and this “fix” (which is easy for me) will no doubt confuse a lot of people who want to return their systems to the normality which I & they prefer. My prediction will be (if things go unchanged) that many people won’t like ‘Windows7’ simply because they don’t like the new taskbar & thus sales will be affected (which would be a shame).

I would say that a simple right click on the taskbar to open up an option to reinstate the QuickLaunch menu would appease many unhappy with the new ideas.

Upon reflection I consider that, if a simple option to return to a familiar look had been in place from the start this whole forum dialogue probably would never have needed to come into existence.
But hey this is only the ‘Release Candidate’ and I guess you need such feedback in order to make the changes needed.

 

[Night Hawk]

Sometimes the idea of having a quich launch bar is to have things there you may not use that often but won't find in the Start menu. Things like stand alone utilities where you manually have to create a desktop shortcut can easily go there and don't simply become another item to clutter the desktop.

As for the new taskbar itself you can simply right click to unpin items as well pinning items from the Start>Programs for ease of access at any time. But the bar will fill too fast if you regularly use a number of them!

As you can see from the two images there all those would force combing on the taskbar here that's already full. Just image all those taking up desktop space if not contained in the addon bars there.

 

[JaJa]

Hi Night Hawk,

I have taken a second look at the two images that you have provided, and in my opinion most of the programs you have on your QuickLaunch could be accessed very quickly by typing in a single keyword through the start menu (this is what I would do).

Some other items such as the ‘Recycle Bin’ I would happily keep on my desktop; I would find keeping such items in the QuickLaunch menu impractical & inconvenient.

I would not keep a shortcut to the control panel in my QuickLaunch menu either as it is easily accessible through the start menu. The short cut to ‘Microsoft Mouse’ which I presume is for altering mouse settings is not something I personally ever need to alter but if I did I would access it through the control panel (via the start menu).

I personally prefer to keep my Games in the Games folder on the 'Start Menu'.


It seems to me that you have an extremely and unnecessarily cluttered QuickLaunch contrasting an unnecessarily empty desktop (I guess we all have our idiosyncrasies).

I am aware that I can pin and unpin things onto my taskbar, but as yet I haven’t found a use for this feature. At the moment I still find pinned programs irritating as they take up unnecessary space and program icons (not running) move around in between those programs which are running.
(To me it just looks untidy and cumbersome).

I really hope that when this operating system hits the shelves in a commercial way, a simple right click option to reinstate the traditional QuickLaunch is allowed so that people like me who don’t enjoy the new ‘pinning thing’ have the option to quickly and easily CHOOSE to have our PC’s the way we like them.

Remember – Ideas are great (lets have more), but don’t forget to allow the customer the ability to easily CHOOSE which ideas they want and which they don’t.

 

[Night Hawk]

The Recycle Bin seen there was only an extra item added in to illustrate the volume of desktop items you can have rolled up into a quick launch bar. You'll note that is also seen in a separate bar as well.

As far as the games a second will show only one would normally be seen in the Start>Games section that being the Ouantum of Solace Windows Games item if the games section was visible to start with. You'll notice it isn't as well as other folders there.

With a quick launch bar for each catagory you actually end up seeing multiple Start menus once you have a large number of programs and other items loaded on the system to start with. Rather then the need for the desktop cleanup tool any unused for the moment shortcuts are conveniently tucked away while still having ready access.

For duplicate items when the taskbar is filled and items are grouped a dropdown menu also provides ready access again.You'll notice when one IE window is open you would normally have to go back into the Start menu in order to open up a second one. Soluttion? Note the IE icon at the top of the Quick Launch bar there providing ready access for that.

The entire process seen when adding on a new toolbar offers customization for individual preferences as well as having offering practical applications. Shawn did an excellent job preparing the guide here to show how this can easily be done.

 

[chrysalis]

I am happy that my Windows7 taskbar now looks like it did in Vista & XP, with the added addition of an ‘option’ to pin things to the taskbar if I wish.

The items I have ‘on show’ in my QuickLaunch Menu are those I use most frequently, the occasional programs I use are hidden behind the arrow which extends my QuickLaunch menu.
For any other program (i.e. ones that I almost never use) I open the start menu and type in a key word which most always finds the program wanted with very little effort.

My setup works very well, and takes up only a very small part of the taskbar on the left in the same fashion as Vista or XP, which I find very uncomplicated and neat.

I am intrigued by my new found ability to pin things to the taskbar, and as I said in my previous post I may yet find a use for it (I am not opposed to new things). However my first impressions of the ‘Windows7’ taskbar were not favourable and I have to say that I agree with the comments/observations that “chrysalis” has been making.

Never the less my biggest grumble is not that I prefer one style over another but that the options to change between have not been made easy. In short I had to find this forum and follow through this unnecessarily complicated “fix” in order to make my machine work the way I wanted it to.
It is always good to have new ideas and the pinning things on the taskbar for me may yet have its uses.

However it is a BIG mistake to take away peoples options and this “fix” (which is easy for me) will no doubt confuse a lot of people who want to return their systems to the normality which I & they prefer. My prediction will be (if things go unchanged) that many people won’t like ‘Windows7’ simply because they don’t like the new taskbar & thus sales will be affected (which would be a shame).

I would say that a simple right click on the taskbar to open up an option to reinstate the QuickLaunch menu would appease many unhappy with the new ideas.

Upon reflection I consider that, if a simple option to return to a familiar look had been in place from the start this whole forum dialogue probably would never have needed to come into existence.
But hey this is only the ‘Release Candidate’ and I guess you need such feedback in order to make the changes needed.

I agree, if this tweak wasnt available I wont hesistate in saying the lack of quick launch would have turned me of windows 7 altogether. The main issue now is it needs to be a lot easier to turn quick launch on from installation.

Like yourself i may one day find a use for pinning but for now I dont use it.

 

[Night Hawk]

You wouldn't have wanted to see the old XP and Vista desktops here once I was busy beta testing other things on those versions and the desktop kept seeing more and more shortcuts since the old quick launch bars were limited on space!

By adding another bar on here I wouldn't need anything pinned to the taskbar if there was no purpose for that. The two working are a much needed relief from seeing a desktop filled with shortcuts all over the place.

Talk about nightmares I'll glad Vista is now run on the Virtual PC beta! :roflmao:

 

[chrysalis]

well yeah, single row taskbars are too small

however if you pinned all those icons on the windows 7 bar how much space would it take then?

 

[Night Hawk]

On the 7 taskbar you still run into a spacing problem while that offers about 90% of the space available compared to unlocking and stretching old bar using small icons only. The larger the icons the more space taken. That's when the always combine and combine when full options come into play there.

The quick launch bars start off where the new taskbar as well as the old quick launch leave off. The real advantage is seen when only seeing a few on the taskbar leaving additional space available for adding more quick launch bars.

Just imagine what you could have there with a good dozen new toolbars added on. No more need to even open up the Start>Programs since you could arrange the shortcuts created from everything there into a quick launch bar for each catagory.

With the taskbar itself set to auto hide you then see your favorite wallpaper in full view with no desktop shortcuts present! That certainly leaves plenty of room for any gadgets you want on the desktop not covering over any shortcuts as you can see from how that looked on Vista.

 

[JaJa]

Night Hawk, you like the new ‘Windows7’ taskbar pinning thing; well if it works for you, that’s good, I’m happy for you. Advocate it; tell the world how wonderful you think it is, I will not stand in your way.

I am all up for new ideas and developments, and by all means leave this new pinning setup as the standard ‘Windows7’ installation setup, Again, you will have no quibbles from me.

But is too much to ask the Windows team to allow CHOICE?
I have had to come to this forum and follow through an unnecessarily complicated “FIX” in order to put my PC back to the way I like it.

I like my PC with the traditional QuickLaunch toolbar, I am relaxed with it. In contrast I found the ‘Pinning’ system irritating; it simply does not work for me (but I happily concede that I may yet find a use for it).

All I am recommending is that when I right click on the taskbar an option is available to reinstate the ‘QuickLaunch’ toolbar. I am not trying to make you use it or like it.
All I am trying to say is summed up in one word...

................CHOICE................

I simply want the ability to “Easily CHOOSE” my user interface. The “FIX” that you offer on this forum works but is WAY OVERCOMPLICATED for many of Microsoft’s customers. They might not like what you like, and feel frustrated with the lack of “Easy CHOICE” that “Windows7” offers.

Again, let me reiterate that I am not trying to make you Choose something you obviously don’t like.
I want you to have the interface that works best for you, what you are happy with.

Am I asking too much of Microsoft for a right click option that I can have my Preference, as you have yours?

 

[copernicus]

The resulting taskbar is an evolution of the old taskbar.

The designers saw what was wrong with it and made changes accordingly, why in the world would they put choices to revert the changes they made?

Having two places to launch the same program was the primary reason for the changes made to the taskbar. Don't expect them to undo that this late in the game.

 

[Brink]

Ok guys. To each their own.

This debate is done.