Start Menu - Pin or Unpin a Program to

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

---

• How to Backup and Restore Pinned Start Menu Items in Windows 7
• How to Pin a Folder, Drive, and Library to the Start Menu in Windows 7
• How to Pin or Unpin Libraries in the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin or Unpin Items in Windows 7 Jump Lists
• How to Enable or Disable Pinning and Unpinning of Items in Windows 7 Jump Lists
• How to Use Small or Large Icons in the Windows 7 Start Menu
• How to Reset the Pin To Start Menu Area in Windows 7
• How to Turn Recent Programs On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Open and Use Windows 7 Start Menu and Taskbar Jump Lists
• Download a Shortcut that Opens the Start Menu in Windows
• How to Restore Missing "Pin to Taskbar" and "Pin to Start Menu" Context Menu Items in Windows 7 Shortcuts
• How to Enable or Disable Start Menu Auto Arrange by Name in Vista and Windows 7

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. It could be something your IT Dept set for them to be disabled. If so, then there's nothing you can do other than ask if they could enable it again.

 

[jonnyhotchkiss]

hi Brink, out of curiosity I've just stupidly unchecked the 'store and display..' start menu items options..

I lost the start menu pins, so I'm readding them....

I found a Restore_Pin_to_Start_Menu.reg, and checked my reg and already have 'Default' Start Menu Pin @
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8}


I'm TRYING to add Pin to start Menu to the context menu available from taskbar (running program) entries, specifically so I can pinToStartMenu my Control Panel...

is this possible? (sure I had this working before)

Thanks!!

 

[Brink]

Hello Jonny,

You might see if the tutorial below may be able to help fix this.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/196235-pin-taskbar-add-remove-context-menu-windows-7-a.html

 

[zmth]

Be advised in windows 7 right click on a program in start menu does nothing for last several months or years though think it did a few years ago but no longer and be advised that in the folder you give as:
C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\StartMenu
and deleting a certain program from that list Does NOt remove it from the start menu as i just did it and the program was still in the start menu. Unless by
some remote chance it won't be there in the future sometime after say rebooting ? But that is very doubtful. Too bad that right clicking on the
start menu routine no longer works as it did a few years ago as that was most convenient - now right clicking in windows 7 no longer does
anything.

 

[Brink]

Hello zmth, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You should still be able to right click on items in the Start Menu (white area) and see a context menu.

The pinned to Start items are also referenced in a registry value.

If you like, you might see if resetting and clearing your pinned Start items using the tutorial below may help. You will have to manually Pin to Start anything you want again afterwards though.

:ar: Start Menu - Reset Pin To Area

 

[zmth]

When right click there absolutely nothing happens so there is no sense in rt clicking when it is exactly the same as doing nothing!

 

[zmth]

yea i may could try the 2nd thing but having to go thru all that is quite painstaking. I already opened the registry and took ages to stop everywhere it found something not applicable - had to stop out of taking way too much time. Also most things in registry are put in there multiple places and one has to take them out everywhere and then one cannot be sure that even after doing all that they still sometimes appear back there again. I have done registry editing involving other things many times in past many years- most always a painstaking task.