Taskbar - Pin or Unpin a Program

How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Taskbar​

   Information

This will show you how to Pin or Unpin a .exe file or shortcut of a installed program to the Windows 7 taskbar as a icon on the taskbar.

   Note

The pinned taskbar items are located in this hidden system folder:

C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar

The default icon links on the taskbar is Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and Windows Explorer (opens to Libraries).

   Tip

Each program icon pinned to the taskbar can be opened by pressing the Windows key + 1 to 0 (1-10) keyboard shortcuts. You would use a number for how the program icons are ordered on the taskbar from left to right (for top or bottom) or top to bottom (for left or right) desktop location.

   Warning

You will need to have Recent Items turned on to see the recent items in a pinned program's Jump List.

EXAMPLE: New Taskbar

OPTION ONE

To Pin a Program to the Taskbar

NOTE: You can use step 2 or 3 to pin a folder in the Windows Explorer taskbar icon jump list.
1. Right click on a program exe file or shortcut that you want to pin to the taskbar, and click on Pin to Taskbar. (See screenshot below)

OR

2. Drag a file that has a program associated for it (ex: .txt file for Notepad) to a empty area on the taskbar until you see the Pin to (program name) (ex: Pin to notepad.exe) pop-up, then drop it. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This will pin the program (ex: Notepad) to the taskbar with the file (ex: txt) included in it's right click menu.

OR

3. Drag a program .exe file or shortcut (ex: CCLeaner), to a empty area of the taskbar until you see the Pin to Taskbar pop-up, then drop it. (See screenshot below)

OR

4. Right click on a open window taskbar button or icon that you want to pin to the taskbar, and click on Pin this program to the Taskbar. (See screenshot below)

OR

5. Pin to program's jump list. (See screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

To Unpin a Program to the Taskbar

1. Right click on a pinned taskbar icon link that you want to unpin, and click on Unpin this program from the Taskbar. (See screenshot below)

OR

2. Unpin from program's jump list. (See screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Backup and Restore Pinned Taskbar Items in Windows 7
• How to Reset and Clear All Pinned Items on the Taskbar in Windows 7
• How to Pin or Unpin a Folder 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 Pin Computer to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin the Recycle Bin to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin Your User Files Folder to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Taskbar Pinned Programs
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Taskbar Button Grouping
• How to Use Small or Large Icons on the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Start Menu
• How to Enable or Disable QuickLaunch in Windows 7
• 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 Turn Recent Programs On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Change the Windows 7 Pinned Windows Explorer Taskbar Icon Open To Target
• How to Open and Use Windows 7 Start Menu and Taskbar Jump Lists
• How to Change the Windows 7 Taskbar Icon Width Size
• How to Center the Taskbar Icons in Windows 7
• How to Create a Internet Website Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Pin or Unpin a Drive to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Restore Missing "Pin to Taskbar" and "Pin to Start Menu" Context Menu Items in Windows 7 Shortcuts
• How to Add or Remove "Pin to Taskbar" from Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to "Pin to Taskbar" Transparent Invisible Icons for Programs in Windows 7
• How to Create a Shortcut of a File, Folder, Drive, or Program in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8

 

[saiboat]

i had this problem with the not official build 7000 x86 and i have it again with the beta 1 x64: after a couple of days i now cannot pin anything to the taskbar anymore. it doesnt matter if i try to use a shortcut from desktop, the start menu or the actual exe file (trying to pin firefox), it simply shows the red crossed circle while dragging (THIS DOES NOT WORK!) and nothing happens when i release...

 

[smarteyeball]

Have you tried right-clicking on Firefox when it's open and pinning it that way?

Although not being able to pin a few items is a nuisance.

 

[saiboat]

what do you mean? rightclick the icon in the taskbar when i got an open firefox window? that only brings up the context menu which only says "close window"
edit: i notice the already pinned icons of library and windows media player have the option for unpin...

 

[Brink]

Hello Saiboat,

The tutorial has been updated for the new version of Windows 7. Check through it again to see if it may be able to help you with your problem.

Shawn

 

[saiboat]

nah anything thats mentioned does not work. if i rightclick any icon whatever there is no option "pin to taskbar" its like if i had uninstalled the pinning function somehow

 

[Brink]

Saiboat,

You might see if running a sfc /scannow command may help fix it. If not, you can try a System Restore using a restore point dated before the problem to see if it may. If none of the above will work, then I guess a reinstall may be in order.

 

[saiboat]

its telling me that there are no errors.
so weird that im the only one with that problem as i had it before on my x32 install...

does that functionality maybe depend on some services or so? im running aero etc. at max settings.

 

[Brink]

Any luck with System Restore?

 

[saiboat]

dont want to do that cause its been some days since that error occured and i dont want to go back so far
ill just leave it at this then....

 

[Brink]

OK.

 

[shadowminx69]

Rename Pined Items

Ok this is really bugging me but I want to beable to rename the stuff that I have listed when you rightclick on a taskbar item. Like I draged an internet address over my Firefox or IE8 button and pin it there for short cut however I would like 2 rename what is listed. so instead of having http://by131w.bay131.mail.live.c.... listed I would like it 2 say Hotmail and viceversa for other items. is there anyways around this?

 

[Brink]

Hello Shadowminx69,

Yes. You will need to unpin the item, rename the original shortcut or program file, then re-pin it to the taskbar.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[shadowminx69]

I tried what you suggested however didn't work no matter what I do it goes by what the URL is. I did however make a shortcut for Sign In which brings me to my mail anyways. but in the Pin thing it says Sign In. I guess its better than what I had. Would love it to say just Hotmail

 

[Brink]

Sorry, for a URL, it will always show the URL in the pinned items list for IE8 icon.

 

[saiboat]

i fixed my problem!
Fix Unable to Pin App to Taskbar and Start Menu (Missing Context Menu and Jump Lists) Error in Windows 7 » My Digital Life

it occurs when you edit the "IsShortcut" registry entry to remove the arrows from the desktop shortcuts. a shame what this small edit can cause

just go back to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile and create IsShortcut again...

 

[Brink]

Siabot,

I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for posting back your results.

Shawn

 

[daniel2]

this was helpful to get the correct icon back to the libraries icon, but i cannot get the taskbar to let me pin "music" "pictures" etc. within the button of the libraries.

i can pin almost anything to anything else, but nothing to this icon. any idea why?

 

[Brink]

Hello Daniel,

If you mean the icon on the taskbar, then do you have Recent Programs and Recent Items turned on? Music will pin to the taskbar under the Windows Media Player taskbar icon by default, and pictures will not pin to the taskbar though.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[daniel2]

Hello Daniel,

If you mean the icon on the taskbar, then do you have Recent Programs and Recent Items turned on? Music will pin to the taskbar under the Windows Media Player taskbar icon by default, and pictures will not pin to the taskbar though.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

sorry. i wasn't exactly clear. i was referring to the music, pictures, documents, and videos folders that are located in the library. they used to be listed within the libraries icon on the taskbar (accessible by a right click), but after some rearranging i did, they are no longer pinned to the libraries icon in the taskbar.

those pinned links are what i am trying to get back. does that make more sense?

i restored the libraries icon to the taskbar, but now it isn't allowing me to re-pin the locations originally pinned there.

thanks for your help

 

[Brink]

Yes, that helps much better.

Check to make sure that you have Recent Programs and Recent Items turned on, then open those folders a few times so that they show up under the Frequent or Recent list for the Windows Explorer taskbar icon. Right click on the Windows Explorer taskbar icon, and you should then be able to click on the pin icon to the right of the folder you want to pin in there.

For example, like how the Pictures Library is pinned below, and how you see the pin icon to the right of the Music folder below. Hope this is what you mean.