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

---

• 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

 

[Brink]

Hello Nomadgamer,

Doing a repair install may be the fastest and easiest way of fixing this without losing anything.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[nomadgamer13]

got the problem fixed.... its the IsShortcut... i always del that from the reg... 'coz i dont want to see those shortcut arrows... thanks m8!!! now i can pin using all your tutorials.... thanks again!!!

 

[Brink]

I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for posting back what you found to be the problem.

 

[koren]

I cant seem to pin a program(firefox) installed in my SDCard. Is there anyway to solve this? i can pin it only if its installed on the local harddisk.

 

[Brink]

Hello Koren, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sorry, but you cannot pin items from a removable storage device.

 

[r00ploi]

Hi

Is there anyway to remove the icon that is after the quick launch wirting. It goes away if the taskbar is unlocked. Has anyone found a way of removing it when the task bar is locked. I have attached a pic.

 

[Brink]

Hello Wizkid,

Step 5 in the tutorial below will help show you how to. While the taskbar is unlocked, drag the dotted separator line to the right of it around until it covers it.

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

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[r00ploi]

Thanks Brink,

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Wizkid.

 

[kaboo]

I'm a developer that must run various command-line scripts (eg. cmd). In Vista I was able to have these associated to my quick launch but I can't add them to the taskbar. How do I make this work? .EXE work why not .CMD?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Kaboo, and welcome to Seven Forums.

As a workaround, you can add Quick Launch back to use for those.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[BubbaOH2]

Can't Pin a Specific Program

I am unable to pin a specific program to my taskbar.

Every other program works fine. I followed the path to where these shortcuts are actually stored, and it was already there. Hmmm... I manually deleted it from there, but it still would not let me pin it. I manually copied a shortcut to this folder, but still no go.

None of the tech guys at the HelpDesk have ever seen this (they were able to pin it to their taskbars).

Any profound insight?

 

[Brink]

Hello Bubba, and welcome to Seven Forums.

What program is this for?

Where you able create a New Folder, place the shortcut in it, move the New Folder where you like to keep it stored at on the computer, then pin the folder to the taskbar to use the shortcut this way instead?

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[BubbaOH2]

The program is HelpSTAR 9.0 SQL.

Yes, I was able to build a folder in the taskbar.

I have looked in the folder that stores the taskbar links, and I see the shortcut for this program, but it just never shows up in the taskbar, will not let me pin it, and will not let me drag it to the taskbar (I assume because it detects that it is already there). I have tried deleting the shortcut from this folder, but no go.

Strangely, other folks have been able to pin this to their taskbar.

 

[Brink]

Bubba,

Open the new folder that was pinned to the taskbar instead, then see if you can place the HelpSTAR 9.0 SQL shortcut in it for it to show up in the folder on the taskbar.

 

[timcuss]

i can't PIN!

I dont see Pin this program to the Taskbar! I cant drag into it too.
What should i do?

 

[Brink]

Hello Tim, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I'm guessing that you are wanting to pin Windows Live Messenger to the taskbar??

If so, right click on the shortcut of it in the Start Menu "All Programs" area to see if you have a "Pin to taskbar" option to use.

For the Jump Lists screenshots, highlight the listed item you want to pin or unpin from the jump list of the pinned item on the taskbar. Next, you should see a small push pin icon to the right of the selected jump list item to pin (gray) or unpin (blue). Tasks cannot be pinned. Only files, folders, and programs can.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[timcuss]

Hi shawn,

1, when iright click on a program exe file or shortcut that i want to pin to the taskbar, but i dont see Pin to Taskbar.

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. But after i let go, it didnt pin at the taskbar.

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. Same as the notepad, after i let go, nothing happened.

Where went wrong? I use my friend's W7, all those can be done but not mine. Or is there settings to enable this?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Tim,

Check to make sure that you have Recent Programs turned on, and give this a try. Open the program or file, then right click on the icon on the taskbar and see if the "Pin this program to taskbar" option is there.

 

[timcuss]

I did, but still didnt see "Pin this program to taskbar" option.