User Files Folder - Pin to Taskbar

How to Pin Your User Files Folder to the Windows 7 Taskbar​

   Information

This will show you how create a shortcut of your user profile (user files) folder to pin to the Windows 7 taskbar as a separate icon instead of it being pinned as a Jump List item in the pinned Window Explorer taskbar icon.

EXAMPLE: Your User's Files Folder Unpinned and Pinned from the Taskbar

EXAMPLE: Your User Files Folder

OPTION ONE

To Use a Download

1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Users_Files_Folder.zip

Download


2. Click on Save, and save the .zip file to the desktop.

3. Open the .zip file and extract the User's Files Folder shortcut to the desktop.
NOTE: You can rename the User's Files Folder shortcut to any name that you would like to use instead though. For example, your user account name.

4. Right click on the User's Files Folder shortcut and click on Properties, General tab, and the Unblock button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If the unblock button is not there, then the shortcut is already set to be unblocked. Continue on to step 5.

5. Drag the User's Files Folder shortcut onto the taskbar until you see the Pin to Taskbar pop-up and drop it. (see screenshot below)

6. The User's Files Folder is now pinned to the taskbar. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you ever wish to remove the pinned User's Files Folder icon from the taskbar, right click on it and click on Unpin this program from the Taskbar.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded User's Files Folder shortcut and .zip files on the desktop if you like.

OPTION TWO

To Do it Manually

1. Right click on a empty space on the desktop and click on New and Shortcut.

2. Copy and paste the location in bold below into the Location field and click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe shell:UsersFilesFolder

3. For the name, type User's Files Folder and click on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can type any name that you would like to use instead though. For example, your user account name.

4. Right click on the new User's Files Folder shortcut on the desktop and click on Properties.

5. Under the Shortcut tab, click on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)

6. In the "Look for icons..." line, copy and paste the location below and press enter. (see screenshot below)
%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll

7. Select the User's Files Folder icon and click on OK. (See screenshot above)

8. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)

9. Right click on the shortcut, and click on Pin to Taskbar.
NOTE: You could also drag the new User's Files Folder shortcut onto the taskbar until you see the Pin to Taskbar pop-up and drop it. (see screenshot below)

10. Your user's files folder is now pinned to the taskbar. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you ever wish to remove the pinned User's Files Folder icon from the taskbar, right click on it and click on Unpin this program from the Taskbar.

11. You can now delete the User's Files Folder shortcut on the desktop.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Taskbar Pinned Programs
• How to Add or Remove a Default Desktop Icon in Windows 7
• How to Pin the Recycle Bin to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin the Control Panel to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Change the Windows 7 Pinned Windows Explorer Taskbar Icon Open To Target
• How to Pin Computer to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Change the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Add or Remove your User Folder from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Create a Internet Website Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Change the Default Location of a User Profile in Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Add or Remove "User Folder" from Desktop Context Menu

 

[Night Hawk]

That will be a plus for a good number of people right from the start there! It's always a pain in the butt having to browse through all of the sub folders to get to something! Good find!

 

[Brink]

LOL, you're welcome.

 

[Night Hawk]

That went right on here while saving the zip file to a utility folder for a variety of things on the storage drive. Once opened with a double click, dragged onto the desktop, and the right click to unblock was done you can see the end result with the simple drag to taskbar. You can see it next to the AVG icon there.

 

[scottsmithtech]

Added this and Computer shortcut... every time I click on this User shortcut it opens on the computer shortcut button on the taskbar...

 

[Brink]

Hello Scott, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Double check to make sure that you have the correct location entered for the shortcut and no typos. Have you tried the download?

 

[scottsmithtech]

I used %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe shell:UsersFilesFolder for the User's Files Folder pinned link.

I used %windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} for the Computer pinned link.

When I click on the Computer link it worked fine. When I click on the User's Files Folder link it opens in the Computer button link.

 

[Brink]

Remove the pinned Computer icon and try this for it's location instead to see if that will work with the User Folder icon.

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:MyComputerFolder

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/6916-computer-pin-taskbar.html

 

[CamillaMouse]

I could kiss you! Thank you for saving my sanity!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Camilla, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[sperry1975]

Manual method not working

I tried your 2nd option for this process and I have the icon and all on my desktop, but when I go to pin it to the taskbar I get a NO sign (like the no smoking symbol). Why's that?

 

[Brink]

Hello Sperry,

Are you able to right click on the shortcut, and click on Pin to Taskbar instead?

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[sperry1975]

Hello Sperry,

Are you able to right click on the shortcut, and click on Pin to Taskbar instead?

Hope this helps,
Shawn

No, there's no option for Pin to Taskbar

 

[Brink]

Ok, see if this below may be the issue, and may be able to restore "Pin to Taskbar".

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/127968-pin-taskbar-pin-start-menu-missing-context-menu-fix.html

 

[sperry1975]

Ok, see if this below may be the issue, and may be able to restore "Pin to Taskbar".

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/127968-pin-taskbar-pin-start-menu-missing-context-menu-fix.html

This is going about things as if there's a problem with the system which there is not. I have two Windows 7 machines and neither of them can pin folders to the task bar. They can pin virtually any other icon, but that's it.

 

[Brink]

Sperry,


That would explain why you could not pin it then.

You cannot pin folders to the taskbar. You can only pin programs or shortcuts of programs to the taskbar.


If you did OPTION TWO exactly as written, then it would have created a workaround shortcut of the user profile folder through explorer that you would be able to pin to the taskbar.

 

[sperry1975]

Sperry,

You cannot pin folders to the taskbar. You can only pin programs or shortcuts of programs to the taskbar.

If you did OPTION TWO exactly as written, then it would have created a workaround shortcut of the user profile folder through explorer that you would be able to pin to the taskbar.

I did it nearly exactly with the exception of choosing the icon.
The line of code: %SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll
for the icon selection didn't work, so I located another icon that looked similar and used it instead.
If it's not possible to pin a folder to the taskbar using what's presently available in windows then is there a software utility that will allow it?

 

[Brink]

As a test, how does using OPTION ONE exactly as is work for you?

I'm not sure why that wouldn't work for you for the icon unless a mistake may have been made using it. Could you post screenshots showing what it's doing for you instead?

The only way to pin a folder to the taskbar in Windows 7 is to use either option in the tutorial below. OPTION ONE in the tutorial below is the same method used in the tutorial on the first page to pin the "Users Files Folder" (user profile folder) to the taskbar.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9305-taskbar-pin-unpin-folder.html

 

[sperry1975]

IT WORKED!!!!!!

As a test, how does using OPTION ONE exactly as is work for you?

I'm not sure why that wouldn't work for you for the icon unless a mistake may have been made using it. Could you post screenshots showing what it's doing for you instead?

The only way to pin a folder to the taskbar in Windows 7 is to use either option in the tutorial below. OPTION ONE in the tutorial below is the same method used in the tutorial on the first page to pin the "Users Files Folder" (user profile folder) to the taskbar.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9305-taskbar-pin-unpin-folder.html

Once I put explorer in front of the path and applied the changes I was then able to pin the folder to the taskbar. Now I just need to make a different icon for it so it won't look like the explorer icon already on the desktop. Thanks so much!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

Yep, that's how it is in OPTION TWO.

If you do steps 4-8 exactly in OPTION TWO, that will change the icon for you.

OR

You could do OPTION ONE, to download the shortcut already made and ready for you. All you would have to do is unblock it and rename it if you like to what you want instead.