Windows Explorer Taskbar Icon - Change Open To Target

How to Change the Windows 7 Pinned Windows Explorer Taskbar Icon Open To Target​

   Information

This will show you how to change the Windows 7 pinned Windows Explorer taskbar icon from the default Open To the Libraries window target to Open To the Computer window target or other possible locations that are available to choose from instead when you click on the Windows Explorer icon on the taskbar.

   Note

Special thanks to Chappy (aka: Dave) for pointing this out to me, and to Limneos for the additional locations.

   Warning

By design in Windows, these shortcuts will open a new window in a new process (explorer.exe) each time you use the shortcut. When you close the opened window from the shortcut, the extra explorer.exe process will close with it as well a few moments afterwards.

EXAMPLE: Windows Explorer icon pinned to the taskbar

EXAMPLE: Opens to Libraries (default) or Computer
NOTE: You can also select from the other available options below.




Here's How:
1. Right click on the pinned Windows Explorer taskbar icon, then right click on Windows Explorer in the Jump List and click on Properties. (see screenshot below)

2. In the Shortcut tab, make sure that the field box to the right of Start in is empty.

3. In the Shortcut tab and to the right of Target, type or copy the path (code) for the location below that you want the Windows Explorer icon to open to instead, then click on OK. (see screenshot below)

NOTE: You can do this for any item that you know it's {CLSID} registry entry for. You can also specify a specific folder e.g. :
%windir%\explorer.exe /n, /e, /select, C:\somefolder

   Note

Using the Explorer.exe Command Line Syntax/:



%windir%\explorer.exe [/n][/e][,/root],X,[[/Select],Y]

• X - Secifies the object, and optionally with sub-object Y.
• /e - Uses Windows Explorer view. Shows the left Windows Explorer tree view in the navigation pane together with the right pane in list view.
• /n - Opens in a new window.
• /root - Will have Explorer.exe explore the root object X and objects belonging to X. On the other hand, when the /root switch is not present, Explorer.exe explores the object X, its children, and other Explorer objects as well.
• /Select - Puts the focus on a file or folder. The parent folder is opened and the specified object is selected.
• /Separate - Opens in a separate process.

For example:

%windir%\explorer.exe /N,/Select,%WinDir%\system32\calc.exe

The command above will explore the C:\Windows\System32 folder and put the focus on the calc.exe (calculator) program.

   Tip

If you want the navigation pane to exand open to the item in Windows 8, then you will need to turn on "Expand to Current Folder" in the navigation pane.

• Windows Explorer (default) (opens to Libraries)

(Windows 7)

%windir%\explorer.exe

(Windows 8)

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools\File Explorer.lnk

• Computer

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

OR

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:MyComputerFolder

• My Documents

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}

• Documents Library

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries\Documents.library-ms

• Downloads

%UserProfile%\Downloads

• Recycle Bin

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E

• Network Neighborhood

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}

• Default Web Browser (ex: Internet Explorer)

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}

• Computer Search Results Folder

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{1F4DE370-D627-11D1-BA4F-00A0C91EEDBA}

• Network Search Results Folder

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{E17D4FC0-5564-11D1-83F2-00A0C90DC849}

• Web Folders

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{BDEADF00-C265-11D0-BCED-00A0C90AB50F}

• Control Panel

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

• Printers and Faxes

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

• Scanners and Cameras

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{E211B736-43FD-11D1-9EFB-0000F8757FCD}

• Fonts

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524152}

• Network Connections or My Network Place

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}

• Administrative Tools

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524153}

• Tasks Scheduler

(Opens in new process)

%windir%\explorer.exe /n /Separate,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

• User Profile (personal) Folder

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:Profile

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change Default Open To Target of File Explorer Pinned to Taskbar in Windows 8.1
• How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Restore the Default Libraries in Windows 7
• How to Pin Your User Files Folder to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin the Recycle Bin to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin the Control Panel to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin Computer to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• CLSID Key (GUID) List for Windows 7
• How to Use and See All Windows 7 Shell Commands

 

[sistah]

Sistah,

Is the "Start in" field empty?

If you create a new shortcut on your desktop, and use those targets, do they work then? If so, you could pin it to the taskbar, delete the shortcut on the desktop, and use it instead.

Yes, the ''Start in'' field is empty, I always check that.

I just tried to add a new shortcut with those targets,
I also tried to pin Computer on taskbar as you said on another
thread..Still nothing

 

[Brink]

Sistah,

You might see if running a SFC /SCANNOW command may help in case you have any corrupted system files responsible for this.

Also, as a test, create a new administrator account and see how it works in it.

 

[sistah]

Sistah,

You might see if running a SFC /SCANNOW command may help in case you have any corrupted system files responsible for this.

Also, as a test, create a new administrator account and see how it works in it.

I did the SFC /SCANNOW and everything seems to be in order.
I tried again the windows explorer and nothing.

2 days later I was ready to create a new admin account as you said
but as habit, I clicked the windows explorer folder form the taskbar
and...it worked.
It just worked.
Its weird!

Thank you for the support anyway

 

[Brink]

That's great news Sistah. I'm happy to hear that it is working again for you now.

 

[niceguy75]

Nice tutorial mate, thanks for sharing.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Niceguy, and thank you.

 

[niceguy75]

I would also like to know can it be done using any registry, if yes please let us know. It would be very nice for modders like us.

 

[Brink]

Hello Niceguy,

If you even can, I haven't found the location in the registry for this yet.

 

[speedgamer01]

Thank you, works well!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Speedgamer.

 

[stonebear]

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Stonebear.

 

[davidberger]

How about when I use the Windows+E key please?

Is there a way to replicate these actions when using the Windows+E key rather than the taskbar icon please? I can;t find where the exploere.exe is invoked from. Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello David, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I'm not sure if there's a way to change what Windows+E opens to, but you could use the tutorial below to create your own keyboard shortcut for say a pinned Windows Explorer set to open to how you like instead.

Keyboard Shortcut - Vista Forums

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[ajfudge]

nice. very. nice. indeed.
thank you once again, brink, for this insight.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome AJ.

 

[UsernameIssues]

This one opens Explorer as a new process:

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /N,::{ceff45ee-c862-41de-aee2-a022c81eda92}

It might come in handy if you are working with an app that sometimes crashes Explorer. You'll only crash this new instance of Explorer and not take down the whole desktop.

It also seems to help some people speedup certain file operations:
http://www.sevenforums.com/performa...pying-deleting-speeds-slow-3.html#post2107485

 

[Brink]

Yep, actually most of the options in the tutorial already do this. Thank you for reminding me.

It's the part in black below that opens explorer in a new process. the optional part in red with the GUID/CLSID number specifies what explorer opens to.

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

 

[UsernameIssues]

I thought that the stuff after "::" was a location but my searches did not turn up one with this {ceff45ee-c862-41de-aee2-a022c81eda92} - so I jumped to the conclusion that it did the new process thing - as opposed to something as logical as /N

'Twas mislead by this:



Oh well...

 

[Brink]

No worries mate. I know how you feel. It's not hard to get turned around at all with this.

By default, if the GUID/CLSID is an invalid location, it just opens to "My Documents".