Windows Explorer Taskbar Icon - Change Open To Target

All of these solutions result in an extra instance of the explorer.exe process each time the modified shortcut is used, and they accumulate until you logoff.

A simpler and better solution is simply to replace all of the "Windows Explorer.lnk" shortcuts throughout the system with an ordinary folder shortcut named "Windows Explorer.lnk" that points to whatever folder you've chosen.

Here's a little procedure that does this for Windows 7 and 8, where the replacement shortcut points to the %USERPROFILE% folder. The standard admonition should you try this is to first make a restore point as a precaution.

http://reliancepc.com/menu/tips/Down...rShortcuts.zip

Once unzipped, you can use 7zip to look inside the resulting .exe (which is a 7z SFX) and see what it does and that nothing nefarious is inside.

AsokAsus said:

All of these solutions result in an extra instance of the explorer.exe process each time the modified shortcut is used, and they accumulate until you logoff....

If you use the /N switch, then you should get a new instance...
...if you don't use that switch, then you should not get a new instance.

The new instances of explorer should go away soon after closing the explorer window.

There are good reasons to want/use a 2nd or 3rd instance of explorer

I have some machines that have a dozen users. Is there a way for me to change the target directory to "Computer" across all users in one operation, rather than having to open each user and change the Windows Explorer target 2 times for each user?

Shawn, fantastic tips! Thanks.

I'm trying to get Win Exp. to open to FAVORITES, not MyFavorites (under my user name) but the new section that appears at the very top of Win Exp. navigation pane. I was able to drag the Favorites to the desktop and create a shortcut, but was then unable to pin it to my taskbar.

Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.

JoeKVI

Brink,

Bleeping Fantastic!!! Thanks very much. Works perfectly!

Joe

Well...almost perfect.

When I pin it to the Taskbar and then click on the icon to open it, it opens a second Icon on task bar. Other icons just "illuminate" when opened from the Taskbar and if I open multiple instances, the subsequent instances are stacked behind the first icon on the taskbar...something is still a little goofy. Any thoughts as to why?

Thank you again.

Joe B.

This is awesome Brink, this is what I wanted to do from the past hundred years, lol but never cared to find a solution. Suddenly reached here through benjy's link. Thankyou man. But the fact that a new explorer.exe opens up is pretty bad, any workaround?