How To Add Quick Launch To Win7 Taskbar And Make It Stay Put After Reboot

Keltik THC · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:05

Guys,

I've been struggling with this since i got Win7 over a month ago, some of you may already have worked this out but i thought id share it if anyone hasn't.

So, i don't like having any icons/shortcuts on my desktop, so i was a bit frustrated when Win7 would not let me pin my recycle bin to my taskbar, it will just pin it to the explorer button on the taskbar and you loose some right click functionality, like say 'empty recycle bin'.

So to add the old style quick launch to your taskbar (doesnt effect the new 'pinned' items) you can simply add the quick launch to another part of the taskbar.

If like me you want to keep your general application icons like Steam, VLC, Firefox etc.. separate from your Control Panel/Recycle Bin/Switch Between Windows icons then this is a good way to divide them.

so here it is:

1. Right click you task bar > Toolbars > New Toolbar...

2. Find the following folder: C:\Users\'YOUR USER NAME'\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

3. Add the Folder, by default I believe this has your 'Show Desktop' and 'Switch Between Desktops' shortcuts.

4. Simply add your recycle bin shortcut and any other you wish to that folder and now you have a quick launch as well as your pinned applications.

Now, the problem that effects most people is that when you reboot (my quick launch stayed there for about one day but not the next) is that it may disappear for some reason.

To solve the phantom quick launch, i got sooo sick of adding it every time i booted up i found this fix:

1. Go to Start –> Run –> regedit

2. Find the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindows
CurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

3. On the right hand pane select NoSaveSettings and make sure its value is 0.

4. Secondly go to Start –> Run –> regedit

5. Find the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindows
CurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

6. On the right hand pane select NoSaveSettings and make sure its value is 0.

FYI - if your like me and the Explorer key and No Save Settings strings dont exist simply create them and enter the values.

It worked a treat for me, here's a screenie.

SiriusB · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:31

A nice tip for people who want an old-fashioned Quick Launch.

I am curious as to why you don't like Desktop icons. It is pretty much what the Desktop is for. Plus I don't see how any icons make a blind bit of difference when I expect 99% of the time you are at your computer you will have several windows open on your Desktop, covering up most of it :/

Not singling you out or anything, just makes me :confused:

when people do everything they can to avoid icons.

Keltik THC · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:37

SiriusB said:
A nice tip for people who want an old-fashioned Quick Launch.

I am curious as to why you don't like Desktop icons.

lol, i don't really know.. i just like less clutter and having different icons separated, even in older versions of Windows i had a 'Shortcut' folder where i placed all my shortcuts. I have also been told about problems when you have a certain amount of data on your desktop, XP didn't used to like it very much.

I guess its down to individual preference, what confuses me is why MS left the quick launch folder in Win7 but they don't give you an easy way to re-enable it... and when you do, it will disappear after reboot without the above fix.

Also they hid the 'Switch Between Windows' button in there too.... i guess this is because they think the 'pinned' items will replace this, but the 'switch between windows' function looks a lot better imo

davethe11 · 23 Nov 2009 at 22:09

thanks for the tip Keltik, I don't mind the recycle bin on the explorer menu, but I too keep my desktop totally clean, I only do it because I used to end up with so much clutter and got lazy not sorting it all out, now I'm in the 'a place for everything and everything in its place' school of thought! If only I could apply it to paperwork...

ChileanLlama · 23 Nov 2009 at 23:20

SiriusB said:
A nice tip for people who want an old-fashioned Quick Launch.

I am curious as to why you don't like Desktop icons. It is pretty much what the Desktop is for. Plus I don't see how any icons make a blind bit of difference when I expect 99% of the time you are at your computer you will have several windows open on your Desktop, covering up most of it :/

Not singling you out or anything, just makes me when people do everything they can to avoid icons.

If they're hidden 99% of the time, it's easier to go to the taskbar