Windows 8 - How to put internet link in taskbar?

SciNeT

SciNeT

SciNeT

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Hi

In my current Win XP setup I have a shortcut in the taskbar to go directly to "My Ebay" and trying to achieve the same on my Win 8.1 laptop - the Win 8 taskbar won't accept the shortcut seemingly, and right clicking the shortcut doesn't display the, "Pin to taskbar" option.

I have managed to drag it to the desktop OK but not the taskbar, can it be done?
 
This is the XP taskbar, Ebay shortcut is 4th from right, it's simply a link :

Taskbar.JPG
 
You can right click the taskbar and go to Toolbars > Links. Unlock the Links toolbar, drag it to where you'd like it and drag links from your browser onto it. You can right click the Links toolbar and remove the title and text if you prefer, also. That's the closest I can find without digging too hard into it.
 
Ahh, yes, that has worked. The icon is smaller than the others (golden circle far right) but at least it's available. Thanks.

Taskbar2.jpg
 
Hmm, same problem linking a notepad text document, it won't go in the main taskbar again.. It will go into the "Links" toolbar but then I get a pop up box, "Open File - Security warning" requiring more clicking... Sorta defeats the point of the single click super quick access taskbar.

Is the Win 8 main taskbar really only for programs now?

Taskbar3.jpg
 
You can just right click on your IE/Chrome Icon and pin the web address to that list?
its not the icon you want but i think thats the way MS want you to do it.

You can also add Internet short cuts to the start screen by creating them in the following folder
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
 
I've just tried pinning the shortcut to the Chrome icon and it does work although it requires an initial right click, then pointer selection of required link from the menu, then a left click to select & go, I'm trying to get the super fluid single click action like XP but thanks for the tip.

I'll have a play with the Start Screen option too but the Taskbar on my XP machine is always visible whatever I have going on on screen and offers lightning fast access to the things I require 90% of the time, struggling a bit to replicate this liquidity in Win 8 at the moment.

Cheers for advice.
 
Gahh! Also just noticed as more & more stuff is opened in Win8, it places those program tabs and document tabs inside the Taskbar squashing everything up behind the "links" toolbar, XP puts open program tabs & document tabs to the right of the taskbar leaving it clear for use.. :(

Win8, there another 5 things open here non visible :

Taskbar4.jpg


And XP :

Taskbar5.jpg
 
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You need to right click the Taskbar and unlock it, you can then freely move and resize the Links toolbar as you want. Once you have it how you like it you can then lock it again.

Essentially it's designed for pinning applications not documents or files. If you're using Internet Explorer you can drag a tab directly to the Taskbar to pin it. If you're using Chrome you can click Tools->Create Application Shortcuts to pin a site however Chrome will open the site in it's own window with no toolbars which may not be ideal.

Depending on the application you can make some shortcuts that will pin and load directly; as an example for Notepad create a new Shortcut and set the location to 'notepad.exe c:\test.txt' replacing test.txt with the path to your file. Not ideal but it will then let you pin that shortcut and launch in one click.
 
Not read all the thread can you not just pin chrome in the task bar and then pin ebay within that?

So you right click on chrome, then it will be pinned at the top of the list.

it will work just the same just requires a single click more, from near enough the same position.
 
Ahh! Solved it. Apparently the super slick toolbar/taskbar that I am loving in XP is called the, "Quick Launch" toolbar, this is not enabled or even in the list of available toolbars in Win 8 when right clicking the taskbar but is in the system, it's here :

Right click taskbar and select, "New Toolbar"

Navigate to :

C:\Users\<Your Username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer" and select the "Quick Launch" folder

The old quick launch toolbar is now back, every shortcut can be dragged into it without complication, internet links, links to oft used word documents, shortcuts to programs etc and it doesn't get filled up with open program tabs/files tabs etc, these go outside of the quick launch toolbar. And everything is light speed single click access, no faffing. Also the, "Show Desktop" icon returns.

Quick launch toolbar far left :

Taskbar6.jpg
 
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