The Quick Launch bar, which was removed in Windows 7, can be added back to the Taskbar in Windows 7, 8, and 10. You can also add any programs you want to the Quick Launch bar and we’ll show you how.
RELATED:How to Bring Back the Quick Launch Bar in Windows 7, 8, or 10
To hide the Quick Launch text and program titles, right-click Quick Launch, clear Show Text and Show title. Drag the Quick Launch bar to the leftside of the task bar. If you cannot move the Quick Launch bar, right-click the taskbar again, and make sure that the Lock the taskbar option is cleared. Jul 22, 2019 Get Quick Launch Bar Back in Windows 8 Right-click the Taskbar and go to Toolbars New Toolbar. File Explorer will open up and you’ll need to copy the following path in the address bar.
We’re going to show you how to add programs to the Quick Launch bar in Windows 10 using an option on the Send To menu to send a shortcut to the Quick Launch bar. The procedure here works in Windows 7 and 8 as well.
Where Is Quick Launch
Add the Quick Launch Option to the Send to Menu
To get started, we need to add the Quick Launch option to the Send to menu. To do this, press Windows+R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Type
shell:sendto
in the “Open” box and click the “OK” button or press Enter.NOTE: The procedure in this section only has to be done once. Then, you can add as many programs as you want to the Quick Launch bar using the Quick Launch option on the Send to menu.
The SendTo folder opens in File (or Windows) Explorer. Right-click on an empty area in the right pane and go to New > Shortcut.
On the first screen of the Create Shortcut dialog box, enter the following path into the “Type the location of the item” box. Then, click “Next” to continue.
The name of the shortcut defaults to the name of the folder
Quick Launch
. If you want to change the name, type in a new one. Click “Finish” to create the shortcut.The Quick Launch shortcut is added to the SendTo folder. Don’t close the Explorer window quite yet.
Add an Application to the Quick Launch Bar
Now, we’ll add an application to the Quick Launch bar. To add an application to the Quick Launch bar, we want to send that application’s shortcut to the Quick Launch bar. In File (or Windows) Explorer, find the executable (.exe) file for the application you want to add. Generally, you’ll find .exe files for programs in either
C:Program Files
or C:Program Files (x86)
. When you find the .exe file, right-click on that file and go to Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).NOTE: Follow the procedures in this section for each application you want to add.
Rename the new shortcut to what you want displayed on the Quick Launch bar (if you decide to show text on the items). Then, right-click on the shortcut and go to Send to > Quick Launch.
You will now see the application on the Quick Launch menu. If it doesn’t display in the part of the Quick Launch menu that displays on the Taskbar, click the double arrow button to see the rest of the Quick Launch menu.
If you want the application displayed on the Taskbar instead of in the popup list of remaining Quick Launch items, you can drag and drop the application item from the popup list to the Taskbar.
Remember, you can show more applications on the Taskbar portion of the Quick Launch bar—you can see how in our guide to adding the Quick Launch menu back to Windows 7, 8, and 10.
If you decide to remove an application from the Quick Launch bar, simply open File (or Windows) Explorer, navigate to the Quick Launch folder.
Select the shortcut for the applications you want to remove and press the Delete key.
Now that you’ve added the application to the Quick Launch bar, you can go back to the shortcut you created for the application on the Desktop and delete it, if you don’t want it. You can now quickly access your applications without cluttering up your Taskbar or Desktop.
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1. for now, remove any other toolbars you have selected on your taskbar such as mine shows, my Favorites, Public and My xtras.
2. right click on taskbar and select to unlock taskbar
3. Now line mouse cursor at top edge of taskbar where the >I< is half on and half off top edge of taskbar and hold left mouse button down and slowly go up until the task bar increases one size higher.
4. right click on taskbar>>toolbars>>new toolbar
in the window clear the address in the address bar
Now copy and paste the following into the windows explorer address bar and press enter.
C:UsersYOUR USER NAMEAppDataRoamingMicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick Launch
Note; where you see >YOUR USER NAME <, replace it with the exact name of your user account folder name in C:Users
it will display like this and select the button 'Select Folder'
Note; now if you put in this address I provided (with your user name in address) in windows explorer, it will show you all the items you have placed in quick launch, but will not show anything while using creating the toolbar as shown above. It shows it empty, but actually there are 2 in there by default. Show Desktop and Switch Between windows. (The 2 shown on each end on my quick launch icons) You can always add items on QL toolbar this way or drag an icon from desktop or folder holding down left mouse button and dragging it to taskbar QL row, placing the mouse pointer directly between 2 icons on taskbar and releasing mouse button.
Note, you can create a shortcut to folder
C:UsersYOUR USER NAMEAppDataRoamingMicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick Launch and place it anywhere to put in items in QL or just drag and drop onto taskbar QL as I do.
5. Now place you mouse cursor on the left edge of QL toolbar (little dotted or double lines) on right side of taskbar and move it to the bottom left. Do same process as you did increasing taskbar height size. Pull it down and far left.
6. Now right click on the (little dotted or double lines) for QL toolbar and in menu at top select
View>>Large Icons
UNCHECK Show Text and UNCHECK Show Title.
Now select to lock taskbar.
That's it, you are done.
Now you can add in your other toolbars that I told you to temporary remove that will be placed on right side of taskbar.
Also, Auto hide taskbar is the only way to go. You always have to go down to taskbar to use it anyways. So to do this
right click on taskbar>>taskbar settings>>
and TURN ON auto hide taskbar in desktop mode or tablet mode depending on what you have.
Now you have your pinned items on taskbar, another full row to add items in quick launch and your pinned quick access items in explorer that is pinned to taskbar. Everything at your fingertips. And auto hide task bar gives you full access to your whole screen viewing area in normal or full screen mode.
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Specialist in PC Builds/Repairs, Windows, Networking, Audio/Video for 20 Years.