Anyone know how to add Quick Launch to the taskbar in Windows 11?

wolfgun · Nov 1, 2021

ljimmymx said:
simple... Right click the shortcut application (that you want to pin to task bar) then click > shows more options > Pin to taskbar

thats it.

yes, so simple

Anixx · Nov 1, 2021

hdmi said:
Here's my taskbar with the address bar positioned above a taskbar toolbar:

View attachment 12106

I am running Windows 11, and, if you still can't figure it out, then look inside my address bar.

How did you make the address bar so small? Here it takes no less than 2 rows.

hdmi · Nov 1, 2021

Anixx said:
How did you make the address bar so small? Here it takes no less than 2 rows.

In ExplorerPatcher settings, you can change the Taskbar icons size to 'Small' (default = 'Large'). In Windows settings I have also changed the scaling for my 4k TV to 200%. As for the horizontal size, there is an empty toolbar to the right side of my address bar. Without it, the refresh button of my address bar was almost touching my system tray icons. I can't remember what else I had to change, but you may have to futz around with the taskbar height by changing it to 3 rows before you change the display scaling to 200% and then change it back to 2 rows again after that. And basically that's it (I think).

hdmi · Nov 1, 2021

RogerOver said:
On a German forum they said yesterday that Microsoft will bring back the possibilty to "drag and drop" to the taskbar after Christmas. ... ... ... ...
For insiders !

Windows 11 Drag & Drop in die Taskleiste kommt nach den Weihnachtsferien - Deskmodder.de
But nevertheless. ... We won !

If ifs and buts were ~~feng shui~~ toolbars and shortcuts, then we'd all have a Merry Christmas!

Try3 · Nov 1, 2021

thewizardoz said:
Does anyone know how to add Quick Launch to the taskbar in Windows 11
please?

1 Yes. Here is a snip of QuickLaunch on my Windows 11 Taskbar.

2 I used the UndockingDisabled method to restore Taskbar Toolbar capabilities.
EnableUndockedTaskBar.reg

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;This creates the UndockingDisabled entry to enable the Taskbar to show Taskbar Toolbars again
; Windows must be restarted for the change to take effect
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages]
"UndockingDisabled"=dword:00000001

I had found this method in Change Taskbar to old form [#4, 20-21] - ElevenForum

One side-effect of the UndockingDisabled method is that the Start button no longer does anything. It just sits there like a lemon. So you can either use an alternative method of enabling Taskbar Toolbars or you can, like me, use a Taskbar Toolbar to do that job [see para 4 below].

3 QuickLaunch is no longer offered in the list of ready-made Taskbar Toolbars

so I clicked on New toolbar then browsed to

Code:

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

and selected it.

4 You can add, edit, remove Taskbar Toolbar shortcuts. I started off with a clean slate for my main one and built it up to hold all I need.

Taskbar Toolbars - Creating and naming, customising, moving - TenForums

5 I also did some other Taskbar-related changes. See My Taskbar setup [post #6] - ElevenForum
Hollywood post #19 has warned that the next Cumulative update will affect Taskbar/SysTray icons under these conditions.

All the best,
Denis

Digerati · Nov 1, 2021

hdmi said:
Here's my taskbar with the address bar positioned above a taskbar toolbar:

So I must be dense this morning. First, are you running an Insider version of W11?

How did you get the Taskbar to double height (with a 3 line calendar/clock)? Mine appears to be "Locked" but there is no option to unlock it.

When I right click on the Taskbar, my only option is "Taskbar settings" and there is no option in there to add toolbars. So how did you get the Address bar in there?

Anixx · Nov 2, 2021

hdmi said:
In ExplorerPatcher settings, you can change the Taskbar icons size to 'Small'

Of course, it is set to small.
I see this:

The Address bar is huge and always occupies the whole vertical space of the taskbar. It also makes the taskbar 2-row even if it was 1-row before adding the address bar. I cannot make the address bar smaller.

Anixx · Nov 2, 2021

Digerati said:
First, are you running an Insider version of W11?

No.

hdmi · Nov 2, 2021

Anixx said:
Of course, it is set to small.
I see this:
View attachment 12244
The Address bar is huge and always occupies the whole vertical space of the taskbar. It also makes the taskbar 2-row even if it was 1-row before adding the address bar. I cannot make the address bar smaller.

Maybe I'm just too smart...

Try resizing the taskbar height to 3 rows before dragging the toolbar to the bottom row and then finally resize the taskbar height to 2 rows.

hdmi · Nov 2, 2021

Digerati said:
So I must be dense this morning. First, are you running an Insider version of W11?

No.

Digerati said:
How did you get the Taskbar to double height (with a 3 line calendar/clock)? Mine appears to be "Locked" but there is no option to unlock it.

I can't remember exactly. See my previous reply to this thread.

Digerati said:
When I right click on the Taskbar, my only option is "Taskbar settings" and there is no option in there to add toolbars. So how did you get the Address bar in there?

Download and install ExplorerPatcher from a guy named Valentin-Gabriel Radu (valinet) on GitHub. Be sure to consult the README page first.

Digerati · Nov 2, 2021

hdmi said:
Maybe I'm just too smart... Try resizing the taskbar height to 3 rows before dragging the toolbar to the bottom row and then finally resize the taskbar height to 2 rows.

That's the first thing I tried and it does not work. It is simple with W10, just like resizing an open window. But W11, nothing happens when I try to grab the top edge. I will check out ExplorerPatcher and see if that helps.

RogerOver · Nov 2, 2021

My theorie:

The whole "Quick Launch"-thing ("Taskbar") is linked to Internet Explorer. See the link given above by:

Try3 said:
Code:

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

And Internet Explorer was deeply rooted into the (Windows) system (at least) since Windows 98.

Now Microsoft would like to get rid of Internet Explorer. ...

But they can't !

I am not 100% sure (don't know enough about coding), but I believe that's it.

hdmi said:
feng shui

Yes

!

Try3 · Nov 2, 2021

RogerOver said:
My theorie:

The whole "Quick Launch"-thing ("Taskbar") is linked to Internet Explorer. See the link given above by:

Roger,

Whilst the Quick launch folder is at

Code:

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

it does not mean that Taskbar Toolbars are linked to IE.
The Quick launch Taskbar Toolbar is merely one example of a pre-built Taskbar Toolbar. It has no particular significance other than that it was what the OP asked about.
- MS might or might not keep that folder if it eventually removes all references to IE but the shortcuts exist independently of that anyway.
- The only one of its shortcuts that is at all difficult to track down elsewhere is the Windows switcher / Switch between windows one [the WinKey-Tab shortcut] so I've attached a zipped copy.

You can make a Taskbar Toolbar out of any folder you want. My main one is a folder on my data HDD.

All the best,
Denis

thewizardoz · Nov 6, 2021

Try3 said:
1 Yes. Here is a snip of QuickLaunch on my Windows 11 Taskbar.
View attachment 12121

2 I used the UndockingDisabled method to restore Taskbar Toolbar capabilities.
EnableUndockedTaskBar.reg

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 ;This creates the UndockingDisabled entry to enable the Taskbar to show Taskbar Toolbars again ; Windows must be restarted for the change to take effect [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages] "UndockingDisabled"=dword:00000001

I had found this method in Change Taskbar to old form [#4, 20-21] - ElevenForum

One side-effect of the UndockingDisabled method is that the Start button no longer does anything. It just sits there like a lemon. So you can either use an alternative method of enabling Taskbar Toolbars or you can, like me, use a Taskbar Toolbar to do that job [see para 4 below].

3 QuickLaunch is no longer offered in the list of ready-made Taskbar Toolbars
View attachment 12122
so I clicked on New toolbar then browsed to

Code:

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

and selected it.

4 You can add, edit, remove Taskbar Toolbar shortcuts. I started off with a clean slate for my main one and built it up to hold all I need.
View attachment 12124
Taskbar Toolbars - Creating and naming, customising, moving - TenForums

5 I also did some other Taskbar-related changes. See My Taskbar setup [post #6] - ElevenForum
Hollywood post #19 has warned that the next Cumulative update will affect Taskbar/SysTray icons under these conditions.

All the best,
Denis

Thanks for replying. :)

Yeah I got the Quick Launch toolbar running... I did the other day too but it mysteriously disappeared since then. But how did you get it to sit over to the left next to the Start button please?

I unlocked the toolbars and tried to drag the Quick Launch toolbar double vertical lines over like that way I have in previous versions of Windows but it will only go as far as halfway in my Windows 11!! :cry:

Tips please!!

Thanks. :)

Try3 · Nov 6, 2021

thewizardoz said:
how did you get it to sit over to the left next to the Start button please?

I've explained that in Taskbar Toolbars - Creating and naming, customising, moving - TenForums but it sounds like you are doing the same thing anyway.

Perhaps my situation is different because of the particular method I used I get a Toolbar-capable Taskbar - see my para 2 above, the UndockingDisabled method.

Best of luck,
Denis

Littlebullet · Jan 24, 2022

I know how.

Simply download and install this:

GitHub - Hofknecht/SystemTrayMenu: SystemTrayMenu - Browse and open your files easily

You now have Quick Launch back.

Littlebullet · Jan 24, 2022

You can also download a shortcut to Show Desktop:

Create Show Desktop Shortcut in Windows

Then add it to SystemTrayMenu and you have an easier way to show your desktop.

sgspecker · Jan 27, 2022

I was being lazy and found a freeware solution to quick launch my applications. The "Portable Start Menu" was just what I was looking for.

Portable Start Menu - Easy way to start Applications - Free

Take Care,
Scott

FDretired · Jan 27, 2022

Create a folder and name it QUICK LAUNCH

Follow these steps to pin it to the taskbar.

Pin to Taskbar an App, Drive, File, Folder, or Site in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to pin an app, drive, file, folder, or site to the taskbar for your account in Windows 11. The taskbar in Windows 11 shows the Start menu, Search, Task View, Widgets, Chat, File Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Store buttons (icons) aligned to the center...

www.elevenforum.com

How to pin a folder to the taskbar in Windows - Digital Citizen

In Windows, it’s easy to pin your apps and programs to the taskbar. However, it’s not as simple to pin folders and add shortcuts on the taskbar for the folders you use the most. While there is a way to pin folders to the taskbar, I suspect many users will have lots of trouble figuring […]

www.digitalcitizen.life

Wynona · Feb 14, 2022

And a little late to the party! However, I just stumbled across adding the Quick Launch Bar to my Taskbar via Explorer Patcher here:

If you've added the QL Bar to Windows 10, 8, 7, etc., once you have Explorer Patcher installed, it's a piece of cake to get your QL Bar going again.

Before I found this, I was pinning things to the Taskbar, but it's not ideal, since they take up too much space for my liking.

Anyone know how to add Quick Launch to the taskbar in Windows 11?

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