How To…. Quick Launch Toolbar to Windows 7 & 8
In older versions of Windows the Quick Launch Toolbar made opening regular files and programs quick and easy. Program icons were easily added to and removed from the toolbar allowing for easy access to the programs you frequently used. This disappeared from the default settings with Windows 7 and Windows 8.
The steps below tell you how to add the Toolbar back to W7 and 8 and there is also a video demonstration.
- On a blank area of your taskbar, right-click and make sure that “Lock the taskbar” is unticked
- Right-click a blank area of the taskbar again, this time select “Toolbars” and then “New Toolbar…”
- Enter the following in the address bar – ” %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch “
- Press the return key and then click on “Select Folder” – A Quick Launch Toolbar has been added to your taskbar.
- Right-click on the Quick Launch Toolbar and untick “Show Text” and “Show Title” if they are ticked
- Drag the new Toolbar over to the extreme left and then using the dotted handles, set the width of it
- Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar and “Lock the taskbar” if that is your preference
Programs and files can be dragged and dropped to this toolbar for quick access. By clicking and dragging you can change the order of the options too.
Windows 7 introduced the alternative option of pinning programs to the taskbar. My personal preference however is to use the Quick Launch Toolbar as I find it neater and I can set the width of my bars and what is displayed in order. This toolbar fits better with how I work on my desktop and laptop, it also fits nicely with how much control I like to have over my computers.
If the video below doesn’t display correctly, you can find it here on YouTube
How do you like to work? Have you any other tips for how you manage frequently used programs?
