Pin Items to the Taskbar

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated September 21, 2020)

The taskbar holds all your open windows, plus applications that you may want to quickly launch in a single click. As such, if there are applications that you frequent, you can pin them to the taskbar and have them be just a click away. Pinning an application to the taskbar is very easy. Navigate to the application that you want to pin, right-click it, and select "Pin to Taskbar" from the context menu. The item that you pinned doesn't move, but you'll now see it also in the taskbar: (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Pinning a folder to the taskbar.

And you don't have to settle for the order that File Explorer keeps your pinned items. You can drag/drop items on the taskbar to place them in the order you like by clicking on an item, and while holding down the mouse key drag it to another location on the taskbar. When you release the mouse key, the item will be repositioned.

Finally, if you later wish to remove an item from the taskbar, you right-click the item and select "Unpin from taskbar." The item still retains its availability in its original location on disk, but its taskbar entry is removed: (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. Unpinning an item from the taskbar.

 This tip (13459) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Swapping Mouse Buttons for Left-Handed Users

By default, the mouse is configured such that the primary mouse button is the left one, and the secondary mouse button is ...

Discover More

Permanently Deleting a File

If you have a file that you're sure you want to permanently delete (instead of having it go to the Recycle Bin) it's an ...

Discover More

Using Powercfg to Export and Import a Power Scheme

You can export to a file your power schemes and then import them later on. The only caveat is that you must be running as ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Pinning a Shortcut to the Taskbar

It's usually easy to pin items to the Taskbar. But if what you want to pin is not a shortcut to an application? This tip ...

Discover More

Hiding the Taskbar when It is Not in Use

Don't like the Taskbar visible on the screen? You can easily hide it when you aren't using it by making just one small ...

Discover More

News and Interest Widget in the Taskbar

A new Windows feature allows for quick access to news and weather directly from the Taskbar. See how to turn this feature ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is one more than 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips