How to Add a Quick Launch Toolbar to the Windows 7 Taskbar

Windows 7 comes with a customizable Toolbar at the bottom of the screen that you can 'pin' programs and other shortcuts to. However, these are large icons and the Toolbar can get full very soon. So, what happened to the old Quick Launch that we had in XP? Well, it is still alive and well but 'sleeping'. Here is how to wake it up and get it working for you!

Where is it? It is here: 

C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch. 

Don't worry, you wont need to type this!

Here's what you do:

1. Right click on a empty space on the taskbar (at the bottom of the screen) and go to 'Toolbars'. Then choose "New Toolbar".

2. This opens a window that will allow you to find the Quick Launch Folder. Go to your C: Drive and follow the path above changing "user name" for your Windows login name. Or, you can copy and paste this into the address bar at the top without changing anything: "%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch". Don't copy the quote marks!

3. Click on the Select Folder button.

4. You now have a Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar. This can be dragged where you want it after the taskbar has been unlocked: right-click the taskbar and remove the tick from "Lock the task bar".

You will see that there are already programs installed in your quick launch toolbar. You can add/remove/edit these programs by opening the folder and using it as any other folder. The quickest way is to right-click the toolbar and choose "Open Folder". You should right-click in a blank area (away from any icons that you see).

Now, whenever you install a program and it asks you if you want to create a Quick Launch Icon you can say 'Yes'. 

OS (Windows etc)