Skatter Tech

In Windows 7, Microsoft incorporated a new way to manage programs using the taskbar. A combination of the old Windows taskbar and the OS X dock, the new taskbar is designed to launch and manage programs. There are a few flaws, one being that it is not possible to pin individual folders to the taskbar. The only way to pin folders is to pin them to the Windows Explorer icon, which creates a jump list with your pinned folders. But fear not! There is a workaround that allows any folder to become its own pinned icon on the taskbar. Just follow these few simple steps.

1. Right click on your desktop, select “New” then “Text Document” and rename it
2. File extensions have to be shown. If they are hidden do this:
   1. Open any explorer window (i.e. open any folder)
   2. Click the “Organize” tab, then select “Folder and search options”
   3. Another window should appear, click on the “View” tab
   4. Make sure that the seventh check box from the top is unchecked. You should check this box only after you’ve finished
   5. Click “OK” and go back to the desktop
3. Change the file extension of the text document you’ve just created from “filename.txt” to “filename.exe”
4. At this point, you can go back and hide file extensions, to do so, follow step 2
5. Drag the file to an empty area on the taskbar to pin it. Don’t worry if the image is weird, you can change it later
6. Copy the path to the folder you want pinned. To do this:
   • Hold Shift and right click on the folder, select “Copy as path”
7. Right click on the newly pinned icon on the taskbar to bring up the jump list, then right click on the file name and select “Properties”
8. Delete everything in the “Target” field, and paste in the path you’ve just copied, then click “OK”
9. Check to see if it works properly. If it does, you can delete the file on your desktop that was created in step 1

And now you’re finished. If you want to change the image on the taskbar icon, you can go to the properties again (see step 7) and click the “Change Icon” button. It should be noted that the new icon will not appear until after you restart the computer. I hope this was useful, stay posted for more tips.

Links: Pin Folders to Taskbar