Enable the Classic Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows 7 (Historical)

Historical support note: Windows 7 reached end of support in 2020. This guide is retained because the classic Quick Launch folder still documents a distinctive Windows 7 taskbar workflow.

Windows 7 emphasized pinned taskbar buttons instead of showing Quick Launch by default, but the old Quick Launch folder was still present.

Add Quick Launch to the taskbar

1. Right-click the taskbar.
2. If Lock the taskbar is enabled, clear it temporarily.
3. Right-click the taskbar again and choose Toolbars > New toolbar.
4. In the folder field, enter:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

5. Select the Quick Launch folder.

The toolbar appears on the taskbar.

Make it look like the older Quick Launch bar

Right-click the Quick Launch toolbar and clear:

• Show Text
• Show title

Drag the toolbar to the position you prefer. You can also choose View > Small Icons or Large Icons.

When you are finished, right-click the taskbar and enable Lock the taskbar again.

Historical context

Quick Launch is different from normal Windows 7 taskbar pinning. It is essentially a toolbar pointed at a folder of shortcuts. Current Windows versions have changed taskbar customization substantially, so these exact steps should not be generalized beyond Windows 7-era systems.

Official reference

• Microsoft Windows lifecycle status: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/updates-lifecycle/what-does-it-mean-if-windows-isn-t-supported