How to Pin Computer, Recycle Bin & Other Useful Shortcuts to Taskbar in Windows 7 and Later

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

1. I used this tutorial a while ago to put a Computer shortcut on my taskbar. Recently, I used your “How to Customize Default Places Bar in Windows Common File Dialog Box” tutorial. After making those changes, my Computer shortcut on the taskbar takes me to My Documents instead. Any idea why this is happening, or how I can fix it? I tried re-making the Computer shortcut but it still does the same thing.

2. Actually, now that I think about it, it’s also happening on my home computer, and I didn’t make the other change there. Any idea why this shortcut is suddenly behaving differently on 2 different PCs? It seemingly started at the same time.

3. ^^ You must have used some kind of registry tweak or a tweaking software which made this change.

4. I used to use this strategy to pin My Computer, Recycle Bin, etc. to my taskbar, but I then realized it opens up a seperate explorer.exe every time you click one of them. They don’t like to close down the process either.

   Anyone else notice that?

5. How can you make sure that Computer is always exploded in the layout pane (on the left). Sometimes it is, other times it’s not, and you have to click on the “+”.

6. This is another case where something so easy as dragging and dropping the My Computer Icon onto the taskbar is made more difficult by Windows 7… BUT thanks for the tip.

7. Hey Man,

   This is really awesome Site. It was so irritating to create shortcut for Computer. I wasted much time for that. Finally I got solution Here. Awesome Job Man.!!!

   Thanks a lot…

8. Thanks for the help! Just getting used to Windows 8 and it’s frustrating how such menial little tasks change from version to version.

9. Thanks for the really easy solution.
   I have just pinned a folder shortcut to my taskbar, after a first try where my windows 7 refused my pin to the taskbar attempt.
   I have one remark: You can better not add “explorer” to the shortcut. If you open the shortcut a few times you will have multiple “explorer.exe”‘s in your taskmanager running, which are all CPU consuming.

   Regards.

10. This is for Scott Any spaces in the location description?

11. I know this post ain’t so new here, but lemme give a another way in here. Well to get a My Computer Shortcut, or This PC, for Windows 8.1
    Simply do this;
    1. Right click on the desk top and select Personalize
    2. Then on the Top Left Corner, You’ll find
    – Control Panel Home
    – Change Desktop icon
    – Change mouse pointers
    3. Now Select Change Desktop icons
    4. Now you’ll get all the initial Desktop default icons there
    5. Uncheck or check the ones you wanna use
    6. Click OK, of Apply
    7. Use Drag and Drop to Fix them the Taskbar.
    8. Or else you can use search, then type in the app, right click on it, the select pin to Taskbar.
    DONE

12. For Windows 10 (easier way) –
    Go to search and type whatever you want.
    Right click on the item and select Pin To Taskbar