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Quick Launch - Enable or Disable

How to Enable or Disable Quick Launch in Windows 7
Published by Brink
12-10-2008

Quick Launch - Enable or Disable

Published by

How to Enable or Disable Quick Launch in

Windows 7
Information
By default Quick Launch is disabled in Windows 7. This will show you how to enable or disable Quick Launch
on the taskbar in Windows 7.

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NOTE
Quick Launch is used to open a program quickly from a shortcut on the taskbar with one click. The Quick
Launch folder is located at the hidden system folder location (step 2) of:
C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

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Pin or Unpin Program Links to the Windows 7 Taskbar

Change the Windows 7 Taskbar to have Open Window Buttons or Icons
Use Small or Large Icons on the Windows 7 Taskbar
Enable or Disable Windows 7 Taskbar Button Grouping
Lock or Unlock the Windows 7 Taskbar
Move the Windows 7 Taskbar Location on the Desktop
Enable or Disable Taskbar Always on Top in Windows 7
Show or Hide the Windows 7 Taskbar with Auto-hide

EXAMPLE: Quick Launch Disabled and Enabled

METHOD ONE:
From the Local Group Policy Editor
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the Start menu search box, type gpedit.msc and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

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3. In the left pane, click on User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar.

4. In the right pane, right click on Show QuickLaunch on Taskbar and click on Properties. (See screenshot above)
5. To Enable Quick Launch A) Select (dot) Enabled. (See screenshot below step 7)
B) Select (dot) Not Configured.
C) Go to step 7.

6. To Disable Quick Launch A) Select (dot) Disabled, and click on Apply. (See screenshot below step 7)
B) Select (dot) Not Configured.

7. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)

8. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window.

METHOD TWO:
From the Registry
OPTION ONE:
Through a Download
1. To Enable Quick Launch A) Click on the Download button below to download the
Enable_W7_Quick_Launch.zip file below.

B) Go to step 3.

2. To Disable Quick Launch A) Click on the Download button below to download the
Disable_W7_Quick_Launch.zip file below.

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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

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Click on Save, and save the .zip file to the desktop.

Open the .zip file and extract the .reg file to the desktop.
Right click the .reg file (On Desktop) and click on Merge.
Click on Run, Yes, and OK when prompted.
Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.
When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg and .zip files on the desktop if you like.

OPTION TWO:
Manually Through the Registry
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the Start menu search box, type regedit and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

3. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

4. To Enable Quick Launch A) In the right pane of Explorer, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32bit) Value. (See screenshot above)
B) Type QuickLaunchEnabled and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

C) Right click on QuickLaunchEnabled and click on Modify. (See screenshot above)

D) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below)

E) The registry will now look like this. (See screenshot below)

F) Go to step 6.

5. To Disable Quick Launch A) In the right pane of Explorer, right click on QuickLaunchEnabled and click on Delete. (See
screenshot above)
B) Click on Yes to confirm deletion. (See screenshot below)

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6. Close Regedit.
7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

METHOD THREE:
With a New Toolbar
NOTE
METHOD ONE and METHOD TWO above does not seem to work with the Windows 7 (build 7000) version. This
will show you a workaround to have Quick Launch as a toolbar instead on the taskbar.

1. To Add Quick Launch as a Toolbar A) Right click on a empty space on the taskbar and click on New Tool. (See screenshot below)

B) In the Folder line, type or copy: (See screenshot below)

%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

C) Click on the Select Folder button. (See screenshot above)

D) You now have a Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Click on the arrow to see your Quick Launch shortcuts.

3. To Remove the Quick Launch Toolbar A) Right click on a empty space on the taskbar and click on Quick Launch to uncheck and remove it from the
taskbar. (See screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

12-10-2008

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Thanks Shawn would have been nice if it wasn't disable to begin with.

mansrm81
Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2008

Vista Home Basic
32bit SP1/ Windows 7
Ultimate 32bit/
Windows XP 32bit
486 posts
Rockford, IL USA

My System Specs
12-10-2008

Hello mansrm81,
True, but with being able to pin items to the taskbar directly now I'm afraid that it will be a fading feature.

Brink

Administrator

Shawn

Join Date: Oct 2008

Windows 7 x64 Beta
1,586 posts
Texas

My System Specs
12-10-2008

Before I saw this tut, I had already tried to make a new toolbar with the Folder named Quick Launch. And then after tried this t
happen, the Win just take my Quick Launch folder as it original's one and now whenever I delete it, the Quick Launch disappea

natri23
Member

Join Date: Nov 2008

Windows 7 build 6956
56 posts
Sweden

My System Specs
12-11-2008

Quote:

garysgold

Before I saw this tut, I had already tried to make a new toolbar with the Folder named Quick Launch. And then after tried this tut, nothing thing happe
take my Quick Launch folder as it original's one and now whenever I delete it, the Quick Launch disappear too...

Senior Member

Same here. Moved the folder I created, log off/on, still no quicklaunch bar. Oh well, just put the folder in documents or whereve
toolbar. Doesn't matter what it's called as long as I can drop files on the shortcut icon and have the program open with the files
Can't do that with the icons pinned to the task bar. I've sent feedback about this. Would be nice to be able to drop files on the p
have the program open instead of just pinning the files to the list IMHO.
Join Date: Oct 2008
Vista HP 32 bit Seven
7000 64 bit Seven
7000 32 bit

Gary

923 posts
Maine, USA

My System Specs
12-11-2008

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html

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Hi Natri and Gary,

Were you guys able to get your Quick Launch working?

Brink

Administrator

Join Date: Oct 2008

Windows 7 x64 Beta
1,586 posts
Texas

My System Specs
12-11-2008

davehc

Senior Member

Join Date: Jun 2008

Vista and now 7 in 32
and 64 bit.
281 posts
Denmark

Fwiw. Hi Brink. According to Microsoft, the whole of the new taskbar is now merged into the quick launch. There is no need for a
me!
Quote from the Microsoft Engineers:
"If one increases the size of Quick Launch, one must then determine what to do with the taskband. As previously discussed, we
under many scenarios of single-instance programs, launching and switching were equivalent. Hence, we decided to standardize
have program launchers turn into window switchers when they are launched. Effectively, we unified Quick Launch and the task
other operating systems have similar concepts, one difference with our approach is that our default experience always optimize
representation on the taskbar. This means that regardless of a windows state (e.g. minimized, maximized or restored) there ar
duplicate buttons created. Also, the default taskbar doesnt allow destinations to be pinned to the top-level which prevents dupl
file and a running window with that same file open. When we say there is one button to rule them all were serious. This appr
unified button keeps the taskbar uncluttered and gives the person a single place to find what shes looking for."
Last edited by davehc; 12-12-2008 at 04:54 AM..

My System Specs
12-11-2008

Yes, I agree Dave. I just added this for those that would still like to have a separate Quick Launch area anyway.

Brink

Administrator

Join Date: Oct 2008

Windows 7 x64 Beta
1,586 posts
Texas

My System Specs
12-11-2008

We still have the Quick Launch working but actually it is a folder on my computer rather than the original one of Win7

natri23
Member

Join Date: Nov 2008

Windows 7 build 6956
56 posts
Sweden

My System Specs
12-11-2008

In my 6801, Quicklaunch is enabled, but when I right-click the toolbars it is greyed out so I can't disable it (not that I want to).
I've checked everything from your tute above.

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Ex_Brit

Older But No Wiser

It is also missing from Start/Properties/Toolbars

Edit: I discovered that there is an anolmaly in settings in that I must have run enable twice (or something like that) because if I
and mark QL as "Not Configured" then it miraculously "un-greys" and I can do with it what I want.

Join Date: Sep 2008

Windows 7 moves in very mysterious ways...LOL

XP Pro SP3/Vista
Ultimate
SP1/Windows 7 7000

Last edited by Ex_Brit; 12-11-2008 at 06:42 PM..

409 posts
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada

My System Specs
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quick launch, quicklaunch, taskbar
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