Tips & Tricks

Adding Shortcuts to the Taskbar (and making them bigger)

I know, this is kind of a basic tip for you long time Windows users, but we've been getting a lot of questions on this lately. So, if you want to add icons to your taskbar - or make the ones you already have on it bigger, read on!

OK, first we'll talk about getting the icons there in the first place. By default, win 95/98/ME/2000 users using Explorer 4.0 or better should see at least a few icons on their taskbar. The part of the taskbar where these icons sit is known as the "Quick Launch Toolbar".

To add more icons to it, just drag them from the desktop or your Start button, Programs area.

I recommend a right-click drag and drop instead of the normal procedure if you're dragging from the Programs menu area. If you drag with your left mouse button, you'll move the icon from the Programs menu to the Quick Launch Toolbar. It won't be available from the Start button, Programs area anymore. If you right-click and drag, you'll get a menu with an option to "Copy here". Select that and you'll keep the original icon under the programs menu plus have it on the Quick Launch Toolbar.

For more on right-click drag & drop, head to:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/dragdropmadness.htm

For more on Drag & Drop, head to:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/termdraganddrop.htm

XP Users:

XP, by default, has the Quick Launch Toolbar shut off. I don't know why they felt the need to do this, but they did. Anyhow, in order to use and drag stuff to it under XP, you'll need to do the following:

1. Right-click the Taskbar and select Properties from the resulting menu.

2. A Taskbar and Start Menu Properties screen will materialize. Make sure you're on the Taskbar tab.

3. Uncheck the "Lock the taskbar" checkbox and check the "Show Quick Launch" checkbox.

OK, that should take care of putting your favorite programs on the Quick Launch Toolbar.

Now, by default the icons are tiny. Too small if you ask me. To make them bigger, just right-click a blank area on the Quick Launch part of the Taskbar and select View, Large Icons. That'll turn your baby icons into grownups.

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