I don't know about yous, but I love using the Quick Launch toolbar to run all of my programs and to show the desktop without having to click on the Start push or having to minimize each window manually! In this post, I'll tell you how to setup the Quick Launch toolbar and add together buttons to it or if you lot've already take the toolbar, just lost your Evidence Desktop button, I'll tell you how to get that back!

Since this post was written dorsum in 2007, newer versions of Windows have hidden the quick launch toolbar. Windows XP and Windows Vista accept it enabled by default, but Windows 7 and Windows 8 take the quick launch toolbar turned off by default. I'll show y'all how to enable the toolbar in the ii newer operating systems.

Windows XP Quick Launch Toolbar

First off, if your Quick Launch toolbar is not showing at all (the toolbar is normally located to the immediate right of the Start button), this means the toolbar is non ready to be displayed. If you open a program and the toolbar is not visible, you lot'll see that the plan window is immediately to the right of the Start button:

xp quick launch off

To become the toolbar to display with the default "Prove Desktop" button, you demand to correct click somewhere on the taskbar, other than on the Get-go button or on whatsoever application window and click Toolbars. You'll go a list of toolbars and ane of the options should be Quick Launch:

quick launch xp

If Quick Launch is not checked, make certain to bank check information technology. Yous should at present see that the section to the right of the Start Button has a few icons. You can hover over the icons if in that location are already some at that place. There is always an icon for the shortcut to desktop equally shown hither:

quick launch icons

Y'all tin can at present delete and add programs to the Quick Launch bar. To delete an icon, simply right-click on the icon and click Delete. Remember, this is not going to delete your program, just the shortcut to the program. If you desire to add programs to the toolbar, just drag the icons from your desktop or from the First carte onto the toolbar and you lot'll encounter the the position becomes a solid black line.

Here you tin encounter I was dragging Notepad from my Start card to the toolbar and you tin see the black vertical line betwixt the other icons already at that place. Only drib it and it'll fit itself into that position.

add program to quick launch

Now you may also see that your icons are all non fitting and there is a >> at the right end of the toolbar to see the rest of them. In guild to extend the toolbar, you need to unlock the taskbar first. Once again, right click on the taskbar and you'll see that "Lock the Taskbar" is checked. If and then, click on it to uncheck information technology.

lock the taskbar

Now yous'll see at the left and right side of the toolbar, two dotted "handles" that you can click on and elevate to extend the size to your preference.

expand toolbar

Simply right click on the taskbar and cull "Lock the Taskbar" again to get rid of the handles!

Restore"Show Desktop" on Quick Launch toolbar

If you're missing the Show Dekstop icon, you can become it back by following these steps:

1. Click Start , click Run, type notepad, and so click OK.

two. In Notepad, type the post-obit text on individual lines:

[Beat out]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Control=ToggleDesktop

3. On the File menu, click Save Equally, and then save the file to your desktop as Bear witness Desktop.scf. Make sure to cull All Files in the Save every bit type dropdown box. If you don't choose All Files, Notepad will automatically append a .txt extension to the file name. Remove this extension if present. The file name should exist Show Desktop.scf.

At present simply take the icon from wherever you saved it and drag it dorsum onto the Quick Launch toolbar and you lot're back in business organization!

Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows seven and Windows 8

Now let's talk about Windows 7 and Windows 8. The reason Microsoft removed the toolbar is because yous can at present pin apps to the taskbar similar shown below.

pinned apps windows 7

It basically looks like a meliorate version of the quick launch toolbar, so nigh people don't really care to enable the toolbar at all. Either way, if yous desire it dorsum in Windows vii along with the Bear witness Desktop shortcut, you lot can practise it by following the steps below.

1. Go ahead and right-click on an empty function of the taskbar and click on Toolbars and so New Toolbar.

new toolbar taskbar

2. Now copy and paste the following line into the Binder box in the dialog that pops up and click on Select Folder.

%AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

add quick launch bar

Y'all should now see the Quick Launch bar appear at the far correct of the taskbar with the words "Quick Launch".

win 7 quick launch

3. Now to get rid of the words quick launch, y'all have to correct-click on the taskbar and uncheck the Lock the Taskbar selection. Once the taskbar is unlocked, you lot can right-click on Quick Launch and uncheck the Testify Text and Testify Title options.

show text title toolbar

At present you lot tin can expand the toolbar by clicking and dragging the little handle on the left. All the icons will be small, but you can make them bigger past right-clicking on the handle and choosing Big Icons from the View selection.

win 7 show desktop

As you tin see, it's basically merely like pinning an app to the taskbar, only these announced on the right paw side instead of the left. And then why carp adding the Quick Launch toolbar to Windows vii or 8? Well, there is i nice benefit and that's the two default icons: Show Desktop and Switch betwixt windows. Show desktop brings you lot correct to the desktop and the other button is basically like pressing ALT + TAB on the keyboard, except it'south improve because it uses a absurd 3D result rather than only showing thumbnails in the grid.

switch between windows

Y'all can perform this same procedure on Windows eight.1 and it works fine, I tested it. I'm not sure almost Windows 8 considering the taksbar along the bottom wasn't introduced back until Windows 8.1. If you have Windows 8, you should probably upgrade to 8.one anyway. If you have whatsoever issues, let usa know in the comments. Savor!