How to pin shortcuts on the desktop. Quick Launch Toolbar
Many users are faced with a problem: shortcuts lovingly and carefully built on the Windows desktop move on their own and violate the established order. Very often this happens due to a change in screen resolution, especially after launching games, which usually have their own resolution settings that are different from the system ones.
Instructions
Instructions
Arrange shortcuts on worker table the way you want. It is important that your standard resolution is set, for example 1920*1080, or 1024*768. If you are a Windows 7 or Windows Vista user, it's a little easier for you. These systems have redesigned the way the system "remembers" the location of icons on worker table. Right-click on the free space, select the “View” menu bar, and uncheck “Arrange icons automatically.” Right-click on a free part of the desktop, and left-click “Update”.
Now the icon positions are saved in the system cache and in this screen resolution shortcuts will be located exactly like this. If the resolution has changed, you just need to return the correct value and the icons will fall into place. To set the resolution you need in Windows 7, right-click on worker table, and select “Screen Resolution”. A window will appear in which the name of your monitor will be indicated and in the second line there will be a drop-down list; by clicking on the black triangle, you can select the desired monitor parameters. When you choose, click "Apply" and confirm your choice.
In the older Windows XP operating system, this mechanism works as it should, so the solution is to use third-party programs. Open your internet browser and search for “Download Icon Position”. This is a small free program for saving the selected arrangement of desktop icons. There are other programs like Icon Restore, or Desktop Icon Position Saver 64-bit. Download the icon management program and run it.
Arrange the icons the way you need, and in the Icon Position program, click the first button - “Save icon position”. Then click the second one - “Refresh icon cache”.
Now, to restore the arrangement of icons that you have chosen, just launch the program and click the third button - “Restore...”. Other programs of similar purposes work on a similar principle. This method also works in Windows 7, for example, for cases when the positions of icons are changed not due to resolution, but by accidentally clicking the “Place by, by name” button or due to someone else’s intervention.
It should be remembered that the program remembers exactly the order that you saved, and if you add or remove any icons, repeat the process of saving shortcut positions.
You've probably already noticed that when you change the screen resolution or computer crashes that cause the computer to restart, the arrangement of icons on the desktop changes. It’s good if there are only a dozen of them, but arranging the icons in order when there are several dozen of them is a rather tedious task.
You will need
- Icon Protector Software.
Instructions
How often have you tried to clear away the mess of shortcuts on your desktop? Sooner or later, but it has to happen. Someone installs a new wallpaper (desktop wallpaper) and lays out the shortcuts according to the picture on the “wallpaper”, but at one moment all the labels are designed, so standard system tools or additional software can be used to solve the problem.
The simplest solution would be to simply pin desktop icons. To enable this option, right-click on an empty space on the desktop, select the “Arrange” menu item and select the “Pin” command from the list. The method is effective, but does not allow you to move shortcuts to any folders, etc.
There are several utilities for correct management of shortcuts; unfortunately, Microsoft has not yet developed such a utility, so you have to use third-party utilities, for example, Icon Protector. You can download it from the following link http://a-c-e.narod.ru/iconprot.
The program takes up a small amount of RAM and after its launch is constantly located in the system tray (next to the clock). The archive with the utility contains 2 files; they must be copied to any directory, preferably to the C:\Program Files\Icon Protector folder.
To automatically launch a program, its shortcut must be placed in the Startup folder. Click the "Start" menu, select "All Programs", right-click on the "Startup" folder.
In the directory that opens, right-click on an empty space, select the “Create” group in the context menu, and then select “Shortcut”. In the window that opens, click the “Browse” button and specify the path to the executable file, for which you selected C:\Program Files\Icon Protector\IconProt.exe. Click OK to close this window.
To save the arrangement of icons on the desktop, right-click on the program icon and select the Save Desktop section, then select any scheme. Restoring a saved location is done in the same way; instead of the Save Desktop section, select the Load Desktop section.
Video on the topic
The task of restoring shortcuts on a computer running Windows OS can be caused by either a settings failure or the influence of malicious software.
The Windows 7 operating system allows you to customize the design and other details for each user personally.
The main page, which most often catches the eye and serves as a quick access to applications and files - the desktop, is also subject to detailed editing, and its main components - shortcuts - can be changed: reduced or enlarged, assigned other properties and an icon.
What is a “Shortcut” and what function does it perform?
A shortcut is a direct link to the executive module of a program. That is, in the folder in which you installed something, there is a special application, by launching which you can open the program itself. In order not to search for this application in numerous folders every time, create a shortcut for it on the desktop or in another convenient place.
For even faster access to applications, there is a taskbar that does not disappear when opening windows or programs, and all shortcuts on it are launched in one click.
The taskbar contains the most important shortcuts To see which application a desktop shortcut belongs to, right-click on it, and then select the “File Location” section.
Click on the “File location” button To find out the same information about a shortcut on the taskbar, right-click on it, then right-click on its name or icon and click on the “Properties” option.
Go to the properties of the shortcut located on the taskbar In the window that appears, the path to the source application will be indicated in the “Object” section:
The file location is in the "Object" section Zoom out or zoom in - adjust the scale
If there is no more space on the screen, and there is no way to remove unnecessary shortcuts, then you can reduce their size. If for some reason you are uncomfortable using standard size labels, you can enlarge each of them. But remember that after changing their sizes, the routine may be lost, since the grid format will change, and you will have to re-arrange the labels.
Through editing desktop properties
To change the size of shortcuts through the built-in desktop settings, do the following:
Using the mouse wheel
There is another way to edit label sizes, which gives you many more than three scale options:
Video: big and small - how to change the size of icons on the Windows 7 desktop
How to remove arrow icons
To remove the arrow from a shortcut icon, do the following:
There is a second way to achieve your goal:
Video: how to remove shortcuts from the desktop
Removing a shield icon
The shield icon indicates that the application only works if you have administrator rights. To disable User Account Control and along with it the shield icon, follow these steps:
How to change properties and appearance
If for some reason you are uncomfortable with the appearance of the shortcuts of your installed programs, then use these instructions:
To change shortcuts to system programs, such as Recycle Bin or My Computer, follow these steps:
Video: changing the icon
How to remove one shortcut or hide all at once
To delete a specific shortcut, right-click on it and select “Delete”.
Removing the shortcut If you want to hide all shortcuts at once, then do the following:
How to recover
If you have not emptied the Recycle Bin application since deleting the shortcut, go to it and right-click on the desired file and select Restore. If the Trash has been emptied, the shortcut cannot be restored.
Restoring the shortcut What to do if shortcuts delete on their own
The reason for such incidents may be an error in the application to which the shortcut led. After each reboot, Windows checks all the shortcuts on the desktop, and if any of them lead to an application with an error, it automatically deletes it. But if this function does not work correctly or interferes with you, then there are two options:
Reduce the number of shortcuts on the desktop to four, as a result of which system self-cleaning will stop working. This can be done by grouping all shortcuts into folders, or by deleting unnecessary ones.
The second way is to disable the self-cleaning feature by following these steps:
To make your computer work pleasant and convenient, try not to clutter your desktop with shortcuts and files. If possible, group them into folders, this will help you not worry about the amount of free space on the screen for as long as possible. If this is not possible, then reduce the scale of each label. But remember that the system can independently decide to remove a shortcut from the desktop if it is sure that it does not lead to a running program.
For example, let's display a Word shortcut on the desktop.
Press the Start button 1. Then move the cursor (without clicking the mouse buttons) over the All Programs 2 menu. A list of programs installed on your computer opens. Follow the arrow to this list and hover over the folder you need - Microsoft Office 3.
A list of programs included in Microsoft Office will open. Move the cursor to the program we need:
Microsoft Office Word 2003 4
Now, hovering the cursor over Microsoft Office Word 2003, press the right mouse button.
A context menu will open in front of you.
Releasing the right mouse button, move the cursor to the Send 5 item, a submenu will open on the right, in which you select Desktop ( create shortcut) 6 and press the left mouse button.
That's it, now you can admire the program shortcut that has appeared on your desktop and launch Microsoft Office Word using it.
If you do not find the program you need in the Windows Main Menu
But sometimes you cannot find the desired program in the main menu (someone accidentally or deliberately deleted the shortcut). Don't despair, the matter can be fixed. If the program is on the computer, then you need to find the program launching file and display a shortcut from it on the desktop.
For the Word text editor, the path will be like this. Using Windows Explorer or the Total Commander file manager, find the Program Files folder, in it - the Microsoft Office folder, then
open the OFFICE11 folder and find the WINWORD.exe file in it
On the found file, right-click to open the context menu, and then act
already proven method. Proceed the same way with any other program.
Find its folder in Program Files, then find the file that launches the program in the folder
(most often it has the extension .exe, but there are others). If you don’t immediately understand which file is launching, double-click it and try to launch it. If the program starts, then everything is correct, this is the main file. Display the shortcut from it on the desktop using the method
shown above.
Note: You cannot delete anything in the Program Files folder using the Delete button. Otherwise the program
which is located in this folder will stop working!
How to rename a desktop icon
If you don't like the name assigned to the shortcut by the Windows program, for example, Shortcut for Word, then you can change it.
To do this, hover the cursor over the shortcut (icon), right-click to open the context menu and select the item Rename. Immediately the signature text under the label will be highlighted and you can remove the words “Shortcut for”, or completely rename the shortcut. After this, be sure to press the Enter key - only then will your name be saved.
Paying attention that such actions (rename, delete) can be performed only with shortcuts(they have a small black arrow in the lower left corner of the label). Files
programs located in their own folders in Program Files cannot be renamed! Otherwise they will stop working. You can only display shortcuts from them, and do what you want with the shortcuts!
How to display a website shortcut on your desktop
A site visitor asked me a question: " How to display a website shortcut on your desktop?". At first I thought that this made no sense, because links can be placed in Favorites. But after testing this option, I was convinced that this method of opening a site has a right to exist. After clicking on the shortcut, the web browser starts, and at the same time the site opens (two actions at the same time).How to create a shortcut on your desktop to your favorite site that you open every day?Since Internet Explorer is installed along with Windows on any computer, let's create a shortcut using it.
So, open Internet Explorer and open the desired site in it. Now in the File menu move the cursor to the Send link, then to the right and click the link Shortcut to desktop. That's it, shortcut ( icon) is already on the desktop. You can check!
After installing a game and launching it, Windows 10 users can observe a change in the monitor screen resolution. Because of this change, desktop icons automatically move to the left side of the monitor. The entire order that was previously specified by the user is broken. Such chaos can also appear when connecting a TV to a PC or any other device. To pin program shortcuts to the Windows 10 desktop, you should familiarize yourself with the following recommendations.
Pin icons on the Windows 10 desktop using a program
Previously, in Windows 7, pinning icons to the desktop was quite easy. You had to right-click on the desktop and select the appropriate action. Now, by calling up the options and selecting “View”, you can only organize the program shortcuts (they will all be located on the left side of the desktop).
Therefore, users are often interested in how to pin shortcuts on the Windows 10 desktop so that they do not move when the screen extension changes.
To solve this problem you will need the ReIcon utility. Download it and unpack the archive. In the folder, select the exe.file, in accordance with the system bit depth.
If you have programs installed on your computer that you use very often, then they should be placed in the taskbar. This will speed up access to them and also reduce the time spent searching for a shortcut to a particular program.
Once the installation of most programs is complete, you will be prompted to “ Create a shortcut on the desktop», « Create a shortcut in the Start menu" And " Create a shortcut in the Quick Access Toolbar" That's it " Quick Access Toolbar” and there is a taskbar, or rather an area in it. It's located next to the Start menu.
As you can see in the image above, in this case there are 3 shortcuts: Yandex browser, Explorer, Microsoft Word text editor. Let's try adding another program to the taskbar. For example, let it be the Paint.NET graphic editor. To do this you must:
1. Right-click on the program shortcut on the Desktop or in the Start menu.
2. Context menus will open in which you need to find the option “ Pin to taskbar».
After this, the program shortcut will be added to the taskbar and you will be able to quickly access it. This operation can only be performed with shortcuts to programs or games, but not with photographs or documents, and this is usually not necessary.
The appearance of the taskbar in Windows 7 is different from the taskbar in Windows XP. In Windows 7 it has an elegant, translucent appearance.
However, Windows 7 does not have a separate Quick Launch panel, like in Windows XP. Program shortcuts are placed directly on the taskbar, along with the tabs of open programs. And placing a shortcut to the programs you use every day on the taskbar is not difficult.
Left-click on the icon of the desired program on the desktop, and without releasing the mouse button, drag the icon down to the taskbar (shown by the red arrow). Then you release it, and the shortcut will remain on the taskbar, becoming available at any time.
When the shortcut on the taskbar becomes unnecessary, click on it, without releasing the left mouse button, drag the shortcut up and “throw” it onto the desktop. The shortcut will immediately disappear from the taskbar.
Practice - you may not succeed the first time. Sometimes the taskbar disappears if the settings are set to: Automatically hide the taskbar. By the way, you can customize the taskbar yourself as you like. I'll tell you how to do this. 
Right-click on the Start button. A context menu will open in which you select the Properties link. 
The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window opens. If you want the taskbar (the strip at the bottom of the screen) to be visible all the time and not disappear anywhere, then check the box next to Pin the taskbar, and uncheck the box next to Automatically hide the taskbar.
If you want the taskbar to appear only when you move the cursor to the bottom edge of the screen (desktop), then vice versa - uncheck the "Pin the taskbar" box, and check the "Automatically hide the taskbar" box. The rest of the taskbar settings are less important, so I won’t dwell on them.
How to Install Quick Launch Bar in Windows XP
You say: I don’t have such a panel! This means it is not activated.
In order to activate the Quick Launch toolbar, anywhere on the taskbar (but right-click). The taskbar context menu will open. Select Properties. 
The Taskbar Properties window opens. 
Here, check the box next to Show Quick Launch Toolbar. If the checkbox is not checked, then your panel is disabled.
check mark opposite Display the taskbar on top of other windows.
And I also check the box next to Automatically hide the taskbar. If you don’t put it, then it will stick out at the bottom of the screen all the time. I think it’s more convenient when she hides, you just need to get used to it.
The remaining points of this tab are not so important and are understandable without explanation. If you uncheck the box next to Show clock, then your clock will disappear, etc.
Just remember to activate all the checkboxes that you have set, click the Apply button, and then OK.
How to add a shortcut (icon) to the Quick Launch bar in Windows XP
To add an icon to the Quick Launch bar, move the cursor over the desired icon on the desktop, left-click and drag the icon to the taskbar. When a vertical black line appears, release the button and the icon appears on the panel.
If you decide to move the icons relative to each other, you also grab the icon with your cursor and drag along the Quick Launch bar, and the vertical bar will move and show where the icon will end up if you release the mouse button. This way you can place the icons in the order you like.
Of course, you may like the convenience that the Quick Launch panel provides and you will start dragging icons there in an unlimited number. As a result, icons can fill the entire taskbar, which is no good!
But there is a way out of this situation! You can hide some icons. To do this, move the cursor over the separator (circled in red pencil in Fig. 5). The cursor will turn into arrows pointing left and right. At this moment, press the left mouse button and drag the separator to the left. As you move the separator, the icons will begin to disappear. I usually leave 4-5 icons visible.
You don’t have to worry about hidden icons - they won’t go anywhere! Just click on the arrow (circled in red pencil in Fig. 6) and all hidden icons will appear before your eyes. Click any icon and the program will launch! 