Professional's Domain

The “quick launch” function on taskbar has been significantly improved in Windows 7. Popular programs can be “pinned” to the taskbar instead of being launched from an external “quick launch” bar (although the traditional quick launch bar is still available. The pinned icons have additional functions such as the Jump Lists. A Windows Explorer icon is pinned to taskbar by default, providing a quick access to the folders and files on the computer. However, it is not easy to customize the appearance and function of this icon.

Changing the name and display icon

The item has a name “Windows Explorer” and a display icon looking like a folder by default. However, you may want it named “My Computer” and with an icon looks like a computer, just like the one on the desktop. Unfortunately, changing the name or icon directly does not work! To do that successfully, follow these steps:

1. Open the “%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\” folder, COPY the “Windows Explorer” item to another location, such as to the Desktop. Don’t use “move” but “copy”.
2. Rename the copy on the Desktop as you like.
3. Right click on the Desktop copy, choose “Properties” and then “Change Icon” to set another icon. For example, the “Computer” icon in file “%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll”
4. Right click the taskbar item, choose “Unpin this program from taskbar” to delete it
5. Right click on the Desktop copy, choose “Pin to Taskbar”
6. You may safely delete the Desktop copy now. The taskbar item order can be adjusted by drag-and-drop.

Changing the initial location

Click the Windows Explorer opens the “Library” by default. If you want it to open another folder, right click the Windows Explorer item (note that the name may have been changed as above) on the task bar, then in the prompted “Jump List”, right click again on the Windows Explorer (or the one with a new name) and choose Properties. Change the “Target” to the following:

%windir%\explorer.exe /e, C:\

That opens the C:\ directory. You may assign any location instead of C:\ as you like. If you want to open the “My Computer” (a list of all the drivers), set the “Target” to (don’t forget the tailing comma):

%windir%\explorer.exe /e,