Windows 7: Up and Running

Taskbar

The new taskbar is one of the highlights in Windows 7. It is greatly improved, but is still one of the areas that you can tweak to your heart’s content.

Rearranging the Icons in the Taskbar

In the previous versions of Windows, icons displayed in the taskbar are static; that is, you cannot move them. In Windows 7, you can freely move the icons anywhere in the taskbar simply by dragging-and-dropping them within the taskbar (see Figure 8-15).

Figure 8-15. Rearrange the icons in the taskbar by dragging-and-dropping them on the desired location

Displaying the Old Quick Launch Bar

Despite the many improvements made to the taskbar in Windows 7, some users may still miss the old Quick Launch bar available in Windows XP and Vista. Follow these steps to get the Quick Launch bar back to the taskbar:

1. Right-click the taskbar and uncheck the “Lock the taskbar” option.

2. Right-click the taskbar and select Toolbars→New Toolbar.

3. When asked to choose a folder, enter the following (see Figure 8-16) and then click the Select Folder button:

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

Figure 8-16. Selecting a folder for the new toolbar

The Quick Launch bar will now appear at the right side of the taskbar (see Figure 8-17).

Figure 8-17. The Quick Launch bar

Click the divider and drag Quick ...