Solved Need To Get Desktop Shortcut Onto Win 8.1 Taskbar

I go way back with Windows... back to Win98, ME, and XP. I finally ditched my 8 year old Vista PC and bought a new Win 8.1 PC a few days ago. I've lost count of how many times I've screamed and nearly been reduced to tears. WTF was MS thinking when they gutted so much that was familiar?

I have no use for Metro... and I finally got Classic Shell to give me a traditional start menu back. But what's really got me fuming is I can't get a desktop shortcut into the taskbar. I don't want to get to the desktop folder... just plain old desktop. I've tried the drag and drop... creating new bars, creating .exe, bat, and .scf files hoping to drag them into the taskbar. They appear in the %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folders... all of them... but they never show up in the taskbar.

Is there any hope? Shall I just move to Win 10? Will I be able to do it there?

Thanks!

Hello chronos, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you like, you already have a hidden "Show Desktop" button just to the right of the clock on the taskbar. When clicked on, it will take you to your cleared desktop.

If you prefer and icon, then you could "Pin to taskbar" the "Show Desktop" shortcut in the tutorial below.

Show Desktop Shortcut - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums

Brink said:

Hello chronos, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you like, you already have a hidden "Show Desktop" button just to the right of the clock on the taskbar. When clicked on, it will take you to your cleared desktop.

If you prefer and icon, then you could "Pin to taskbar" the "Show Desktop" shortcut in the tutorial below.

Show Desktop Shortcut - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome and speedy reply. Wow... it worked! I was able to drag it right into the taskbar.

I'll have to dissect it to see how it's different from all the exe, bat, and scf files I made.

Thanks again! BTW... I know I'm supposed to have that short cut on the right bottom... but it's not there. Maybe I need to shrink my screen.

So what about Win 10? Is it any more familiar to us old folks?

You're most welcome.

Yeah, I think Windows 10 will be a lot more familiar to Windows 7 users than Windows 8 or 8.1. If you like, come by our sister site www.tenforums.com to look around to help get a good idea about Windows 10.

I go way back with windows too and the one thing I just couldn't live without is the Quick Launch bar just to the right of the start button.. If I didn't have that, my head would probably explode and spread brain matter all over my desk.

You can install the quicklaunch tool bar that is just like Windows XP.. Here's the link how:
How to enable Quick Launch in Windows 8.1

Once you have that, you can simply drag and drop any shortcut icon you want into it..

When its finally enabled, it will default to the right side where the clock is, you can just drag it over to the left side by moving the task bar over first, then dragging the quick launch bar around it.

It took me a bit, but I have my Win8.1 looking and mostly acting just like Windows XP..

The one thing I do like that is different,, my clock has the date on it too! WinXP never did that.

chronos said:

Brink said:

Hello chronos, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you like, you already have a hidden "Show Desktop" button just to the right of the clock on the taskbar. When clicked on, it will take you to your cleared desktop.

If you prefer and icon, then you could "Pin to taskbar" the "Show Desktop" shortcut in the tutorial below.

Show Desktop Shortcut - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome and speedy reply. Wow... it worked! I was able to drag it right into the taskbar.

I'll have to dissect it to see how it's different from all the exe, bat, and scf files I made.

Thanks again! BTW... I know I'm supposed to have that short cut on the right bottom... but it's not there. Maybe I need to shrink my screen.

So what about Win 10? Is it any more familiar to us old folks?

Click to expand...

This may help.
Right click the Taskbar, in an empty spot.



Click Properties.
Choose the option in the picture-



Then when you want to see the Desktop, put the cursor in the middle of the Taskbar to the far right & the Desktop will appear.
Left click.
Desktop appears.

Hope this helps.