Pin Files and Folders to Taskbar

After weeks of experimenting with all kinds of tricks, I've found a way to pin any FILE or any FOLDER to the Taskbar (as well as to the Start Screen) with no registry editing, no software, no scripts, or anything. And it's so simple that anyone could think of it -- in fact, others probably have.
Just create a shortcut that leads to the file or folder, NOT directly, but indirectly by way of File Explorer -- which is a program and can be pinned anywhere.
Then give the shortcut a name, which may be the same as the file's name.

The shortcut will have a File Explorer icon, but you can right-click it, select "Properties" and change the icon (recommended -- if you put several of them on your taskbar, you won't want them all to look the same.)

Then right-click it again and select "Pin to Start" or "Pin to Taskbar." Afterwards you can delete it from the Desktop.

This works with .txt (Notepad) files too. And with folders. If you have Adobe Reader, it works with .pdf files.
It also works with shortcuts to CLSID's (see Brink's tutorial on "Shell Commands"), such as
%WinDir%\explorer.exe shell:::{3080f90e-d7ad-11d9-bd98-0000947b0257}
which creates the "Switcher" (the sticky all-active-apps view that you can navigate with the arrow and Enter keys).

Here's a program that helps to do dirty work for you
WinAero: Pin to 8

Thanks. But as a computer nut, I have so much fun figuring out how to do things without any software.