Solved Launch a pinned document vs. the App???

How do I pin a specific document to the desktop taskbar?

(I'm new to Win8. Appologies if I'm not using the proper/exacting terms.)

I could swear that I was able to right-click-drag-drop a file from Explorer to the desktop taskbar such that the pinned icon (traditionally called a "shortcut" - I don't know if it's unclear to call it that now) would launch only that document.

But now a week later I just removed unused pannels from the Win8-Splash-Strart screen, and rearanged the icons on the taskbar and the same icon/shortcut now launches the application with a blank document. ???

I'm now only able to pin documents to the application - as a kind of managing wrapper. I can hover over the "shortcut" and select one of many, but I just want an icon to launch a spicific document - like I've been doing with Windows documents for 30+ years.

What am I missing?

Thanks!

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bump (complete rewrite for clarity - thinking that superior to adding another request. Sorry for extra noise.) [/FONT]

Did you move the original document from the location it was in when you made the shortcut ?

You might need to create new shortcuts.

Nope.

I'm deleting the shortcut and creating new ones. I'm creating shortcuts on the desktop first, and then moving that to the taskbar. All the things I might do from XP, but I suspect this Win8 thing on the desktop taskbar is not a “shortcut”. It's more of some kind of application mini-manager/wrapper. It's almost like if I could “un-group” tasks in the taskbar properties, it would allow for a “true” shortcut to a document.xxx.

For example, make a document notes.txt – bang in some fake text - and drag it to the desktop taskbar. The text reads “Pin to Notepad” (the app I chose to handle txt documents.)

It does not say “would you like to create a shortcut” or move or whatever. Then, when you click on that new icon (what is not a shortcut) it will launch Notepad.exe and a blank document – NOT the notes.txt document you want it to.

This is recreatable. Good. (Not a bug. User error....?)

How do I set that new icon so it launches the document? (without having to right-click on it and read/choose the correct notes.txt line-item ….)

Thanks all!

I use Pin to 8:

WinAero: Downloads / Software / Pin to 8

But... but... this is the thing.

When I first used Win8, one of the very first things I did was drag and drop a document to the desktop taskbar.

I could SWEAR that I used that icon for a week and it worked perfectly – it launched the document.

Then, one afternoon, I fussed with the Win8 environment. I deleted a bunch of pannels I'll never use on the Win8-Start screen, and I simply dragged and dropped the desktop taskbar pinned item to a different order (from far right, more to the left) to better align them into a “most used” order.

Only THEN did the icon start to launch blank documents.

It's like I messed-up the default order.

Further – I spent about 15 min deleting-dragging-dropping the document in question various ways and at one point I AM POSSITIVE that the icon would launch the document.

But then I moved it again to the left where I wanted it and the icon, again, now only launches the app and a blank doc.

I'm not able to get it working again – but I assure you, if I ever do, I will not move it again.

With Pin to 8 you can pin anything to the taskbar.
Including individual documents or programs or pictures.
Whatever you wish.

Win8fait said:

(I'm new to Win8. Appologies if I'm not using the proper/exacting terms.)

I could swear that I was able to right-click-drag-drop a file from Explorer to the desktop taskbar such that the pinned icon (traditionally called a "shortcut" - I don't know if it's unclear to call it that now) would launch only that document.



Thanks!

Click to expand...

i just tried pining a document from Explorer to the desk and the taskbar and it will not let me .using win8.1
it will let pin .exe icons but not .doc icons
EDIT=
i can pin note pad docs to the task bar but that because i have Notepad pinned to the task bar ,then i just right click on the notepad icon and the doc i pinned to it is there in a list for me to click .i assume that the same way Office doc's will work if i had office installed and pined to the taskbar

I appreciate the information/workaround [David Bailey] but I would love to get it working again, native, without having to install 3rd party code that I have no idea about.

Or am I completely bonkers, and just had the document open for the entire week (hybernating in the evenings) and never really used the icon, ..because that function just never has worked in Win8, and everyone knows it?

I am possitive, at one point, I clicked on the icon and it launched the doc (because I felt so much relief I'd finally gotten it to work again after somehow screwing up a good thing.)

But ... again ... I'm second guessing myself. Maybe I was deleting and recreating the shortcut, but if I had the document already open, using a newly created taskbar icon might have just brought up current a window that was already open.

I'm sooooo confuuuuused.

If no one else chimes in over the next few days, I will reluctantly install whatever that code is, and come back and mark this thread "solved".

Thanks again.

(And thanks [capperjack] for the info - supporting the idea that I was just living in the XP past.)

my install of win8.1 is only a week old ,so its working the way it should i guess ,i can only pin icont if the program that opens them is also pinned to the taskbar ,when i drag a pdf file to the taskbar it shows the red O with the line it to indicate ,not a allowed move.

what is the default program for opening the files you are trying to pin

I just pinned a .doc file to the taskbar with Pin to 8 & it opened in my Open Office just fine.

Win8fait said:

I appreciate the information/workaround [David Bailey] but I would love to get it working again, native, without having to install 3rd party code that I have no idea about.

Click to expand...

It's a tiny program, easy to use, not a code.

But, I wish you luck getting it to work the old way.

i just checked my win7 install and i can't pin file shortcuts there either .unless the program that opens them is pinned on the taskbar also ,then it says pint to office or pint to notepad

A brilliant solution to the world's problems...

Ideally, you could just rotate the pinned items inside the widget – just like you can manage the Search Engine toolbar items in FireFox. The item at the top of the list is the default one used. That's the ticket for the taskbar … (shortcut?, pinned thing?, widget?, taskbar items?, quick launch items?, icons? – whatever we're supposed to call them – and assuming there are only one type.

What is the proper Windows 8.x name for those taskbar thinkgies please?

(Strange that this forum app is set to not allow W.i.n.8 (without dots), and converts it to "Windows 8". Too oppressive. What is that all about?)

[Edit: Irony acknowledged that that function is precluding exactly the kind of misunderstanding as with the taskbar widget names... ]

Try this.

1. Right click any file you want to add onto your task bar.
2. Click on 'Pin to Start'
3. Go to Start screen, scroll all the way to right & find your new addition
4. Right click it and click on 'Pin to taskbar'

These may interest you.

"Start" Screen Shortcut - Create in Windows 8

"All Apps" Shortcut - Create in Windows 8

"Search Apps" Shortcut - Create in Windows 8

=Context%20Menu]Windows 8 Tutorials

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/?filter[1]=Shortcuts

pcRat said:

1. Right click any file you want to add onto your task bar.
2. Click on 'Pin to Start'
3. Go to Start screen, scroll all the way to right & find your new addition
4. Right click it and click on 'Pin to taskbar'

Click to expand...

You must have 8.1. (or installed a Start.exe type file – I'm sticking to OEM and Open Source for now.)

Interestingly, I can pin multiple txt documents to Notepad in this manner, but then when I unpin Notepad itself from the quick launch taskbar – all the documents remain pined to the app in a one to many relationship. That remains persistent somewhere. Where? Maybe that file can be modified to choose which to open with the app.

I have 8 not 8.1

I apologize for leaving out a step. The one which allows you to add 'Pin to Start' to your context menu.

Steps 2, 5, 6, 7 & 8 will add that option to your context menu.

"Pin to Start" Files in Windows 8

I am running Win 8.1 and I can confirm that it works as the OP described. I have tried using 3 different programs and all have reacted the same way when trying to pin a document to the taskbar. The 3 programs I used are:

NotePad
WordPad
OpenOffice 4.0



Looks like David's suggestion may be the best solution at this point.

Unfortunately, I never tried (or had the need) to pin a document to the taskbar previously.

pcRat said:

I have 8 not 8.1

I apologize for leaving out a step. The one which allows you to add 'Pin to Start' to your context menu.

Steps 2, 5, 6, 7 & 8 will add that option to your context menu.

"Pin to Start" Files in Windows 8

Click to expand...

this works ,so now we have a doc that i can click on in 3 places .