Taskbar Pinned Apps - Back Up and Restore in Windows 8

How to Back Up and Restore Pinned Apps on Taskbar in Windows 8 and 8.1

information   Information
This tutorial will show you how to back up and restore all pinned apps on your taskbar in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

This can be handy if you do not want to have to manually pin and restore your currently pinned taskbar items say after a clean install of Windows 8.

This only includes backing up and restoring your pinned apps on the taskbar and not the apps themselves. These will be desktop apps and not Store apps since Store apps cannot be pinned to the taskbar. The backup does not include taskbar toolbars, Quick Launch, or Jump Lists.

The Windows 8.1 Update released on April 8th 2014 via Windows Update, adds the ability to pin modern apps to the taskbar. This tutorial will now back and restore pinned modern apps as well.

Note   Note
By default, your pinned apps on the taskbar are saved in both locations below. This is what this tutorial will be backing up and restoring for you using a BAT file.

In the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband

In the hidden TaskBar folder:
C:\Users\(user-name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar


EXAMPLE: Pinned Apps on the Taskbar in Windows 8
NOTE: The taskbar is located on the desktop.
Taskbar.jpg






OPTION ONE

To Back Up Pinned Apps on the Taskbar in Windows 8


1. Click/tap on the Download buttom below to download the .bat file below, then run it.​
Backup-Pinned_Taskbar_Apps.bat
download
2. If prompted, click/tap on Run.​
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.​
3. You will now notice your screen flicker as explorer is restarted.​
4. You will now have a Taskbar-Pinned-Apps-Backup folder on your desktop that is the backup of your pinned apps on the taskbar.​
5. Move this folder to where you like for safe keeping.​
NOTE: Do not rename this folder since it must remain the exact same name to be able to use it in OPTION TWO below to restore your pinned apps back on the taskbar with.​
6. If you like, you might also back up your Jump Lists as well.​



OPTION TWO

To Restore Pinned Apps on the Taskbar in Windows 8


1. If you have not already, make sure that any 3rd party apps/programs that were pinned to your taskbar when the backup was created in OPTION ONE are still installed to the same location first.​
NOTE: Since the pinned apps on the taskbar are just shortcuts that point to the program, the programs must still be at the same location when the backup was created before restoring the pinned apps back on the taskbar.​
2. Move or copy the Taskbar-Pinned-Apps-Backup folder created from OPTION ONE above to your desktop.​
3. Click/tap on the Download buttom below to download the .bat file below, then run it.​
Restore-Pinned_Taskbar_Apps.bat
download
4. If prompted, click/tap on Run.​
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.​
5. You will now notice your screen flicker as explorer is restarted.​
6. Your back up of pinned apps on the taskbar have now been restored.​
7. If you like, you might also restore your previously backed up Jump Lists as well.​

That's it,
Shawn


 

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