Taskbar Toolbars - Add or Remove in Windows 8

Brink · Jan 27, 2014

How to Add or Remove Toolbars on the Taskbar in Windows 8 and 8.1

Information

A toolbar is a row, column, or block of buttons or icons representing tasks you can do within a program, or a folder. Some toolbars can appear on the taskbar.

This tutorial will show you how add or remove toolbars on your desktop taskbar to customize it in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

OPTION ONE

To Add or Remove Toolbars from Taskbar

1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)

2. To Remove a Toolbar from your Taskbar

A) Right click or press and hold on the taskbar of your main display, click/tap on Toolbars, and click/tap on a checked (added) toolbar (ex: SkyDrive) you want to remove (uncheck). (see screenshot below)

OR

B) Unlock the taskbar, right click or press and hold on the dotted separator line to the left of the toolbar (ex: SkyDrive) you want to remove, and click/tap on Close toolbar. (see screenshot below)

NOTE: The Touch Keyboard toolbar will not have this option.

C) Click/tap on OK to confirm, and lock the taskbar. (see screenshot below)

3. To Add a Toolbar to your Taskbar

A) Right click or press and hold on the taskbar on your desktop, click/tap on Toolbars, and click/tap on a unchecked toolbar you want to add (check). (see screenshot and note box below)

B) Unlock the taskbar.

C) If you like and applicable, you can right click or press and hold on the dotted separator line to the left of a toolbar, set it to have large or small icons view, and to hide or show text or title. (see screenshot below)

D) If you like, you can resize a toolbar or move it to another location on the taskbar.

Click/tap and hold on the dotted separator line to the left side of the toolbar (ex: SkyDrive) you want to move, drag it to the left or right of any other dotted separator line (ex: pinned programs) you want it at, and drop it. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: Be sure to keep the pointer within the taskbar while dragging.

Click/tap and hold on the dotted separator line to the left side of the toolbar (ex: SkyDrive) you want to resize, then drag it left or right to the size you want the toolbar to be.

E) When finished, lock the taskbar.

Note

Available Toolbars:

Note

Address = This is basically the Address bar in File Explorer that lets you quickly go to selected folder or any webpage you specify.

Links = These are the links from your Favorites bar in Internet Explorer. These are saved in your "C:\Users\(user-name)\Favorites\Favorites Bar" folder.

Bing Desktop = This toolbar is only available if you installed Bing Desktop (Windows Update or downloaded). This will let you search the web using Bing.

Touch Keyboard = Allows to toggle the touch keyboard to show or hide.

Desktop = This is your shell Desktop folder in a cascading menu for quick access.

New toolbar = This will let you select any folder, drive, or library to add as a shortcut with a cascading menu on your taskbar for quick access.

OPTION TWO

To Add or Remove Toolbars from Taskbar Properties

1. Do step 2 or 3 below for how you would like to open Taskbar and Navigation properties.

2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Taskbar and Navigation icon, close the Control Panel, and go to step 4 below.

3. Right click or press and hold on the taskbar of your main display, click/tap on Properties, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)

4. Click/tap on the Toolbars tab. Check and uncheck the boxes of the toolbars you want to add or remove, and click/tap on OK when finished. (see screenshot below)

Note

See the blue note box under step 3 in OPTION ONE for a description of each toolbar.

Note

That's it,
Shawn

Taskbar Toolbars - Add or Remove in Windows 8

Brink

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