Thank you!

I'm using MS Office and find some Desktop shortcuts will not pin to the Taskbar.
My Desktop shortcut to Outlook pins just fine but, shortcuts to FILES will not pin or drag'
For example, I have a Desktop shortcut to a "something.xls" (Excel) file which, when clicked, opens in Excel.
But if I right click on it, the context menu does not give a pin to Taskbar option.
On the other hand, Outlook when right clicked does.

Help please

Hello Don,

Apps and programs can be pinned to the taskbar, but not files. Instead, files (ex: .xls) can be pinned inside the jump list of it's pinned default program (ex: Excel).

Jump Lists - Pin or Unpin Items - Windows 7 Help blog

Hope this helps,
Shawn

See pictures below as additional explanation.

Thanks for the reply whs.
I tried dragging the File's shortcut to Explorer,
but when I right clicked Explorer, It wasn't there?
donwb

Hello Don,

Apps and programs can be pinned to the taskbar, but not files. Instead, files (ex: .xls) can be pinned inside the jump list of it's pinned default program (ex: Excel).

Jump Lists - Pin or Unpin Items - Windows 7 Help blog

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi Shawn

Yes I'd found this out earlier, but had hoped I could get the actual file's shortcut on the Taskbar, as is possible in Windows 7.
donwb

If you drag it in Windows 7 to the taskbar, it also ends up in the explorer icon. Same thing here.

@ donwb :
Take that document and file it somewhere in C: not to be moved.
Go to your desktop and right click, choose 'New'>'Shortcut',
In the dialog type explorerthen a space, then go to that file, press and hold 'Shift' then right click on the file and choose 'Copy as path', then paste that into the shortcut creation dialog and press 'Next'; name it whatever you wish and click finish.
File explorer icon will be the default but you can change it by right clicking on the shortcut, choose 'Properties'>'Change icon'. (You may have to round up an appropriate icon from the internet and store it in a place not to be moved, (remember it has to be an .ico type (icon file).
Then you can drag that to the taskbar and delete the desktop shortcut if you wish.

@ donwb :
Take that document and file it somewhere in C: not to be moved.
Go to your desktop and right click, choose 'New'>'Shortcut',
In the dialog type explorerthen a space, then go to that file, press and hold 'Shift' then right click on the file and choose 'Copy as path', then paste that into the shortcut creation dialog and press 'Next'; name it whatever you wish and click finish.
File explorer icon will be the default but you can change it by right clicking on the shortcut, choose 'Properties'>'Change icon'. (You may have to round up an appropriate icon from the internet and store it in a place not to be moved, (remember it has to be an .ico type (icon file).
Then you can drag that to the taskbar and delete the desktop shortcut if you wish.

Hi Edwin

Many thanks for your solution to pinning files to the taskbar.
It worked perfectly.
Apologies for the delay in replying

don

Hi Edwin

Many thanks for your solution to pinning files to the taskbar.
It worked perfectly.
Apologies for the delay in replying

don

HOW could you possible know this? Thank you.

Hi Shawn

Yes I'd found this out earlier, but had hoped I could get the actual file's shortcut on the Taskbar, as is possible in Windows 7.
donwb

Soooo i had this problem also on windows 8, BUT i did solve this problem. the program that you wish to pin, simply open the program then alt+tab back to windows, right click on the program and click Pin to task bar.