The Quick Launch toolbar is a quick and convenient way to open programs that you frequently use. It is located on the taskbar. You can easily add to or remove shortcut icons of your favorite programs from the Quick launch toolbar. You can also just as easily add or remove the Quick Launch toolbar.

To add or remove the Quick Launch toolbar:

  1. Right-click in an empty area of the taskbar.
  2. Point to toolbars.
  3. Click Quick Launch.
  4. A checkmark will appear to show that the Quick Launch toolbar is visible on the taskbar, or if the checkmark was already there, it will disappear, indicating that the Quick Launch toolbar is no longer visible on the taskbar.How do I Replace Items in Quick Launch?

Windows Vista has introduced a wonderful new feature by letting you use shortcuts to access the first 10 items of your Quick Launch toolbar. You use the Windows Key + the appropriate number from 0 to 9 (10 items) as the shortcut. For example, if you have the following 4 programs in your Quick Launch area:

  • Show Desktop
  • Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Office Outlook
  • Windows Media Player

The Quick Launch shortcut for Show Desktop is the Windows Key + 1, Internet Explorer is Windows Key + 2, Microsoft Office Outlook is the Windows Key + 3, etc. Now you can simply use Win+1, Win+2, Win+3, and so on, to launch each application.

In order to add or remove icons in Quick Launch, you can use one of the three options outlined below.

Option 1

  1. Open Folder Options.
  2. Check "Show hidden files and folders."
  3. Click OK.
  4. Go to C: Users (your username) AppData Roaming Microsoft Internet Explorer Quick Launch.
  5. To add a shortcut, drag and drop, or cut and paste the shortcut into the Quick Launch folder.
  6. To remove a shortcut, right-click on the shortcut in the Quick Launch folder and click Delete.

Option 2

  1. Right-click on the program you want to add to Quick Launch.
  2. Click Add to Quick Launch.

Note: You may need to press and hold the Shift key and right-click on the file to see the Add to Quick Launch option.

Launching applications in this manner is much faster than having to go through the Start menu and clicking your way around. You just place your shortcut or application in the Quick Launch toolbar, and then you can fire it with just one click.

Option 3

  1. To add a shortcut icon – Drag a program's icon or shortcut onto the Quick Launch area of the Taskbar and release.
  2. To remove a shortcut icon – Right-click on the shortcut in Quick Launch and click Delete.

You may also choose to use an alternate program in preference to Quick Launch. There are various software tools compatible with Quick Launch that can be used instead. Some of these include the following:

  • Free Launch Bar
  • MouseLaunch
  • Launch Express
  • True Launch Bar
  • ActiveActions