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Stupid Windows 7 tricks: pin control panel to your taskbar
Running Windows 7?If you constantly fiddle with settings and install and uninstall as many apps as I do during the course of a week, do yourself a favor: pin the Control panel to your taskbar.
Doing so gives you two-click access to system tools you've probably been utilizing frequently, like Programs and Features, system properties, Action Center, and Notifications.
Since jumplists automatically update with recent programs, it also makes getting back to that screen you just closed accidentally a little bit easier.
It's a handy way to assemble shortcuts to panels like ncpa.cpl (the missing connect to -> show all connections), screen resolution, and personalization.
You can also use Vista's control.exe /name [friendly name] command to add some more handy options. Try it with Microsoft.DeviceManager, Microsoft.AdministrativeTool, or Microsoft.MobilityCenter. After you've launched one of them, just right-click your control panel icon and you can pin 'em up for easy access later.
Wait, how do I pin it in the first place? Launch anything that falls under the Control Panel umbrella - personalize, resolution, etc. Right click and pin. It'll automatically set itself to Control Panel!
Comments
15
Subscribe to commentsrcarmJun 11th 2009 5:11PM
Wow, I never thought about doing this. Thanks Lee!
DeoWulfJun 11th 2009 5:45PM
At the risk of sounding stupid here... How exactly do you do that? I can't drag Control Panel from the Start menu to the bar, nor can I stick it on the desktop then drag it to the bar. I can't even make a shortcut to it then pin it to the bar.
-.-;
Lee MathewsJun 11th 2009 5:46PM
Launch anything that falls under the Control Panel umbrella - personzlize, resolution, etc. Right click and pin. It'll automatically set itself to Control Panel!
DeoWulfJun 11th 2009 5:46PM
Edit: weird, I figured it out. While I couldn't do any of those things, I could open Control Panel, right click it's instance on the taskbar and select Pin. Why in the world wouldn't they let me do it any other way, though...
DeoWulfJun 11th 2009 5:47PM
Double Edit: Thanks, Lee. I'd just figured it out.
UsulJun 11th 2009 6:05PM
ok that's great but in windows XP i always pin My Computer to the taskbar but windows 7 does not appear to let you do that. any tricks to getting that working?
DeoWulfJun 11th 2009 7:31PM
Best way I can say to do it is through Windows Explorer. Explorer is pinned to the bar by default, so open up My Computer in Explorer, then grab the window and drag it down to its own instance on the taskbar (it will say "Pin My Computer to Explorer" or something like that). Whenever you need My Computer, right click Explorer and select it from the pins.
Microsoft seems to be going pretty crazy with Pins these days. They will even be invading the Zune HD when it comes out...
GirishJun 12th 2009 1:24AM
Right click on taskbar, go to toolbars->new toolbar, select computer and click on "select folder" button. Done!!
RockyJun 12th 2009 4:39AM
You can also change where the default explorer pin points....
Right click the default explorer pin -> right click windows explorer -> paste:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
into the target line and viola.
ErinJun 11th 2009 10:11PM
In XP, just navigate to your system32 folder and drag control.exe to the taskbar. Voila! Same thing. This should work in Vista or Seven as well. .
shaunisadirtyJun 12th 2009 9:14AM
So in XP when you pinned it to the taskbar you could right click-on it and have jump lists to whatever you were looking for specifically? Device manager, personalization, etc....
jamesJun 12th 2009 8:28AM
This is a stupid solution seeing as the start menu search finds all of the control panel items already, and that way you don't have more stuff pinned to your taskbar than necessary.
Lee MathewsJun 12th 2009 8:30AM
Well, I did put "STUPID" right in the title, James.
I find it useful. You don't. To each his own. The beauty of Windows 7 is that you can do this if you want to.
Sir LoinJun 12th 2009 2:12PM
This is a great tip, thanks for passing it along!
Lee MathewsJun 12th 2009 2:12PM
No problem, Loin! Long time no see, BTW. :)