How to Pin a Folder to Taskbar in Windows 10?

By default, when you drag a folder and drop it in Taskbar, the folder is added to the File Explorer Jump list, and not as a separate item. To Pin a folder as a separate item in the Taskbar, use these steps.

Right-click on the folder you want to Pin to taskbar, click Send To and click Desktop (create shortcut)

This creates the shortcut to that folder in the Desktop. Right-click on the newly created desktop shortcut and choose Properties.

Prefix the Target field with “explorer”. For example, if the folder path is

C:\Users\Ramesh\Pictures\Screenshots

Change that to:

explorer C:\Users\Ramesh\Pictures\Screenshots

You can change the shortcut icon by clicking the Change Icon…, and select an icon from the Shell32.dll or ImageRes.dll (both located in C:\Windows\System32 folder.)

Click OK.

Right-click on the Desktop shortcut and click Pin to Taskbar. The desktop shortcut can now be deleted.

Note: Although this adds the folder as a separate item in Taskbar, thumbnail preview won’t work for the item. Instead the thumbnail preview for it is seen when you hover your mouse over the File Explorer icon.

Create a Custom Toolbar in Taskbar

Another option is to create a custom toolbar in the taskbar, and add shortcuts in there.

1. Create a folder in your preferred location that’s permanent. Add shortcuts to various folders inside that folder, and customize the icons for each folder shortcut.

2. Right-click Taskbar, click Toolbars, and click New Toolbar…

3. Select the folder you created in Step 1. This adds the folder as a menu in the Taskbar.

4. Right-click Taskbar and uncheck Lock the Taskbar

5. Drag the separator shown near the custom toolbar item, and expand it to the left.

6. Right-click the custom toolbar, and uncheck Show Text

Optionally, right-click on the custom toolbar, click View and click Large icons.

7. Right-click Taskbar and click Lock the taskbar. You’ve now added a custom toolbar that contains shortcuts to various folders.

That’s it!