Restore Missing “Pin to Taskbar” Option in Windows 10/11

Summary: “Pin to Taskbar” option is missing when you right-click on a .exe file or its shortcut on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer. The issue occurs due to the Taskbar policies applied on the computer using the local group policy editor or the registry. For example, TaskbarNoPinnedList Policy is one such policy that hides the “Pin to Taskbar” context menu option.

RELATED: “Pin To Start” Option Missing In Windows 10/11

Restore Missing “Pin to Taskbar” Option

If the Pin to Taskbar option is missing when you right-click a shortcut, executable file, or a pinned Start menu item, this is due to the TaskbarNoPinnedList or “NoPinningToTaskbar” policy applied in your system.

Here is a registry file that removes all Taskbar and the notification area Policies (20+ settings for all Windows editions, including Windows 10/11.)

Download taskbar-policies-remove-all.zip, extract the registry file to a folder, and double-click to run it. The contents of the enclosed registry file is given below:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;------------------------------------------------------------------
;Removes all the Taskbar Policies for PCs Not connected to a domain
;Applies to all versions of Windows, including Windows 10 and 11
;Created by Ramesh Srinivasan
;https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/
;------------------------------------------------------------------
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"HideClock"=-
"HideSCAVolume"=-
"HideSCANetwork"=-
"LockTaskbar"=-
"NoAutoTrayNotify"=-
"NoCloseDragDropBands"=-
"NoTaskGrouping"=-
"NoToolbarsOnTaskbar"=-
"NoTrayContextMenu"=-
"NoTrayItemsDisplay"=-
"TaskbarLockAll"=-
"TaskbarNoAddRemoveToolbar"=-
"TaskbarNoRedock"=-
"TaskbarNoResize"=-
"TaskbarNoNotification"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"HideClock"=-
"HideSCAVolume"=-
"HideSCANetwork"=-
"LockTaskbar"=-
"NoAutoTrayNotify"=-
"NoCloseDragDropBands"=-
"NoTaskGrouping"=-
"NoToolbarsOnTaskbar"=-
"NoTrayContextMenu"=-
"NoTrayItemsDisplay"=-
"TaskbarLockAll"=-
"TaskbarNoAddRemoveToolbar"=-
"TaskbarNoRedock"=-
"TaskbarNoResize"=-
"TaskbarNoNotification"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableNotificationCenter"=-
"EnableLegacyBalloonNotifications"=-
"NoPinningStoreToTaskbar"=-
"NoSystraySystemPromotion"=-
"NoPinningToDestinations"=-
"TaskbarNoPinnedList"=-
"NoPinningToTaskbar"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableNotificationCenter"=-
"EnableLegacyBalloonNotifications"=-
"NoPinningStoreToTaskbar"=-
"NoSystraySystemPromotion"=-
"NoPinningToDestinations"=-
"TaskbarNoPinnedList"=-
"NoPinningToTaskbar"=-
RELATED: How to Reset the Taskbar Settings to Windows Defaults

That clears ALL the Policy settings for Taskbar and Notification area and brings back the Pin to Taskbar right-click menu option.

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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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8 thoughts on “Restore Missing “Pin to Taskbar” Option in Windows 10/11”

  1. Dear Ramesh Srinivasan ,

    THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKS!!! I’ve tried sfc /scannow , powershell , restarted explorer , clear windows history , none of that works. This reg file easy peasy restores the remove tile function on the right click menu. Thank you so much!!!

    Reply

  3. This worked for me! Tried other regkey fixes, group policy changes, and everything else under the sun. I was so unbelievably frustrated. Just updated to Windows 10 and it WOULD. NOT. Let me pin to the taskbar. This ended hours of troubleshooting. Thank You!

    Reply

  4. This did not work for me. But I did find a way to pin a reluctant app to the Taskbar.
    I found the exe file for my app, right-clicked on it and selected ‘send to desktop (create shortcut)’

    Than I right-clicked on the shortcut and selected ‘Run as Administrator. Then, when I right-clicked on its icon in the Taskbar, I was able to select ‘pin to Taskbar’ After this, the desktop shortcut can be deleted.

    Reply

  6. This solution did NOT work for me. I think Microsoft is trying to slowly modify existing Windows 10 features, such as removing options (including the option to “pin to taskbar” a program/app), to make existing Windows 10 more like Windows 11 (which does not allow pinning stuff to the taskbar) so that existing Windows 10 customers go to Windows 11.

    Reply

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