How to trick Windows 11 into allowing you to pin websites to the taskbar

Image: Mark Kaelin

In erstwhile versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, users could simply resistance websites, Word documents, Excel worksheets, etc. to their respective taskbar icons and past permanently pin those assets to the taskbar. From that constituent on, with thing much than a right-click connected the due taskbar icon, that point would beryllium instantly disposable from a database of pinned links and documents. Somewhere, someway and for immoderate unexplained reason, Microsoft has disabled this utile feature, but we tin inactive flooded this misguided decision.

SEE: How to minimize information risks: Follow these champion practices for success (TechRepublic Premium)

There is simply a mode to instrumentality Windows 11 into allowing america to pin websites and documents to the taskbar contempt Microsoft’s attempts to contradict america this privilege. It is clunky and ridiculously illogical and inelegant, but it works. At slightest it works until Microsoft finds a mode to artifact america from utilizing this instrumentality arsenic well.

Trick Windows 11 truthful we tin pin websites to the taskbar

To clarify, what we are talking astir is the quality to adhd items to the right-click paper of applications located connected your Windows 11 taskbar, arsenic shown successful Figure A. In erstwhile versions, erstwhile this was an progressive feature, Microsoft called them leap lists. TechRepublic published a hack connected however to increase the size of leap lists with a Registry record hack successful 2016.

Figure A

For simplicity’s involvement we are concentrating connected Microsoft Edge and circumstantial websites, but the diagnostic works with Chrome, Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, and different apps you whitethorn person pinned to your Windows 11 taskbar. Previously, we could click and clasp a website with our rodent and past resistance it to the due taskbar icon wherever we would beryllium fixed the enactment to pin it to the taskbar. This basal diagnostic is present blocked for immoderate reason.

To pin a website to our taskbar leap database we indispensable instrumentality Windows 11 into offering america the opportunity.

First, unfastened Edge successful a azygous tab that points to immoderate website that is not portion of your modular default starting acceptable of websites. It should besides not beryllium the website you privation to pin. In Figure B, you tin spot that I americium utilizing google.com arsenic my starting point.

Figure B

Now, unfastened a caller tab successful Edge and navigate to the website you would similar to pin to your taskbar. For our illustration (Figure C), we volition constituent to my writer illustration leafage connected TechRepublic.

Figure C

Now, this is wherever it gets overmuch little intuitive. Close conscionable the tab successful Edge displaying the website you privation to pin to your taskbar. This measurement volition spot the nexus to the website into a peculiar database called “recently closed,” wherever we tin entree it. Do not exit retired of Edge completely—leave astatine slightest 1 tab open.

Right-click the Edge icon successful the Windows 11 taskbar, arsenic shown successful Figure D, and you volition spot our desired website. Click the pin icon connected the close broadside of the point database to permanently pin the website to the taskbar leap list.

Figure D

Now, erstwhile you right-click the Microsoft Edge icon connected the Windows 11 taskbar, you volition find that your chosen website is disposable connected the leap database (Figure E), arsenic if you had dragged and dropped it there.

Figure E

The crushed Microsoft removed this diagnostic from the existent mentation of Windows 11 is simply a mystery. For immoderate users, the taskbar leap database strategy is our preferred exertion navigation strategy successful Windows 11, truthful removing it has been astir inconvenient. Perhaps the strategy is deprecated and volition yet beryllium removed and disabled completely, but with this small spot of trickery, we tin support the diagnostic astir for astatine slightest a small portion longer.