Quick Launch Toolbar for Windows 11

Simple Tool to create a Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows 11 similar to the toolbar in Windows 10.

How Does It Work?

This tool allows you to create a Context Menu in the Taskbar of Windows 11 by selecting a local folder containing:

• Links
• Shortcuts
• Folders
• Documents
• etc.

It uses the Windows Shell32 and User32 API to Extract the Icons of the Shortcuts in the selected folder.
You can then re-order the items, and then save the config and serialize the Context Menu to disk.

Afterwards you can create a Quick Launch Icon in the Taskbar, that will use the Shell32 API to Launch the Shortcuts.

How To / Usage

• Copy/Extract the QuickLaunch.exe to a Permanent Folder (e.g. Software/Tools)
• Select your Shortcut Folder containing the Links/Shortcuts/Documents
• Re-Order the Context Menu, and Setup the Context Menu Position
• Click on the "Save Config" Menu Button
• Create a Desktop Shortcut to QuickLaunch.exe
• Add --show or --show --hide-taskbar to the "Target" Parameter in the Desktop Shortcut
• Drag & Drop the Desktop Shortcut to your Windows Taskbar
• To use the Quick Launch Toolbar, just click the Icon in the Windows Taskbar

Command Line Options

• --show
  • Show Context Menu instead of Main Application
  • Hint: During Startup of the programm you can also hold the SHIFT key to always start the Main Application
• --hide-taskbar
  • By default, WinForms creates a Window in the Taskbar. This option hides the Window in the Taskbar
  • Hint: Due to the simplicity of the CLI Parser, this option has to be the second, e.g. --show --hide-taskbar

Hidden Features

• You can rename Shortcut Links by editing the value in the [Shortcuts] section of config.ini (see Screenshot)
• Hold down the SHIFT Key while clicking on the Taskbar Icon, to start the Main Application for Config Changes
• Folders and Sub-Folders are also supported. This will create Cascading Context Menus (see Screenshot)

Changelog v1.2.8.0 (Latest Version)

• Added 64-bit Binaries

Changelog v1.2.6.0

• Added Caching / Serialization of Context Menu for Faster Load Times

Build Instructions

• Use Visual Studio 2022 and .NET Framework 4.8
• Always Build the Release in 64-bit Mode (Platform x64)
  • Otherwise you cannot Extract Icons or Launch 64-bit Shortcuts!
• Changes in the AnySerializer have to be manually copied to the "Resources" Folder
  • Make sure to set the *.dll in the "Resources" Folder to "Do not copy"

Credits

• AnySerializer by Michael Brown
• Simple INI by Ronen Ness
• Embedded Assembly by adriancs