Simple Tool to create a Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows 11 similar to the toolbar in Windows 10.
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.
- 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
--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 ofconfig.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
- Added Caching / Serialization of Context Menu for Faster Load Times
- 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"
- Make sure to set the