How to get rid of unwanted taskbar items?

paulckruger · 02 Feb 2016

I have found everything but what I am looking for!

UNPIN UNWANTED ICONS FROM TASK BAR

I just upgraded two systems to Win 10 this weekend but am having trouble finding out how to remove unwanted icons from the task bar.

Desktop
Downloads
Pictures
Documents
Music

These take up space I prefer to use for desired icons. I don't need or want them there but there is no "un-pin" option for those. I have searched and all I can find are results to hide the entire task bar or instructions on how to add to the taskbar but not a word on how to remove those unwanted items.

I would also like to know how I can un-pin one specific drive which is encrypted so it is not available on taskbar...it always wants me to format it! Better to hide from taskbar. Still needs to remain visible to encryption program of course.

I still have time to return to Win 7 if I find Win 10 to be un-user friendly so hope someone has solved some of the problems with the upgrade.

( I already turned off all the privacy leaks MS installed !

)

Thanks!

lx07 · 02 Feb 2016

I guess you mean the start menu not the task bar?

The task bar is at the bottom of the screen all the time and doesn't show any of these things (by default). It looks like this..

How to get rid of unwanted taskbar items?-taskbar.png

The start menu is what pops up when you press the

key and looks like this...

How to get rid of unwanted taskbar items?-startmenu.png

If you mean the things circuled in red you can chose which by going to start menu and searching for Choose which folders appear on start and turn then on and off.

How to get rid of unwanted taskbar items?-start.png

Let us know if that is what you mean :) If you really mean the taskbar then just right click and up-pin them.

RolandJS · 02 Feb 2016

I use Windows 7 Pro, do you have a folder kinda sorta like this one:
Users --> [user] --> AppData --> Roaming --> Microsoft --> Internet Explorer --> Quick Launch --> User Pinned --> Taskbar
If not, disregard. If so, try to delete the icons from within that folder; then goto taskbar and see if any "shadows" exist. Test with one icon first.

paulckruger · 02 Feb 2016

[QUOTE=lx07;555006]I guess you mean the start menu not the task bar?

No I mean the TASK BAR just as I said. It has those items I listed and I want to remove them.
See image.

========================

The task bar is at the bottom of the screen all the time and doesn't show any of these things (by default). It looks like this..

paulckruger · 03 Feb 2016

[SOLVED]

Disable "This PC" removes everything. Then you have to go through a process to pin back individual drives. You cannot just "pin" drive to taskbar. You have to first turn that into a "folder".

Here are the steps:

From File Explorer drag or create desktop icons for drives.
Open properties. Where it has target append "explorer" before the drive letter.

"/C:" Change to "explorer /C:"

Apply, it will change to path C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe\[drive letter]

It will then appear on desktop with a folder icon instead of a drive icon. You can change the icon if you like.

Now the option to pin to taskbar will be available.

Since Windows still has crappy choices for icons I used image editor to create my own icons for each drive letter and changed to use those. GIMP works fine...I made mine 1" square and saved with extension .ico.