pinning them to the Taskbar or the Start Menu. That way, they would always be just a click away. I mean having such things (frequently used folders) buried deep within the directory structure makes no sense at all. In this context we have talked about 7 ways to quickly access a favorite folder. However, then, we missed telling you that you can pin folders to the Start Menu as well. Yes, not just programs or executables, you can hang any file/folder there. We will check out two ways of doing that, also arriving at a solution that puts the Pin to Start Menu option on the right-click context menu for files and folders. Note that the option is by default available only for programs and not files/folders.
The Drag and Drop Way
If you have ever noticed or tried you can simply drag and drop a file/folder to the Start Orb icon as soon as it shows Pin to start menu. Or you can also wait (keep holding) till the Start Menu pops up and then drop it there. Really, it is as simple as that to add a favorite to Start Menu. In case you want to remove an item that you have already put there, simply right-click on the item and choose Remove from this list.
Pin to Start Menu from Right-click Menu
As already mentioned, you will not see this option for a file or folder’s context or right-click menu. So, we will do a registry hack to make that happen. Note: We suggest you to backup the registry before you begin. In case something goes wrong, the backup will prove handy. Keep the backup in an external drive. Step 1: Launch the Run dialog by hitting Windows key + R. Type regedit and hit Enter. Step 2: Navigate to the location HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT -> Folder -> ShellEx -> ContextMenuHandlers from the left pane of the Registry Editor. Step 3: Then right-click on the empty space of the right pane and choose to create a New Key. The moment you do that a new folder will be created under the expanded location on the left pane. Step 4: Name the folder as {a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8}, hit Enter and exit the Registry Editor window. This change takes effect almost immediately. That means you do not have to restart you machine. Now, right-click on any folder and you will see this option. If you still don’t see, right-click while holding the Shift key.
Conclusion
Does that sound interesting to you? Well, I added that to the right-click option and since then I have added almost all my favorite folders to the Start Menu. How many do you plan to add? Top Image Credit: Lina Sydney The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
