How to Pin Documents to the Taskbar and Declutter Your Desktop GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > Windows

How to Pin Documents to the Taskbar and Declutter a Desktop

Get your desktop files organized with the taskbar

By Gilberto Perera Gilberto Perera Writer Nova Southeastern University Florida International University Miami Dade College Former Lifewire writer Gilberto J. Perera is a PMP and Six Sigma professional with more than 15 years of technology education experience and editor-in-chief of GilsMethod.com. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 4, 2022 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide

What to Know

Pin application: Select and drag application to the taskbar.Pin document to an application: Select and drag file to the respective program icon in taskbar.
This article shows how to pin items such as documents and applications to the taskbar in Windows 10, 8/8.1, and 7.

How to Pin Documents to the Taskbar

To pin a document or application to the taskbar, follow the instructions below. Select and drag the application to the taskbar. To pin a document to an application shortcut on the taskbar, select and drag the file to the respective program icon. A small tip will indicate the item will be pinned to the application you selected. So, if you want to pin an Excel document, drag it to the Excel icon on your taskbar. Now right-click the program icon in the taskbar and look for the Pinned section in the jump list. Once pinned, you can access your favorite files right from your desktop.

Now Organize

All that's left to do is sort out those documents sitting on your desktop. Don't pin a program to your taskbar for every possible document you need to sort out. Instead, look for the most commonly required programs or the most essential (depending on the types of documents you have). Then, sort each file to an appropriate folder on your system before pinning your essential files to their respective programs on the taskbar. If you don't sort your files first, they will still be on your desktop looking as cluttered as ever. You'll just have an improved way to access them. Once your desktop is cleared, keep it that way. It may seem easier to just dump everything on the desktop, but that gets confusing fast. A better solution is to funnel all your various downloaded files into appropriate folders on your system. Then, at the end of every week (or every day, if you have the bandwidth) dump anything on your desktop into the recycle bin. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Pin and Unpin a Program in Windows 7 How to Add Shortcuts to Windows 10 Desktops How to Pin a Program or Website to the Windows Taskbar How to Remove the Recycle Bin From a Windows Desktop How to Move a Window That Is Off-Screen How to Sync Your Desktop to the Cloud with OneDrive How to Lock the Taskbar in Windows How to Cancel a Print Job How to Boot to the Desktop in Windows 8.1 How to Convert Excel Documents to the PDF Format How to Modify the Mac Finder Sidebar Windows 7 Sticky Notes: Post-It Notes for Your Computer How to Open File Explorer in Windows 11 How to Open Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10 How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10 How to Pin Comments on Instagram Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies