/QuickLaunch

Quick Launch Toolbar for Shortcuts and Links in Windows 11

Primary LanguageC#GNU General Public License v2.0GPL-2.0

Quick Launch Toolbar for Windows 11

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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)

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