How to Add Multiple Toolbars to Windows

This step by step guide will explain how to use multiple Toolbars in Windows, in addition to showing you some cool adjustments that can be made to the Taskbar to help you increase productivity.

This guide uses screenshots and wording that are based on Windows 10 (shortly). If you’re using an earlier version of Windows you’ll have no trouble following along – the steps and images are nearly identical.

1. Start by right-clicking in an empty part of the taskbar and make sure Lock the taskbar isn’t checked.
2. Something to try before you add a toolbar – did you know you can make the taskbar ‘taller’ – giving you more space to work with? Click the top of the taskbar, hold the button down, and drag upwards.
3. To add a toolbar, right-click anywhere on the taskbar, select Toolbars from the menu, and then Links (we’ll go over the other toolbars a bit later in this guide).
4. By default, the new toolbar will be added on the “end” of the taskbar next to the notification area. To move it, click on the “lines” next to it (see screenshot below), hold down the mouse button and drag the section to the left.
5. Now your newly added toolbar will appear next to the “Start” button on the left side of your desktop.
6. Drag and drop your favorite/most used Apps into the “Links” section and it will add that App to your “quick links”. In previous versions of Windows, this was called the “Quick Launch” section. It was replaced by the ability to “Pin” Apps to the taskbar, which isn’t quite the same. When you click a pinned app, the shortcut no longer allows you to open another instance of that App, and it moves to a different location on your taskbar.

   One thing you’ve probably noticed is that the few apps you may have added take up a lot of space in the new toolbar. It’s easy to fix it.

7. Right-click in the Links toolbar and remove the check next to Show title in the menu.
8. The title of the toolbar, Links is now gone, giving you more space.
9. Right-click inside the Links toolbar again, but this time remove the check next to Show text
10. Now the apps in your Links toolbar are just icons, making it a much smaller toolbar.
11. Keep adding apps as needed.
12. Another toolbar you can add is an Address toolbar. Again, right-click somewhere on the taskbar, select Toolbars and finally Address
13. Now you’ll have a place in your taskbar where you can launch web sites from. This toolbar has been around as a part of Windows for quite some time, and no one’s entirely sure why – it’s not helpful for most users. The final toolbar is named Desktop. It’s even more useless than the Address bar. It allows you to add a folder or drive to your toolbar. The exact same functionality can be replicated in your Links toolbar – just drag a folder or drive onto it and a shortcut to that folder or drive will appear.
14. Another tip that you might find helpful is to increase the size of the icons in the Links toolbar. To do this, right-click somewhere inside the Links toolbar, select View and then Large icons
15. This will increase the size of the icons and the taskbar itself (if you have it set to the default size). The taskbar won’t be as “tall” as it would be if you drag it up one level, but it’s a bit taller.


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16. You can also move the entire taskbar to run vertically on the side of your desktop rather than horizontally at the bottom. Just click somewhere in the taskbar, hold the button down, and then drag it up and to the right (or left).


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17. Now your taskbar runs vertically, rather than horizontally.


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18. Now you know how to add multiple toolbars to your Windows taskbar!

If you found this helpful, take a look at our other Windows tips, tricks and tutorials.