Pin Program to Taskbar via Group Policy

Description

   In this article, I am going write step-by-step guide for how to Pin a Program to Taskbar via GPO. There is no direct Group Policy Preference setting to Pin Items to Taskbar via GPO for all users. We are going to achieve via Logon Script. before start to read, pleas click to download vbscript: Download PinItems . Here, I have explained two processes, Pin Program to Taskbar in Local PC and Pin Application to Taskbar through GPO for all users.

Summary

How to Pin a Program to Taskbar in Current Machine

   In Windows 7, Taskbar pinned items are stored in the following locations:

File System:
%APPDATA%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar

Registry:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband]

Steps to Pin Programs/Items to Taskbar in Current Machine:

1.  Click to download the vbscript file PinItems Download PinItems.
2.  Place the downloaded vbscript file in your favourite place. I have placed here -> C:ScriptsPinItem.vbs
3.  Now run the following command in Command Prompt to Pin MS Paint Program to Taskbar.

cscript C:ScriptsPinItem.vbs /taskbar /item:"c:windowssystem32mspaint.exe"
Pin Program/Items to Taskbar via GPO

4. Then go the Taskbar pinned items location : %APPDATA%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar and you can see the shortcut icon for paint.

Pin a Program/Items to Taskbar via GPO

Note: Here, you can replace your own program’s exe path which you are going to pin it in taskbar.
Ex: Use the below command to pin uTorrent in taskbar.

cscript C:ScriptsPinItem.vbs /taskbar /item:"C:\Program FilesuTorrentuTorrent.exe"

How to Pin a Program to Taskbar via GPO

   After read the above steps, you may guess what we are going to do to Pin a Program to Taskbar via Group Policy. We are going save the above commands in script or batch file and run through GPO’s logon script to Pin a Programs to Taskbar for all user’s computer.

Steps to Pin a Program/Item to Taskbar through GPO:

1. Click to download the vbscript file PinItems Download PinItems.

2. Place the downloaded vbscript file in any share path(Network Share). I have placed here -> devDCsharePinItem.vbs

3. Open new Notepad file, copy the below command and paste in Notepad.

cscript C:ScriptsPinItem.vbs /taskbar /item:"c:windowssystem32mspaint.exe"

4. Save the Notepad file with the extension .bat like PinProgram.bat


5. Place the PinProgram.bat file into same share path where you placed PinItem.vbs (devDCsharePinProgram.bat)

Pin Program/Items to Taskbar via GPO

6. Open the Group Policy Management console by running the command gpmc.msc.


7. Expand the tree and Right-click on the OU you want this policy to be applied to. Now, I am going to apply users who are under the OU DesignTeam. so right-click on the OU DesignTeam, and click Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here…

Pin Program/Items to Taskbar via Group Policy

8. Give new policy name and click OK. Here, I am giving policy name Pin-Taskbar-Program-Policy

How to Pin Program to Taskbar via GPO

9. Now right-click on the newly created GPO Pin-Taskbar-Program-Policy and click edit.

How to Pin Items/Program to Taskbar through GPO

10. Go to the settings Scripts under User Configuration (User Configuration->Policies->Windows Settings->Scripts(Logon/Logoff)). In the right side pane, click Logon.

Pin Application to Taskbar through GPO

11. Add the batch file path devDCsharePinProgram.bat in logon Script Name and click OK.

How to Pin a Program to Taskbar via GPO preferences

12. Click Apply to apply Logon Script settings.

How to Pin Items/Programs to Taskbar via GPO

13.Run the command gpupdate /force to apply gpo to all the users under the OU DesignTeam.

How to Pin Items to Taskbar via GPO

Now, you have configured new GPO to Pin a Program/Item to Taskbar via GPO in all user’s computer. when an user login, this script automatically run and Pin programs to Taskbar.

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