How To Add A Divider To The Taskbar In Windows 10
You can pin just about any app to the Taskbar. Apps pinned to the taskbar also have a jumplist that lists quick actions aka tasks that the app can execute, and recently opened files. For apps that you use frequently, pinning them to the taskbar is one of the easiest ways to access them. It’s even faster than accessing anything from the Start Menu. Depending on your screen size, and screen resolution, you can pin a fairly large number of apps and files to the taskbar however, there’s no way to organize or group them. You can add a divider to the taskbar though to separate app icons.
SPOILER ALERT: Scroll down and watch the video tutorial at the end of this article.
The divider that we’re going to add to the taskbar is going to be added via a file hack and not an app. This means that the divider isn’t going to change color if you change the accent color of the taskbar. You have to choose the icon for the divider yourself, or you can create one in Paint.net. The only thing you need to keep in mind is if you have dark or light accent color on the taskbar. Make your divider a color that will be easily visible on the taskbar.
Create Divider
Download Paint.Net. Open a new file with the canvas size that is 22x22px.
Zoom in since this canvas size is very small. Use the Ctrl+A keyboard shortcut to select the layer, and tap the Delete button. This will delete the fill from the layer. Next, select the color you want to give the divider from the Colors wheel.
Select the shapes tool, and increase the brush width to 10px. Draw a rectangle that touches the top and bottom edge of the canvas to create a vertical bar. Save it as a PNG file.
Look for an online file converter that can convert a PNG file to an ICO file. The ICO file is an icon file which is what you’re going to use as the divider.
Add Divider To The Taskbar
Open Notepad and paste the following. Save it with the BAT file extension. Save it wherever you want.
@echo off exit
Next, right-click the file and go to Send to>Desktop to create a shortcut for it. Right-click the shortcut, and select Properties from the context menu. In the target field, add explorer at the very start of the address.
Example: explorer C:\Users\fatiw\Desktop\1.bat
Next, click the Change icon button at the bottom, and select the ICO file you created in the previous step. Right-click the shortcut file, and select Pin to Taskbar. The file, with its vertical bar icon will be pinned to the taskbar. Drag it around to divide the icons however you want.
You can create one divider this way. To add a second divider, create a copy of the BAT file, rename it to something else, and then create a shortcut for it the same way you did before. Pin it to the taskbar to get a second divider.
Fantastic! Thanks.
One tip: For multiple separators’, you don’t need to copy the batch file, you can just copy the shortcut and add -1 or -2 etc to the end of the target line, eg: “C:\Windows\explorer.exe C:\Users\Stephen\Dropbox\seperator.bat -2”
For those that are interested: That adds a parameter for the batch file (won’t do anything because the batch file doesn’t use it) and makes it a unique thing that can be pinned.
Thanks so much for that sharing, I came back today as i deleted old config. Still work like charm ! ++
Exactly what I was looking for but I when I open the properties on the new *.bat file, I’m not able to add “explorer” to the path for the Target. How can I overcome that???
It works, thank you!
Does not work. In Windows 10 you cannot pin a CMD, BAT, or a shortcut to CMD or BAT.
your an idiot
Dude, watch the video!
Spoiler: Add “explorer ” at the beginning of the shortcut Target…
exactly what i was looking for but daunting to use.