Quite recently, I wanted to pin Sticky Notes to the Taskbar since I use them all the time. But, then I was just unable to do that. I found that many other Windows 10 users had to face similar issues. Many Windows 10 users just could not pin to the Start menu as well. I then, tried the following fixes, one of which worked and resolved unable to pin programs to the taskbar/ Start menu. I’ll reveal the fix that worked for me. Depending on the situation, one of the following fixes should work for you.
Fix No 1: Resolving The Issue Using The Windows Powershell
Windows PowerShell is a doorway to solutions to many problems on Windows 10. From zipping/unzipping files on Windows 10, wiping complete hard drive to finding your Windows 10 product key, you can do several things with Windows 10 Powershell. You can resolve any issues because of which you are unable to pin programs to the Start menu or Taskbar. Here are the steps for the same –
- Type PowerShell in the search bar next to Windows icon
- Choose and click on Run as administrator from the right-hand pane
- Copy and paste the following command in the Windows PowerShell window
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
- After the command has been executed, restart the computer
Accidentally deleted crucial files using Windows 10 PowerShell? Worry not! Here’s The Fix
Fix No 2: Clearing The TaskBar Items
If you cannot pin programs to the Taskbar or Start menu, then the chances are that you have corrupted files in Taskbar and the below-mentioned steps are aimed at helping you get rid of all such corrupt files –
- Press Windows + R Key and open the Run dialogue box
- Type the following command in the dialogue box
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar
- Press OK
- When the Taskbar window opens, clear all the items by selecting all items and shift+deleting them
- Restart your computer
Fix No 3: Changing The Group Policy Editor Settings
- Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialogue box
- Type gpedit.sc to open the Local Group Policy Editor
- At the left-hand side, click on User Configuration and then, click on Administrative Templates
- Go to Start Menu and Taskbar
- Now, on the right-hand side, you will see Prevent users from customizing their Start screen, click on it
- Select Not Configured and then click on Apply and then OK
Fix No 4: Creating Missing Keys Or Repair Keys In The Registry Editor
Sometimes when there are missing or corrupt registry keys, you might face several issues and not being able to pin programs to the Taskbar is one such issue. Here’s how you can create or repair missing registry keys –
- Open the Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R keys
- Type regedit in the Run dialog box to open Registry Editor
- Navigate to the following registry keys
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnifile
- Right-click on the Inifile folder, select New, Select String value (REG_SZ), name it as Is Shortcut
- Restart your computer
Fix No 5: Restarting The Windows Explorer
Here’s yet another simple fix after which you should be able to pin apps or programs to the Taskbar or Start menu. You can try restarting the Windows Explorer or File Explorer from within the Task Manager itself.
- Quickly open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc
- Right-click on Windows Explorer under the Apps
- Click on Restart option
Fix No 6: Try Creating A New User Account
- Press Windows + I to open Settings
- Now head to Accounts
- From the left-hand side, menu choose Family & other people
- Select Add someone else to this PC
- Click on I don’t have this person’s sign-in information
- Choose Add a user without a Microsoft account
- Enter the Username as per your choice
- Click Next
Now, go to the newly created account and try pinning programs to the Taskbar and Start menu and see if the issue has been resolved. If yes, it means your old account was corrupted.
What Worked For Me?
For me, fix no 2, i.e. clearing the taskbar items worked, and I was able to pin programs to the Taskbar. You might have a different problem, but, one of the above fixes should surely help you resolve the “cannot pin app to the taskbar or Start menu”. If the blog helped you do upvote the blog, share it with your friends and drop in any suggestions in the comments section below.
