Personalization Enable or Disable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar" in Windows 11


Pin_to_Taskbar_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the ability to Pin to taskbar and Unpin from taskbar for specific or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The taskbar in Windows 11 shows the Start menu, Search, Task View, Widgets, Chat, File Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Store buttons (icons) aligned to the center by default.

The taskbar will also show the icon of the app for any window you have open. If you like, you can pin an app to the taskbar to always show the app's icon on the taskbar whether the app is open or not. Pinning an app to the taskbar makes it easier to open the app on demand from the taskbar.

You can enable the Do not allow pinning programs to the taskbar policy to disable and remove Pin to taskbar and Unpin from taskbar from context menus.


You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable Pin to taskbar and Unpin from taskbar.



Contents

  • Option One: Enable or Disable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar" for All or Specific Users in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar" for All Users using REG file


EXAMPLE: Pinned items on taskbar

Pinned_items_on_taskbar.webp





Option One

Enable or Disable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar" for All or Specific Users in Local Group Policy Editor


The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two to configure the same policy.


1 Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2 Navigate to the policy location below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)

User Configuration/Administrative Templates/Start Menu and Taskbar

Pin_to_taskbar_gpedit-1.png

3 In the right pane of Start Menu and Taskbar, double click/tap on the Do not allow pinning programs to the taskbar policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.

5 Enable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar"

This is the default setting.


A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)​

Pin_to_taskbar_gpedit-2.png

6 Disable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar"

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)​

Pin_to_taskbar_gpedit-3.png

7 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.




Option Two

Enable or Disable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar" for All Users using REG file


1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.

2 Enable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar" for All Users

This is the default setting


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Enable_Pin-to_taskbar_and_Unpin-from_taskbar_for_all_users.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"NoPinningToTaskbar"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"NoPinningToTaskbar"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start\NoPinningToTaskbar]
"value"=dword:00000000

3 Disable "Pin to taskbar" and "Unpin from taskbar" for All Users

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Disable_Pin-to_taskbar_and_Unpin-from_taskbar_for_all_users.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"NoPinningToTaskbar"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"NoPinningToTaskbar"=dword:00000001

4 Save the REG file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 Either restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.

8 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

Last edited:
Whilst this does remove the context menu options for pinning and unpinning from the taskbar, it prevents any changes to the taskbar.

Ten Forums did offer a method of only removing the context menu: Add or Remove Pin to Taskbar Context Menu in Windows 10 this should work for Windows 11. However, it doesn't suggest any method for making the change on a per user basis. And as the GUID is the key it can't be overwritten in HKCU\software\classes.

How to Suppress and Control Verb Visibility - Win32 apps suggests a method exists which disables verbs to prevent workarounds for restrictive (group) policies. The documentation isn't very helpful, and confuses values and subkeys.

What's required is a DWORD value SuppressionPolicy which contains the policyID of a policy that's turned on. RESTRICTIONS (shlobj_core.h) - Win32 apps contains a long list of restrictive policies. However, two of them have their registry values set in default installations of Windows 10 and 11.

REST_NODRIVEAUTORUN = 0x00000200
REST_NOACTIVEDESKTOP = 0x40000004


so either of those can be used without having to add any new policies.

Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{90AA3A4E-1CBA-4233-B8BB-535773D48449}]
"SuppressionPolicy"=dword:40000004

The effect is immediate, there's no need to restart explorer.

This technique can be applied to any verb whether under shell or shellex, and apparently to propertysheethandlers, although I haven't tried this.
 

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