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

Brink · Dec 30, 2021

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable 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 show pinned items on the 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

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

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)

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)

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

Download

(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

Download

(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