Add more programs to your Quick launch toolbar using FreeLaunchBar

Posted on January 29, 2008 at 6:18 am

One of the most useful features that I use very often in Windows is the Quick Launch Toolbar that sits on the left side of the Taskbar, right next to the Start Button. It’s great because it allows you to open a program in one click only! Even if you have programs pinned to the Start Menu, you still have to click on the Start button to view them!

However, one of the biggest problems with the Quick Launch toolbar is that it starts to get WAY TOO LONG very fast! If I can access my favorite programs in one click, then I may as well throw every last program I use onto it! However, unless you’re running a resolution of 1900×1200 or higher, which most people are not, then you probably can only fit a handful of programs into the Quick Launch bar before it starts taking up too much space.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could customize the Quick Launch toolbar so that you could add a bunch of programs to it without taking up any more space than it is already!? Sounds crazy? Then you need to check out a cool little app that allows you to significantly enhance the functionality of the Quick Launch bar.

FreeLanuchBar is, as the name applies, a free utility that acts as a replacement of the Windows Quick Launch toolbar. You get all the same functions that exist in Quick Launch, and a lot more! The major difference that you will see in using FreeLaunchBar is that Free Launch Bar allows you to combine your program shortcuts into groups that look like popup menus.

This simple change vastly improves the management of your shortcuts and saves a ton working space on the Windows Taskbar.

Using FreeLaunchBar, you can create nice menus with all of your shortcuts organized into nice little categories, like shown above. Here are some of the major features of the software:

Create menus on the taskbar with unlimited levels
Compatibility with Windows XP
Integration into Windows Shell
Low usage of computer resources
Compatibility with the Windows Quick Launch
Ability to create separators to group shortcuts inside menus
Different view modes
Hotkeys for shortcuts
Ability to use PNG pictures as icons
Support of Windows Drag & Drop technology. To add shortcuts you can simply drag them onto the menus.
Improved tips when hovering. You can include some of HTML tags into button description.
Fast toolbar switching
Completely FREE

If you really like the program, you can buy the PRO version for $20 that includes features like plugins (Mail monitor, wireless monitor, weather forecast, etc), virtual folders (you can drag any folder, printer, or control panel item into a menu), skins and custom colors, profiles (different Quick Launch bars for different computer users), auto-update, and backup/restore options.

Overall, it’s a really cool Quick Launch replacement and works really well! I would highly suggest it to anyone who has a million icons on their Quick Launch bar already! Enjoy! Source: ReviewSaurus

Technorati Tags: quick launch, quick launch toolbar, quick launch bar, quicklaunch, quick launch buttons, quick launch icons, windows quick launch, xp quick launch, vista quick launch, add to quick launch

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5 Responses to “Add more programs to your Quick launch toolbar using FreeLaunchBar”

Vijay said on : January 29th, 2008 at 8:34 am

Honestly, I feel that the quick launch bar is completely useless for me. It just hampers productivity, atleast for me, since it ends up occupying a lot of the taskbar space..

akishore said on : January 29th, 2008 at 10:56 am

Really! Wow, I love the quick launch bar! It’s better than desktop shortcuts and easier than going into the Start Menu. Why don’t you find it useful?

MJ said on : January 29th, 2008 at 11:59 am

I also find the Quick launch bar very handy and use it all the time. I have gotten so use to it that it seems like such a pain to go through the start menu now and since I don’t like cluttering my desktop with short cuts quick launch bar proves to be very useful.
Great post.
Thanks