QuickLaunch

QuickLaunch was a feature introduced in Microsoft's Windows operating system, primarily associated with Internet Explorer. It appeared as a small toolbar located to the right of the Start button, enabling users to quickly access frequently used applications and websites. By default, it included icons for opening Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and showing the desktop.

Users could customize QuickLaunch by dragging and dropping shortcuts from the desktop or Start menu onto the toolbar. This allowed for personalized access to their most utilized programs. While convenient for some, its presence was not always desired. Early versions of Windows allowed users to hide the QuickLaunch toolbar through the Taskbar Properties settings.

With the evolution of Windows, particularly starting with Windows Vista and continuing with Windows 7, the dedicated QuickLaunch toolbar was largely replaced by the ability to pin applications directly to the taskbar. This modern approach serves a similar purpose of providing quick access to running and frequently used programs, integrating the functionality more seamlessly into the main taskbar. Although the original QuickLaunch toolbar is no longer a prominent feature, its concept of providing easily accessible shortcuts influenced subsequent user interface designs in Windows.