How to reset and clear Pinned items on Taskbar in Windows 11

Step 1Open the Registry Editor

To reset windows 11 taskbar layouts, you first need to open the Registry Editor, which is a built-in database tool for managing core system settings. Click the Start button ⊞, type regedit into the search 🔍 box, and press Enter. When the User Account Control prompt appears asking if you want to allow the app to make changes, click Yes to open the main window.

• Click the Start button or press the Win on your keyboard.
• Type regedit into the search 🔍 box.

You might see a prompt asking, ‘Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?’ Click Yes.

The Registry Editor window will then open, resembling a file folder system with folders on the left and information on the right.

Step 2Go to the First Registry Location

To locate where Windows stores your pinned app data for your current user profile, navigate to the specific path in the Registry Editor. In the left pane, click the arrow next to 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USERcopy to expand it, then follow the folder tree down through Software, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, and Explorer until you reach Taskband to reset windows 11 taskbar configurations.

In the left pane of the Registry Editor, click the small arrow next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER to expand it. Then, click the arrow next to Software. Continue opening the folders in this order: Microsoft, then Windows, then CurrentVersion, and finally Explorer.

Once you've expanded the Explorer folder, look for a folder named Advanced. Click on it to select it.

Step 3Delete the Taskband Key (If You Found It)

Deleting the Taskband registry key removes existing taskbar configurations and clears broken icon caches. Right-click the Taskband folder in the left pane of the Registry Editor, select Delete from the menu, and click Yes on the confirmation box. Note that this action is permanent and clears your current pinned items immediately.

With the Advanced folder selected in the left pane, right-click on it.

A small menu will appear. Click on Delete.

A confirmation box will ask, "Are you sure you want to permanently delete this key and all of its subkeys?" Click Yes.

This action removes the configurations for your pinned apps stored in this Registry section.

Step 4Go to the Second Registry Location

A second registry location specific to your user account stores additional taskbar preferences that you must clear to completely reset windows 11 taskbar data. Return to the top of the left pane in the Registry Editor and expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER again to locate any remaining cached data keys linked to your user profile settings.

In the left pane of the Registry Editor, return to the top and click the arrow next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER to expand it.

Inside Software, you will see numerous folders. Locate the one that represents your specific user account. This folder is named with a unique code known as your Security Identifier (SID).

Search online for 'Find Security Identifier Windows 11' if you need help locating your SID. For most users, it will be one of the first few SID-like codes listed under Microsoft, then Windows, then CurrentVersion, then Explorer.

Your Security Identifier (SID) folder contains saved settings for your user account. Once you find your specific SID folder, click the arrow next to the SID folder to expand it and view its contents, such as the Taskbar pinned items.

Now, expand the following folders in order: Software, then Microsoft, then Windows, then CurrentVersion, then Explorer.

Look for a folder named Advanced within your SID's Explorer folder. Click on it to select it.

Helpful Tip: Your SID is unique to your account. If you have multiple user accounts on your computer, each will have its own SID folder under Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Ensure you are deleting the Advanced folder from *your* account's SID.

Step 5Delete the Taskband Key Again

Deleting the Taskband key a second time from your user-specific registry location ensures all leftover pinned taskbar items are completely wiped out. Highlight the relevant folder in the left pane, right-click it, select Delete, and click Yes on the confirmation prompt to finish clearing the stored cache entries.

With your account's Advanced folder highlighted in the left pane, right-click on it.

From the menu that appears, select Delete.

When the confirmation box appears, click Yes.

Deleting previously pinned Windows 11 taskbar items ensures all remnants of those items are removed from your user profile, preventing them from reappearing. This action clears the association between the pinned shortcut and the application, making it appear as if the item was never pinned.

Step 6Close Registry Editor

After you've finished deleting the folders (or if you skipped these steps because the folders weren't present), you can close the Registry Editor window. You've completed the primary task!

Step 7Open File Explorer

Opening File Explorer gives you access to the folder where Windows stores the actual shortcut files for your pinned taskbar apps. Press the Windows key plus E on your keyboard at the same time to launch File Explorer instantly, allowing you to manually clear out any stubborn application shortcuts remaining on your system.

Pressing the Windows key + E on your keyboard simultaneously opens File Explorer, a program that lets you manage your files and folders. This shortcut is a fast way to access your computer's file system.

Step 8Go to the Pinned Items Folder

Navigating directly to the hidden folder holding your pinned app shortcuts lets you wipe them out in one go to successfully reset windows 11 taskbar layouts. Click your cursor into the address bar at the very top of the File Explorer window and paste the exact folder path to open the directory.

In the address bar at the very top of the File Explorer window (where it typically displays "This PC" or a folder name), click to place your cursor there.

Carefully copy and paste the following text into the address bar:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar

Press Enter on your keyboard.

You should now be inside a folder named "TaskBar". This folder contains all the shortcuts for the applications you've pinned to your taskbar.

Step 9Delete All Shortcuts

Deleting all shortcut files inside the TaskBar folder removes every pinned application icon from your view at once. Inside the open folder, press Ctrl plus A on your keyboard to select all the files, press the Delete key, and confirm any prompts that appear to clear the entire list.

Within the "TaskBar" folder, you will see all the icons (shortcuts) for your pinned applications.

To select all of them, press Ctrl + A on your keyboard.

Once all the shortcuts are highlighted, press the Delete key on your keyboard.

You might be prompted to confirm the deletion. Click Yes or Continue.

Step 10Close File Explorer

You can now close the File Explorer window.

Step 11Apply the Changes

Restarting Windows Explorer applies your taskbar changes immediately without needing a full system reboot. Press Ctrl plus Shift plus Esc to open Task Manager, go to the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer in the list, right-click it, and choose Restart to make your taskbar refresh and show the clean slate.

• Restart Windows Explorer: This is the fastest way.
  
  
  
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  
  
  • Go to the "Processes" tab.
  
  
  • Find "Windows Explorer".
  
  
  • Right-click on "Windows Explorer" and choose "Restart".

  Your taskbar and desktop icons will briefly disappear and then reappear.

• Sign Out and Sign In:
  • Click the Start button.
  • Click your user account picture or name.
  • Choose Sign out.
  • When you are back at the login screen, sign back into your account.
• Restart Your Computer: This offers the most thorough method to ensure all changes are applied.
  • Click the Start button.
  • Click the Power icon.
  • Choose Restart.

Summary

To reset and clear pinned taskbar items in Windows 11, you edit the Registry Editor, delete specific app folders, and remove shortcut files, then restart Windows Explorer.