How to reset and clear Pinned items on Taskbar in Windows 11
Resetting and clearing pinned items on the Windows 11 taskbar removes all the shortcuts you’ve added. You can do this by making a specific change in the Registry Editor, a powerful Windows tool that stores system settings.
The Registry Editor acts like a detailed control panel for Windows. By editing it, you tell Windows to forget which apps you’ve pinned, effectively giving you a clean slate on your taskbar.
Before you begin, it’s smart to back up your Registry. This protects your system in case anything unexpected happens when you make changes. Always be careful when editing the Registry, as incorrect changes can cause computer issues.
Clear pinned taskbar items in Windows 11 by editing the Registry. Open Registry Editor, navigate to 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, and delete the “Taskband” key. You may need to repeat this in your user SID folder.
Step 1Open the Registry Editor
You can open the Registry Editor in Windows 11 by searching for it.
- Click the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
- Type
regeditinto 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
The Registry Editor, a tool for managing Windows settings, holds the taskbar's pinned items information at `🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband`. You must open this specific registry key to find and manage your pinned taskbar items.
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)
If you located the Advanced folder, you can now delete the Taskband key to remove taskbar configurations.
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 Registry location specific to your user account and its taskbar settings needs checking to clear pinned items. This location stores your personal taskbar preferences, and a specific entry there can be deleted to reset pinned items.
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).
To find your SID, you can consult a separate guide. Search online for ‘Find Security Identifier Windows 11’. 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
You can delete the Taskband key again from your user-specific location to ensure all previously pinned taskbar items are removed.
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
You can access the folder where Windows stores shortcuts for your pinned taskbar items by opening File Explorer and typing `📂%appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar` into the address bar.
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
You can go directly to the folder holding your pinned app shortcuts in Windows 11 using the File Explorer address bar.
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\TaskBarPress 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
You can remove all pinned taskbar items from view by deleting all the shortcut files in the TaskBar folder.
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
To apply your taskbar changes in Windows 11, you need to restart Windows Explorer or restart your computer.
- 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.
How to clear pinned items in 🪟 Windows 11?
When you right click a pinned icon on the taskbar, it shows you the most recent files in a Jump List that you accessed through this app. To remove any files from the Jump list, Right click Excel or any other pinned app on the taskbar, then Right click the recent file you don't want to see and press Remove from List.
How to clean up 🪟 Windows 11 taskbar?
And busy taskbar. Down below i've got a lot of things going on and I never really make use of this search bar well what you can do is rightclick anywhere on the taskbar.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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