Adding your favorite Steam games directly to the Windows 10 taskbar can help streamline your gaming experience and keep your desktop uncluttered. If you’re tired of searching through Steam or cluttering your desktop with shortcuts, creating a more organized and accessible setup is the way to go. This guide will walk you through various methods to pin Steam games to the taskbar, including workarounds and tips to customize your gaming launcher area for maximum convenience.
When trying to enhance your gaming workflow on Windows 10, it’s useful to know how to pin individual games directly to the taskbar for fast access. This process isn’t always straightforward because Steam games are launched through the Steam client, but there are effective ways to create shortcuts and pin them for quick launch. Additionally, organizing your games into folders or custom toolbars can help keep your desktop clean while maintaining easy access to your favorite titles.
Pinning Steam Games to the Taskbar Directly
The most straightforward way to pin a Steam game is to locate its executable file and pin that to the taskbar. First, find the game’s shortcut via Steam:
- Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
- Right-click on the game you want to pin.
- Select Properties, then click Local Files > Browse. This opens the folder containing the game’s executable (.exe) file, often located inside the Steam installation directory.
Once you have the executable:
- Right-click the game’s `.exe` file.
- Choose Pin to taskbar.
Now, you will see the game’s icon directly on your taskbar, allowing you to launch it quickly. Keep in mind, if you launch the game through Steam, clicking this pinned icon might open Steam first and then start the game, depending on how Windows handles the shortcut.
Creating Custom Shortcuts for Steam Games
If you want a more integrated experience, you can create custom shortcuts that directly launch the game without opening Steam first:
- Right-click on the desktop and select New > Shortcut.
- Enter the game’s launch command. For Steam games, the command often looks like this:
“`plaintext
“C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteam.exe” -applaunch [AppID]
“`
Replace `[AppID]` with the specific ID for your game, which can be found on SteamDB or through community resources. For example, for a game with AppID 123456:
“`plaintext
“C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteam.exe” -applaunch 123456
“`
- Click Next, name your shortcut, and then click Finish.
- Right-click the shortcut and select Pin to taskbar.
This method allows you to launch the game directly from the taskbar without opening Steam first, providing a cleaner and faster access point.
Organizing Your Games with Folder-Based Toolbars
For users with multiple games, creating a dedicated folder for shortcuts can significantly improve organization. Here’s how:
- Create a new folder in your Documents or another preferred location.
- Add shortcuts to your most-played games into this folder.
- Right-click the taskbar, go to Toolbars > New toolbar.
- Select the folder you just created.
This adds a toolbar to your taskbar that displays your game shortcuts in a dropdown menu. To make it more accessible, you can customize the toolbar or even pin the folder itself for quick access. For detailed instructions, check out this tutorial on pinning folders as toolbars.
Tips for Better Gaming Organization
- Launch games in windowed mode or use alt-tabbing to access the taskbar icons for pinning.
- For games that launch from the desktop icon, right-click the icon and select Pin to taskbar directly.
- Use third-party tools or Steam features like Big Picture Mode to create custom game launchers.
By implementing these strategies, you can turn your Windows 10 taskbar into a personalized gaming hub, reducing clutter and speeding up access. Remember, experimenting with shortcuts and folder toolbars can help tailor your setup to your preferences, making gaming sessions more efficient.
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