Windows 8.1 - Pinning "This PC" to the TaskBar?

[sphenodont]

Does anyone know how to pin This PC/Computer to the taskbar in Windows 8.1? It was doable in Windows 7, but that method (creating a shortcut to an Explorer instance) doesn't work right in 8.1 — clicking on the icon creates a duplicate icon on the taskbar, which I don't like.

 

[Berryracer]

if you hide the libraries from the left navigation pane in Explorer, then pin ThisPC, now even though it looks like the libraries icon, when you launch it, it actually shows you ThisPC contents like your disk drives and DVD Drive just as if you were to double click on ThisPC

but the catch is, if you show the libraries in the left pane, now the shortcut will launch your libraries instead of ThisPC

 

[sphenodont]

Yeah, I saw that. I'm just not sure why they changed that behavior from Windows 7...

 

[gmaster456]

Some of the stuff Microsoft decides to change isn't always understandable.

 

[Ampersand38]

Open an explorer window, it should appear in the taskbar.
Right-click the taskbar icon then click Pin this program to taskbar
You can now drag the icon to the preferred location and launch with Win+numberkey

 

[escrow4]

Drag it to the taskbar? Works fine here.