Can't Pin Apps to Taskbar on Windows

The taskbar is one of the key visual elements of the Windows OS. It contains multiple convenient features and provides important information right on the display. Users can then simply glance at the taskbar to see the currently active window, the applications that are active currently, the time and date, notifications and more. The taskbar also contains shortcuts to commonly used functions and menus, such as search, the Start menu, Task view and more.

Users also can pin their most-used applications to the taskbar to have them available at any time. However, sometimes pinning the particular application to the taskbar may not be possible due to an error, glitch or another issue. If reinstalling the application that cannot be pinned doesn't help, try the solutions outlined below.

Restart File Explorer

In most cases, simply restarting File Explorer is enough to resolve the issue. To do so, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard. This will open the Task Manager utility. Here, locate 'Windows Explorer' in the 'Apps' list, select it and click the 'Restart' button.

Register the Taskbar Again

1. Open the search field on the taskbar, type powershell in it, and click on the 'Run as Administrator' option available on the right side. 
2. In the Windows PowerShell window, enter the following command and press Enter to execute it:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

3. Restart your PC and check if you can now pin the chosen application to the taskbar successfully.

Check the Taskbar Settings with Group Policy Editor

You may have the 'Do not allow pinning programs to the Taskbar' option enabled on your system. To check if this is the case, you will need to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

1. Type group policy in the search field of the taskbar. If you have the permissions to open the group policy editor, you will see the 'Edit group policy' option. Open it.
2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, go to 'User Configuration,' followed by 'Administrative Templates,' and then 'Start Menu and Taskbar.'
3. Check the right panel and locate the 'Do not allow pinning programs to the Taskbar' option. Double-click it.
4. In the new window, check the status of the option and disable it if necessary.
5. Click 'Apply' and 'OK' to save the changes.