Adding Excel to the Quick Launch Toolbar

The only problem with launching Excel from a desktop shortcut is that you have to have access to the Windows desktop in order to use it. This means that you can't use it to launch Excel when, for example, you're working in another application full screen such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.

To be able to launch Excel without accessing the Windows desktop, you can add your Excel desktop shortcut to the Windows Quick Launch toolbar. This toolbar resides to the immediate right of the Start button on the Windows taskbar and is readily available at all times.

If the Quick Launch toolbar doesn't appear after the Start button on your Windows taskbar, its display is turned off. To turn it back on, right-click the taskbar, select Properties and then select the Show Quick Launch check box on the Taskbar tab of the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box before you click OK.

To add your Excel desktop shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these few steps:

1. Display the Windows desktop by clicking the Show Desktop button on the Quick Launch toolbar (if the desktop is not already displayed).
   If the Quick Launch toolbar isn't displayed on your computer's taskbar, display it by rightclicking on a blank area on the taskbar and then choosing Toolbars → Quick Launch.
2. Drag the Excel desktop shortcut icon to the place on the Quick Launch toolbar where you want it to appear.
   Excel indicates the place where the Excel icon will be inserted by displaying a heavy, I-beamtype pointer in between the existing buttons on the Quick Launch toolbar.
3. Release the mouse button to create a new Excel button on the Quick Launch toolbar.

You don't have to double-click the Excel button that you add to the Quick Launch toolbar to launch Excel. You only need to click it once, just as you would any of the buttons on the numerous Excel toolbars.

You may have to enlarge the Quick Launch toolbar to display all its icons. To do this, position the mouse pointer on the right edge of the bar (marked by a double line of dots) and drag the double-headed arrow pointer until all the icons are shown. If the double-headed arrow pointer doesn't appear, the taskbar is locked. Right-click the taskbar and then clear the Lock the Taskbar item on the pop-up menu to unlock it. After enlarging the Quick Launch toolbar to display all its icons, you can once again lock the taskbar by selecting this item.