Or continue with
%AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\ Examine that folder, and you'll see .lnk files. For a link pinned via Chrome, Edge, or Firefox, you’ll find a shortcut whose target is something like:
The answer: Instead, it pins a browser instance with a special set of instructions embedded in a pinned shortcut file ( .lnk with extended properties) stored in a hidden user folder. pin link to taskbar
$WshShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell $shortcut = $WshShell.CreateShortcut("$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\MyPinnedLink.lnk") $shortcut.TargetPath = "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" $shortcut.Arguments = "--app=https://your-site.com" $shortcut.IconLocation = "C:\path\to\custom.ico,0" $shortcut.Save() Then drag that .lnk to the taskbar. The --app flag ensures Chrome treats it as an isolated window. Every pinned taskbar item is recorded in the Windows registry (per-user): The --app flag ensures Chrome treats it as
For true pinned-link isolation, always use the “Install as app” method, not drag-and-drop. Advanced: Manually Creating a Pin-Any-Link Shortcut You can force any URL or even a document to be pinnable by creating a custom .lnk file with the right properties using PowerShell: pin link to taskbar
| Browser | Default behavior for URL from pinned link | | --- | --- | | Chrome (without --app ) | Opens new tab in the most recent Chrome window | | Chrome (with --app=https://x.com ) | Opens a standalone app window (site-isolated) | | Edge (without app package) | Opens new tab | | Edge (installed via Apps) | Opens standalone window | | Firefox | Opens new tab; ignores separate AUMID |
Chrome’s equivalent lives in: