On our PC, we probably have a large number of applications installed. If this is so, we can turn our desktop into a real mess full of shortcuts. To avoid this, we can store the most important files in folders or use the useful Windows 10 toolbar. We also have an alternative, such as adding more toolbar thanks to an application called Linkbar .
One of the elements that we use the most on our Windows computer is the taskbar. This bar is very useful to place the shortcuts of the most used applications, helping to keep our desktop cleaner and clearer. The problem is that if we use many programs it is possible that we fill the bar quickly, luckily there are alternatives like Linkbar.
Organize your apps with additional toolbars
Linkbar is a free and lightweight application that allows us to add one or more additional toolbars to our desktop . This bar is completely customizable and allows us to place all the shortcuts that interest us to be able to access more quickly the applications that we use the most in our day to day life.
- Main features.
- Compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit architecture.
- Allows drag and drop.
- Support for the File Explorer Context Menu.
- Support for multiple panels.
- Maximum icon size up to 256 pixels.
When we launch Linkbar for the first time, it will ask us to select the folder where its configuration will be saved . Keep in mind that the application only targets the shortcuts so the folder we select should only be made up of that. In addition, it gives us the option of adding a bar for all users of the computer or only for the current user.
We select the criteria and click on the “Create” button. Once created, a bar will appear at the top of the screen, being possible to drag it to any of the four sides of the screen . In this way we can put it where it is most comfortable to use. What do we want to have on one side of the screen? Perfect. Better at the top? We place it there, as best suits us.
Once our bar is created, we can click on it with the right button of our mouse and select “New shortcut”. A navigation window will open from where we can create a new shortcut to any of our favorite applications. We can also drag and drop any shortcut on the bar so that it immediately appears in it, although without text. All icons can be arranged alphabetically for better organization.
Configure and customize Linkbar
Linkbar allows you to create several toolbars that can be deleted or blocked with a simple click. Right-clicking on the toolbar also allows us to access “Settings”, which will not be very useful to configure different sections of the bar. Here we find three tabs with the functions “View”, “AutoHide” and “Additional”.
See
Within the view section we can adjust the position of the bar , the order of the shortcuts or set the alignment to keep the icons centered. We can also set a custom background color, choose between light or dark themes to change the appearance of the bar to our liking, as well as define the size of the icons, the margins, the position of the text, the color or the brightness.
Self-concealment
From this tab we can configure that the bar can be hidden automatically , being able to show three actions: when placing the pointer over it, using the left button or the right mouse button. It also allows you to create a shortcut combination by selecting between the Shift, Ctrl, Alt Win keys and a letter.
Additional
We will use this tab to enable or disable the jump list using the right mouse button, as well as configure the number of recent items to show in this list. In addition, it has three transparency options to configure (Opaque, Crystal and Transparent) so that the bar is completely personalized to our liking.
Download Linkbar
Linkbar is a free application that we can download from the Sourceforge page . It is portable software , so it does not require any type of installation to function and can be run from any external storage device such as a hard drive, a pendrive or a memory card. Although we are talking about a Beta version , this is fully functional. From its page we download a compressed zip file, which when unzipped we will obtain a folder with two executable files, with 32 and 64 bit versions.
Linkbar alternatives
If we are looking for an application that allows us to provide our desktop with an additional toolbar, we propose a couple of alternatives to Linkbar that we should know about.
Switch
It is a totally free and open source program whose main purpose is to enable us a second taskbar to Windows, which we can move and place wherever we want. All the programs that we add to this dock are customizable, so we can delete them when we want. It has different versions for Windows, one installable and the other portable, which we can download from the following link .
Circle dock
We are facing an application with which we can add an additional toolbar for Windows, with a special feature, such as its creative round shape. In it we can include all kinds of icons manually and in this way customize their appearance. It also allows you to program a series of desktop backgrounds, as well as use an unlimited number of shortcuts. You can download Circle dock for free from its website .
