TaskFolder: A Modern Windows 11 Application Launcher That Actually Works

Because Your Apps Deserve Their Own Hoarding Spot

Remember when Windows 7 had those handy toolbar folders on the taskbar? You could pin a folder right there and quickly access your favorite applications with a single click. It was simple, elegant, and incredibly useful. Then Windows 10 came along and broke it. Windows 11? Forget about it—Microsoft completely removed the feature.

But what if I told you there’s a better way? Let me introduce you to TaskFolder, a lightweight application launcher that brings back quick access to your favorite apps, with a modern twist that works perfectly with Windows 11.

What Is TaskFolder?

TaskFolder is a free, open-source application launcher that lives in your Windows system tray. Think of it as your personal app drawer—a quick-access menu for all the programs you use regularly, whether they’re traditional desktop apps, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), or anything in between.

Click the system tray icon, and boom—there’s your customized menu of applications, ready to launch with a single click. No digging through the Start Menu, no searching, no hassle.

Why I Built This

I got tired of Windows 11’s limitations. I wanted quick access to my frequently-used applications without cluttering my taskbar with a dozen pinned icons. I also wanted to organize my Edge PWAs (Progressive Web Apps like Gmail, Twitter, and YouTube) alongside my regular desktop applications.

The old Windows toolbar workaround? Dead. Third-party solutions? Either bloated, expensive, or both. So I built TaskFolder—exactly what I wanted, nothing more, nothing less.

Key Features That Make TaskFolder Cool

1. System Tray Integration

TaskFolder lives quietly in your system tray, taking up zero taskbar space. One click brings up your app menu. Simple.

2. Perfect PWA Support

Edge PWAs are fantastic—they’re lightweight, isolated, and don’t clutter your browser. But launching them has always been awkward. TaskFolder handles PWAs perfectly:

• Extracts the correct custom icon (not the generic Edge icon)

• Launches them as proper app windows (not browser tabs)

• Preserves all launch parameters

Add your Gmail PWA to TaskFolder, and it shows up with Gmail’s icon. Click it, and it opens as a dedicated app window. Perfect.

3. Drag-and-Drop Simplicity

Want to add an application? Two ways:

• Right-click the tray icon → “Add Application...” → browse for any .exe

• Or just drop a shortcut file into the TaskFolder shortcuts folder

The app automatically monitors the folder, so new shortcuts appear immediately.

4. Zero Configuration Required

No settings to tweak, no config files to edit. It just works. Want auto-start? There’s a checkbox for that. Otherwise, it’s all automatic.

5. Lightweight & Fast

• Under 200 KB compiled size

• Uses less than 5 MB RAM

• No CPU usage when idle

• No external dependencies

• Built on .NET 8.0 (which most Windows 11 systems already have)

6. It’s Actually Free

No trials, no subscriptions, no feature gates. Completely free and open source. Do whatever you want with it.

How It Works (The Technical Bits)

For those interested in the implementation:

Architecture

TaskFolder is built with C# and .NET 8.0, using Windows Forms for the system tray integration and WPF components where needed. It’s a single executable that:

1. Creates a system tray icon using NotifyIcon

2. Monitors a shortcuts folder using FileSystemWatcher for automatic updates

3. Launches applications by executing the shortcut files directly (preserving all parameters)

4. Extracts icons from executables and custom icon locations in shortcuts

Why It Works Better Than Alternatives

The Secret: Launch the Shortcut, Not the Executable

Many launcher apps make the mistake of directly launching the target executable. This breaks PWAs and any application with command-line arguments.

TaskFolder launches the .lnk (shortcut) file itself, letting Windows handle all the magic:

• Command-line arguments

• Working directories

• Custom icons

• Elevated privileges

• Everything

It’s the same as double-clicking the shortcut in File Explorer—which means it always works correctly.

Icon Extraction Intelligence

Edge PWAs store their icons in obscure user profile folders. TaskFolder checks three locations:

1. The shortcut’s IconLocation property (where PWA icons hide)

2. The target executable’s embedded icon

3. Windows’ associated icon for the file type

This is why your Gmail PWA shows the Gmail icon instead of a generic Edge browser icon.

Real-World Use Cases

For Power Users

I have TaskFolder auto-start with Windows. My menu includes:

• VS Code

• Windows Terminal

• Gmail (PWA)

• Calendar (PWA)

• Slack (PWA)

• Several PowerShell scripts (yes, it launches scripts too!)

One click on the system tray, and I can launch any of these instantly.

For Developers

Perfect for launching:

• Different IDE profiles

• Database tools

• API testing tools

• Virtual machines

• Development servers

For Everyone Else

Quick access to:

• Email and calendar (as PWAs)

• Favorite websites (as PWAs)

• Frequently-used Office apps

• Remote desktop connections

• Literally anything with a shortcut

Getting Started

Installation

1. Prerequisites:

   • Windows 11 (or Windows 10)

   • .NET 8.0 Runtime (probably already installed)

2. Download:

   • Grab the latest release from GitHub

   • Or build from source (instructions below)

3. Run:

   • Double-click TaskFolder.exe

   • Look for the icon in your system tray

4. Add Applications:

   • Right-click the tray icon → “Add Application...”

   • Browse to any .exe or shortcut file

   • Done!

Building from Source

Want to customize it? Building is straightforward:

git clone https://github.com/rod-trent/JunkDrawer.git
cd JunkDrawer/TaskFolder
dotnet build -c Release

The compiled executable will be in bin/Release/net8.0-windows/TaskFolder.exe.

That’s it. No complicated build process, no missing dependencies, no headaches.

Under the Hood: Design Decisions

Why .NET 8.0?

• Cross-platform framework (even though this is Windows-only)

• Modern, fast, and efficient

• No external dependencies needed

• Easy for others to contribute

Why Not Use Jump Lists?

I originally planned to integrate with Windows taskbar Jump Lists, but there’s a catch: Jump Lists require a WPF Application instance, which is complex to set up correctly in a Windows Forms app.

The system tray approach is actually better:

• Always visible

• Always accessible (no need to pin to taskbar)

• Faster to access (single click vs. right-click)

• More space for items

Why Store Shortcuts in a Folder?

Simple: flexibility. You can:

• Organize shortcuts in Windows Explorer

• Back them up easily

• Sync them across machines (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)

• Edit them with any tool

• Script their creation

The folder location: %APPDATA%\TaskFolder\Shortcuts\

Known Limitations

Let’s be honest about what TaskFolder doesn’t do:

1. No categories/folders (yet)

   • All shortcuts appear in a single list

   • You can’t create subfolders for organization

   • Planned for a future update

2. No search functionality (yet)

   • If you have 50 shortcuts, you’re scrolling

   • Also planned for a future update

3. Windows-only

   • Built specifically for Windows 11/10

   • No plans for macOS or Linux (different paradigms)

4. No sync built-in

   • But you can manually sync the shortcuts folder with cloud storage

These aren’t bugs—they’re features I haven’t built yet. The code is structured to make these additions straightforward.

Contributing & Feedback

TaskFolder is open source under the MIT License. That means:

• Use it however you want

• Modify it however you want

• Distribute it however you want

• No strings attached

Want to contribute? The code is on GitHub. Pull requests welcome for:

• Search functionality

• Category/folder support

• Custom icon picker

• Keyboard shortcuts

• Statistics tracking

• Themes

Or just use it and let me know what you think!

The Bottom Line

TaskFolder does one thing well: gives you quick access to your applications. No bloat, no subscription, no nonsense.

If you’re tired of Windows 11’s limitations and want your taskbar quick-launch functionality back (but better), give TaskFolder a try.

Download: GitHub - TaskFolder

License: MIT (Free & Open Source)

Requirements: Windows 10/11, .NET 8.0 Runtime

Size: ~200 KB

Price: $0.00

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Technical Details for the Curious

Project Structure

TaskFolder/
├── Program.cs              # Entry point & system tray logic
├── Models/
│   └── ShortcutItem.cs    # Data model for shortcuts
├── Services/
│   ├── ShortcutManager.cs # Core shortcut management
│   └── JumpListManager.cs # (Disabled) Jump List integration
├── Views/
│   └── SettingsForm.cs    # Settings dialog
└── Utilities/
    ├── IconExtractor.cs   # Icon extraction logic
    └── DragDropHelper.cs  # Drag-drop support

Key Technologies

• .NET 8.0: Modern framework

• Windows Forms: System tray integration

• WPF Components: Advanced Windows features

• Dynamic COM: Shortcut file manipulation

• Win32 APIs: Icon extraction

Performance Characteristics

• Startup time: <100ms

• RAM usage: ~5 MB

• CPU usage (idle): 0%

• CPU usage (active): <1%

• Shortcuts folder monitoring: Real-time via FileSystemWatcher

Security Considerations

TaskFolder:

• Never sends data over the network

• Never accesses the internet

• Doesn’t modify system files

• Only reads/writes to its own app folder

• Doesn’t require admin privileges (except for auto-start registry key)

All operations are local and transparent.

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Have you tried TaskFolder? Let me know what you think in the comments! And if you build something cool with the source code, I’d love to hear about it.

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Update Log:

• v1.0 (January 2025): Initial release

  • System tray integration

  • PWA support with proper icons

  • Auto-start capability

  • Settings dialog

  • File system monitoring

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This post was written by a human who actually uses this software daily. No AI fluff, no marketing speak—just honest thoughts on a tool I built to solve a real problem.