Windows 10: Cannot unpin an Excel file from the Taskbar

Long ago I pinned an Excel file to the Windows 10 taskbar. This means that if I right click on the Excel icon, which is also pinned to the taskbar, a pop-up list of file names appears with the pinned file at the top.


The pinned file has an "Unpin from this list" icon beside it. If I click on the unpin icon, nothing happens. I tried pinning another Excel file to the taskbar and was able to unpin it. The problem seems to affect only this one file, pinned long ago.


I have Googled and tried many posts for removing a pinned item (file, not an app) from the taskbar. None of them have worked.

How can I unpin this Excel file?


Thanks!

:)

 

Can't unpin excel jump list file from the start menu

The same jumplist shows wherever you right-click on Excel (or any other app that has a jumplist) be that on a tile in Start, pinned to the taskbar or in Start's 'all apps' list.

Right-click on any file name in the jumplist (like your ABC.xls) and you should see options to 'Pin to this list' and 'Remove from this list'. If the file is pinned to the list, you have to unpin it first before you can remove it from the list.







*Arrow Pin or Unpin Items on Jump Lists in Windows 10

If that isn't working for you, then it sounds like you'll need to reset the recent items that jumplists show. This will reset ALL jumplists, not just the Excel one, so only reset it if nothing else works.

*Arrow Reset and Clear Recent Items and Frequent Places in Windows 10

 

Excel on Windows 10 taskbar does not show recent files

Actually, I had the same problem, (with Notepad, Excel, Word, a few others but not all)

1. I deleted the files as suggested by RGera (not sure if that made a difference)

2 Then I unpinned the item from the task bar - I had to go to the Start Menu, Click the right arrow beside the item, click 'More', then 'UpPin from taskbar'

3. Re-pin by doing the last steps from Start Menu, except click 'Pin to Taskbar'

This should work for Excel, Word, or anything.

Cheers, Glen

 

Excel Icon on taskbar does not open file, only program


That's odd. Have you tried unpinning Excel, rebooting and then re-pinning it back to the taskbar?

Here's something you could try:
Open Ccleaner, in the Cleaner window that opens, in the Windows Tab, uncheck everything except Taskbar Jump Lists. Then go to the second tab Applications, and unselect everything. Then click Analyse, then Run Cleaner.

See if that doesn't help. Of course, you'll have to open all your most-used Excel files once more, to repopulate the MRU list.