Where is the taskbar file?

On my creaky old WinXP system, the shortcuts in the quick-launch taskbar keep getting resorted alphabetically. This happens every 2-3 months. I have about 50 shortcuts that are grouped according to what they do. The grouping makes it easy for me to find what I need, especially since several of them have the same icon (Word, Explorer, etc.). So getting them back in order is a pain.

I have a couple of questions:

Is there any way to prevent XP from resorting the shortcuts?

I did a search and it appears that is no way to prevent it. Thinking that if I can't beat 'em I should join 'em, I have decided to rename the shortcuts so that they are alphabetical in the order that I want them. After I get them resorted yet again the way I want them, I'll add a prefix like "n-mm " to each shortcut, where "n" is the group and "mm" is the order within that group. So the first set of shortcuts will be named "1-01 xxx", "1-02 yyy", "1-03 zzz", etc. Then when XP, in its infinite wisdom, decides to resort, the order will be preserved.

Does anyone see a problem with this solution?

Is there any place where I can find a list of the shortcuts that I can edit more easily than opening the Properties dialog for each shortcut one at a time?

I found several places that said that it should be here:

%AppData%MicrosoftInteet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar

I do not have this folder on my system. I have everything up to "Quick Launch", but no "User Pinned" folder.

Does this mean that I have not "pinned" the shortcuts? And if so did, would that solve the resorting problem? And if so, how do I "pin" them?

Thanks so much.

-Cyn

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