Right-click the taskbar, choose Toolbars/New Toolbar, and choose a top-level item like My Computer or My Network Places or Computers Near Me. This makes it that much quicker to access folders on your system, your CD-ROM, removeable disks, and other machines on your network.
Here is the kicker: I love using the Control Panel in this way. First, right-click your desktop and choose New Folder, then edit the name, pasting this value exactly:
Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Now follow the same steps as above: Right-click the taskbar, choose Toolbars/New Toolbar, highlight the new Control Panel folder, and click OK. Voila, now all your control panel items are one click away (just remember to not delete that folder from your desktop or wherever you decide to create it). As shown in the screen shot, I like to minimize their presence on the taskbar so that they all become cascading menus.
If you ever want to remove a toolbar, just right-click the taskbar, choose Toolbars and uncheck the toolbar in question.
This tip works on Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
