Hi
I have 2 ways of handling that.
The main one is Rocketdock.
It adds an additional taskbar that can be placed wherever you want and made any size.
Link Removed
On my computer I put anything I need to open when I'm online or in another program on the Taskbar, Word, Chrome, Skype, Windows Explorer etc., and all of the other software I use on a regular basis on Rocketdock.
Things like Photoshop, all my current games, Windows tools, etc, arranged by category, with dividers in between.
Any other seldom used software I access from the Programs menu.
But you can also place a folder on the desktop with as many program icons as you want in it. I have one folder on my desktop that I put a copy of every other icon in, just to make it easy to retrieve it, if I need to.
The Flask of Files and the Jug of Junk are my storage places.
I created the icons too.
To put files on Rocketdock I send the .exe link to the desktop, drag it to Rocketdock and then drag the left over icon to the folder on the desktop so I only have to have the one folder there with all the icons inside it.
I've used Rocketdock for a number of years and can't imagine being without it any more.
Here's the link...
About RocketDock - RocketDock.com
I love it, everything is one click away.
Mike