# [SOLVED] Separate Taskbar Shortcuts for Google Chrome Accounts



## Entelgen (Jul 8, 2012)

My name is Jake and I have recently enrolled in a college. Woohoo!

The college I attend uses a modified version of gmail that is monitored for security purposes. I noticed that when using Google Chrome I could click my name "Jake" in the top right corner next to the minimize button and select "Switch Person". I have set up two people; one person is "Jake", who uses my personal gmail account and has the settings I want, the bookmarks I want, and I can do whatever I please. My other person - more formally named "Jacob" - uses my university email and gmail account and has its own settings, and it is where I will conduct schoolwork. I decided to keep these people separate so that I would not get distracted by YouTube or anything fun when it's business time. I wanted two separate profiles so that I could keep whatever random stuff "hidden" from me.

I noticed that when I opened Chrome as "Jake", the account I've had for several years, the taskbar 'expands' the small shortcut I have of Chrome to display the page as pictured here: http://puu.sh/izSAw/c4397afd0b.png

However, when I opened Chrome as "Jacob" after having 'Switch(ed) Person(s)' in Chrome, a new window opened and displayed on the other side of my taskbar, indicating that it was not affiliated with the first shortcut: http://puu.sh/izSGa/c266dbe0cc.jpg (note that Jacob's New Tab appears on the far right, while this forum post I'm typing as Jake)

I decided that if the two couldn't mingle and be friends, they could at least be two entirely separate beasts. Maybe I could create one shortcut to automatically open Jake's profile and bookmarks, with the regular Google Chrome logo, and another shortcut to automatically open Jacob's profile and bookmarks, and maybe have a cheeky little logo of my university as an icon.

It didn't go as expected.

I created a shortcut for Chrome using the tab opened as Jacob and the program was called "Jacob - Chrome". The program to open Jake, however, is just titled "Chrome" and it will open whatever profile was previously opened, but I want it to open Jake specifically.

Looking at the properties for each shortcut, one displays an instruction to open "Profile 1" from the profile directory. This causes the shortcut to purposefully open Jacob, Profile 1, and load their settings: http://puu.sh/izSWc/0a4d142fdb.png (note the text listed under Target)

The other shortcut opens Chrome and disregards anything about Profiles: http://puu.sh/izT1t/8512d8b4c4.png (note the text listed under Target)

I tried having the shortcut for Jake open "Profile 0", but that seems to create an entirely-default profile with the name "Person 1" and opens 0.0.0.0 as a default page. 

Maybe what I'm looking for is not "Profile 0", but another profile identifier? I'm not sure. Both shortcuts have the same program location, but only the icon and the modifier (--profile-directory="<name>") seem to be the difference between the two shortcuts.

What I would like are two different Chrome shortcuts on my taskbar at the bottom of my screen. Upon clicking the first, my "Jake" profile is opened and Chrome is loaded. Upon clicking the second, my "Jacob" profile is opened and Chrome is loaded.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Separate Taskbar Shortcuts for Google Chrome Accounts*



> My name is Jake and I have recently enrolled in a college. Woohoo!


Congratulations!

Try Profile 2.

If not, then remove all Chrome links from the task bar. Open "Jake" and pin that to the task bar, switch profiles and then pin that to the task bar. That should pin both accounts.


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## Entelgen (Jul 8, 2012)

*Re: Separate Taskbar Shortcuts for Google Chrome Accounts*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Try Profile 2.
> 
> If not, then remove all Chrome links from the task bar. Open "Jake" and pin that to the task bar, switch profiles and then pin that to the task bar. That should pin both accounts.


Profile 2 does not seem to have any effect on what opens in Chrome and it seems to just open the most recently used profile.

I tried to delete the Google Chrome shortcut on my taskbar to create a Jake shortcut as well as the Jacob one that already exists, but when I use the Jake profile the application shortcut is titled "Google Chrome", whereas the Jacob shortcut is titled "Jacob - Chrome". These seem to be two different kinds of shortcuts - one to open a profile that is not the 'main' profile and one that opens Chrome by default. I can't figure out how to create a "Jake - Chrome" shortcut like this one: http://puu.sh/iAxrV/ceb8e5504f.png


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Separate Taskbar Shortcuts for Google Chrome Accounts*

In the list of Chrome profiles, does "Jake" actually have its own Profile or is it set as the default for Chrome? I believe profiles must be created in addition to the main profile of Chrome.


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## Entelgen (Jul 8, 2012)

*Re: Separate Taskbar Shortcuts for Google Chrome Accounts*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> In the list of Chrome profiles, does "Jake" actually have its own Profile or is it set as the default for Chrome? I believe profiles must be created in addition to the main profile of Chrome.


When I click the name in the top right corner to switch profiles, I see these two profiles: http://puu.sh/iEELR/b8d9e702df.jpg

One of the profiles may be the default one, and it would probably be the one with the picture of the dog (that's the profile I've had for many years, whereas the one with no contact picture is the new profile I've created for college).

Think there's any way for me to say 'Hey Chrome, when you open yourself up select Jake specifically, no matter what profile was opened previously.' I can do this with a profile I've created but not the default.


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## Entelgen (Jul 8, 2012)

*Re: Separate Taskbar Shortcuts for Google Chrome Accounts*

In the properties for the shortcuts it said "--profile-directory="Profile 1""

I tried "profile 0" as an argument and it didn't work.

But then changing the argument to "Default" worked beautifully.

Thread solved.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I'll take note of that for the future! Glad everything is working as intended and enjoy your college experience! :thumb:


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