Well it’s as easy as it could be. Some of these are my screenies and some are Mark Kaelin’s.
1. Right click on an empty part of your task bar. Unlock it (if it’s locked).
2. Click “New toolbar”.
3. In the destination box, type in: %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch . You can always remove IE later if you want, and substitute whichever files or programs you wish.
4. Ta-da! One Quick Launch Bar. Now you can choose to have text, small icons or large icons.
Source:
http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/get-the-quick-launch-bar-back-in-windows-7/425873?tag=thumbnail-view-selector;get-photo-roto