Windows 7 Taskbar Annoyance

[Jamsan]

When having multiple shortcuts pinned to the taskbar, the program will open and take the place of the icon. Typically, that'll be fine, but when it's in the middle, it gets annoying as the taskbar turns into APP -- ICON -- APP -- ICON -- APP etc. Anyway to turn this behavior off?

Here is an example: http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/3186/sampletb.jpg

 

[Fox5]

Right click on the taskbar and go to properties. There's a few options to play around with it, including a mixed old/new style, as well as jus going back to vista style.

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

No.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Taskbar and Start Menu Properties-->Taskbar Buttons-->Always Combine, hide labels.


Or do you want labels for everything?

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

Okay, okay... neither of you read the OP correctly. He wants the taskbar to segregate his pinned applications into two groups, active and inactive. That can't be done. The taskbar assumes you want applications running in the same order you put them in.

The only way to avoid this behavior is to:
1.) Only have applications you're 100% sure you'll be running full-time or near full time pinned or...

2.) Just don't pin anything...

That way when something launches it will go straight to the back of the line.

 

[13Gigatons]

You could be less lazy and just drag the active programs together.

 

[blackangst1]

Or just create the old style quick launch:

1. First, right-click on the taskbar and turn off "Lock the Taskbar."
2. Right-click the taskbar, hover over Toolbars, and select New Toolbar.
3. When it asks you to select a folder, enter this string: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
4. Find Quick Launch (it may be on the right side of the taskbar), right-click the divider and disable "Show Text" and "Show Title." Make sure "Small Icons" is enabled.
5. Drag the divider to rearrange Quick Launch on your taskbar (using left-click).
6. Right-click and lock your toolbar again.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Or just use the default taskbar and pin every program you use.

Takes a day or two to get used to and realize it's much better than the old taskbar.

 

[Jamsan]

Or just create the old style quick launch:

1. First, right-click on the taskbar and turn off "Lock the Taskbar."
2. Right-click the taskbar, hover over Toolbars, and select New Toolbar.
3. When it asks you to select a folder, enter this string: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
4. Find Quick Launch (it may be on the right side of the taskbar), right-click the divider and disable "Show Text" and "Show Title." Make sure "Small Icons" is enabled.
5. Drag the divider to rearrange Quick Launch on your taskbar (using left-click).
6. Right-click and lock your toolbar again.

This suggestion worked great, thank you.

I'll eventually get used to the new style, but there's enough other new stuff to get used to first.

 

[manko]

Yeah, restoring Quick Launch was one of the first things I did too. I'm not sure why they thought it was an improvement to use more space and have less programs accessible. I like the jump lists and added preview functionality, but having a handful of big pinned icons wasn't working for me.

 

[zylander]

Or just create the old style quick launch:

1. First, right-click on the taskbar and turn off "Lock the Taskbar."
2. Right-click the taskbar, hover over Toolbars, and select New Toolbar.
3. When it asks you to select a folder, enter this string: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
4. Find Quick Launch (it may be on the right side of the taskbar), right-click the divider and disable "Show Text" and "Show Title." Make sure "Small Icons" is enabled.
5. Drag the divider to rearrange Quick Launch on your taskbar (using left-click).
6. Right-click and lock your toolbar again.

THANK YOU!!!

This new Windows 7 task bar is retarded. In Vista I always launched applications like Firefox, Thunderbird, Trillian, WinApm, ect. from the quick launch bar. I dont like loosing the button once I open a program.

 

[ZetaEpyon]

THANK YOU!!!

This new Windows 7 task bar is retarded. In Vista I always launched applications like Firefox, Thunderbird, Trillian, WinApm, ect. from the quick launch bar. I dont like loosing the button once I open a program.

You don't lose the button though, you can still use it to launch a new instance by shift- or middle-clicking it. (Or by right-clicking it, and choosing the app from the list.)

 

[zylander]

You don't lose the button though, you can still use it to launch a new instance by shift- or middle-clicking it. (Or by right-clicking it, and choosing the app from the list.)

Ah, I did not know that....ok so its not that bad, haha. But, I do still prefer to have a separate section for the buttons.

 

[BearUK]

a big thanks to blackangst1 for the info on bringing back an 'old style' quick launch toolbar. I installed windoww 7 yesterday and had created a quick launch toolbar but couldn't figure out how to remove the toolbar title and the names next to the icons. I don't believe I knew about right clicking the divider to deselect the show title / show text. An internet search took me here and now I have the taskbar the way I like it. Thanks again!