Combine Taskbar buttons in Windows 7?

There ya go, another benefit to exploring stores that sell computers even if you aren't actually in the market for one: stumbling upon apps and configuration changes that can make your own computer work better, look better, or help you be more efficient with your work or other activity. Smart.

Turns out that there are a bunch of different ways you can configure your Microsoft Windows 7 (aka "win7") Taskbar depending on your preferences, where the buttons have text or not, and whether they "stack" or not.

It's all done from the "Properties" option on the Taskbar menu that you can get by right-clicking anywhere on the Taskbar itself.

Well, let me show you...

First off, here's my Taskbar with the default Win7 settings:

Notice how the different windows from the Paint program are grouped (that is, they're edge-to-edge) unlike the Bing and Windows Media Player buttons.

To change it, right-click on a blank spot on the Taskbar. You'll get this menu:

Choose "Properties" and you'll zip to the "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" window:

The key item to examine is the "Taskbar buttons" menu, with its three options:

Also have a look at the checkbox labeled "Use small icons". Turn that on, let Windows combine buttons any time, and here's what you'll see:

Very cool! Worried you won't know what's what? If you also check the "Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop" button, you'll get these slick little thumbnails when you move your cursor over a button:

As you can imagine, there are a couple of different combinations to experiment with, so make a change, click "Apply" and see what you think. When you've got it set up the way you prefer -- whether it's the "BestBuy configuration" or not :-) -- just click "OK" and you'll have that configuration locked in for the future too.

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Reader Comments To Date: 2

Jen said, on July 26, 2012 5:27 PM:

Cool, good to know. Thanks!

Joe said, on November 29, 2012 9:14 AM:

Dave,

I'm in Windows 7, I have multiple excel docs open and it doesn't show them in the taskbar. Other programs are working, I have multiple IE's open and it shows that I have multiple. If I Aero Peek the excel only shows one when I know I have multiple. Other programs working correctly ie, Outlook, etc.

Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Joe

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!