"Old-style" taskbar?

[Anon Y Mous]

Hi.

Is there any way I can have the taskbar behave like it used
to do? I.e. I DON'T want grouping, and I DON'T want a new
taskbar when the first one is full (having to switch
between taskbars).
I just want one crowded taskbar. The less I have to click
in order to bring up the programs, the better.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Hi.

Is there any way I can have the taskbar behave like it used
to do? I.e. I DON'T want grouping, and I DON'T want a new
taskbar when the first one is full (having to switch
between taskbars).
I just want one crowded taskbar. The less I have to click
in order to bring up the programs, the better.

Right click the Taskbar and select Properties. Remove the check mark from
the "Group similar taskbar buttons" option.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----


Right click the Taskbar and select Properties. Remove the check mark from
the "Group similar taskbar buttons" option.
--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

.

Thanks, but I still have "two" taskbars. When the first
gets crowded, XP creates another taskbar and starts
populating that. I have to scroll between the two. I just
want *one* taskbar.

 

[Atreju]

Thanks, but I still have "two" taskbars. When the first
gets crowded, XP creates another taskbar and starts
populating that. I have to scroll between the two. I just
want *one* taskbar.

Two taskbars? Are you really talking about the taskbar? The only thing
I can think of with the taskbar is that its height could be set to two
rows. If you are actually referring to the Start Menu, where it
creates a second column, that is customizable. Right-click on the
taskbar or start menu, choose customize start menu, go to advanced,
and check scroll programs.

HTH


---Atreju---

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Thanks, but I still have "two" taskbars. When the first
gets crowded, XP creates another taskbar and starts
populating that. I have to scroll between the two. I just
want *one* taskbar.

How many programs do you typically have open at the same time?

 

[Guest]

Thanks for replying.

Right now, I have open 21 programs (which is quite normal
for me; 2-3 chat windows, a mp3-player, a file manager, 2
browser windows, one newsgroup-reader, email, a finance
app, a mp3-database app, etc - call me a power-user...)
It will only have 17 or so apps on the first taskbar, and
to the very right, there's now a arrow up and an arrow
down. I have to click arrow down, to get to the second
taskbar. I want all 20 apps on ONE taskbar (like it used to
be in Win2000 and the others).

And to the previous poster: no, I'm not talking about
start-menu.

 

[anonymouse]

| Thanks for replying.
|
| Right now, I have open 21 programs (which is quite normal
| for me; 2-3 chat windows, a mp3-player, a file manager, 2
| browser windows, one newsgroup-reader, email, a finance
| app, a mp3-database app, etc - call me a power-user...)
| It will only have 17 or so apps on the first taskbar, and
| to the very right, there's now a arrow up and an arrow
| down. I have to click arrow down, to get to the second
| taskbar. I want all 20 apps on ONE taskbar (like it used to
| be in Win2000 and the others).
|
| And to the previous poster: no, I'm not talking about
| start-menu.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/regentry/58825.asp

MinWidth

 

[SignatureMan]

Seems dumb...you obtain WINXP but then want it to look like a previous
version.
Duh...Okay

 

[John R. Sellers]

Seems dumb...you obtain WINXP but then want it to look like a previous
version.
Duh...Okay

NTFS is more stable than FAT32. I've never gotten a "bluescreen of death"
with XP.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Thanks for replying.

Right now, I have open 21 programs (which is quite normal
for me; 2-3 chat windows, a mp3-player, a file manager, 2
browser windows, one newsgroup-reader, email, a finance
app, a mp3-database app, etc - call me a power-user...)
It will only have 17 or so apps on the first taskbar, and
to the very right, there's now a arrow up and an arrow
down. I have to click arrow down, to get to the second
taskbar. I want all 20 apps on ONE taskbar (like it used to
be in Win2000 and the others).

And to the previous poster: no, I'm not talking about
start-menu.

That is a bunch of programs. Youmust have plenty of RAM and a high end
processor.

It may be possible to resolve the problem by reducing the minimum width of
the Taskbar minimized programs buttons. The default is "-2310". MVP Kelly
has a utility that will reduce the minimum width to -285, which is
considerably smaller. Go to her website at the following URL and scroll down
to Line 97, left side. Click the link for "Decrease the size of Taskbar
Buttons" to download the file. Double click the file to change the default
setting, this will require a reboot. You will also want to download the
"Undo" file on that same line which will revert the setting back to the
default, if you do not like the results.

Troubleshooting Windows XP, Tweaks and Fixes for Windows XP:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

 

[S Fisher]

It may be possible to resolve the problem by reducing the minimum width of
the Taskbar minimized programs buttons. The default is "-2310". MVP Kelly
has a utility that will reduce the minimum width to -285, which is
considerably smaller. Go to her website at the following URL and scroll down
to Line 97, left side. Click the link for "Decrease the size of Taskbar
Buttons" to download the file. Double click the file to change the default
setting, this will require a reboot. You will also want to download the
"Undo" file on that same line which will revert the setting back to the
default, if you do not like the results.

Troubleshooting Windows XP, Tweaks and Fixes for Windows XP:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

That tweak doesn't decreases the minimum width of the taskbar buttons.
It decreases the initial width, without having any effect on the
minimum width. Unfortunately!

I don't know if this will help or not, but I've noticed that with the
Windows XP theme my taskbar goes to a second line on the 21st button
(buttons are 52 pixels left edge to next left edge), while with the
Windows Classic theme my taskbar goes to a second line on the 27th
button (buttons are 42 pixels left edge to next left edge).

This difference is interesting... unless it is ALL explained by the
extra pixels needed to draw XP-style rounded buttons instead of
simple rectangular ones -- and noting that in the Classic theme the
buttons are spaced 3 pixels apart instead of the single pixel spacing
in the XP theme -- there must be a setting to control it *somewhere*.

Any ideas?

Also, does anyone know how to make the screen displayed during Alt+Tab
switching show *all* running programs, rather than just 21 at a time?

Thanks,

SF

 

[Guest]

Thanks again, but this still does not solve my problem (as
noted in the post by S Fisher). At least we're now talking
about the same thing!

I tired different values for this key, but nothing
happened. As stated, this key does not change the minimum
width.

S Fisher also have an interesting point in why alt+tab only
shows the 21 first apps, and not ALL.

Any further ideas?

P.S. As for my machine - without revealing too much I can
definitely say that my RAM is maxed out all the time, and
I'm still running 32-bit XP.

 

[anonymouse]

| Thanks again, but this still does not solve my problem (as
| noted in the post by S Fisher). At least we're now talking
| about the same thing!
|
| I tired different values for this key, but nothing
| happened. As stated, this key does not change the minimum
| width.


Value must be in multiples of 15.


| S Fisher also have an interesting point in why alt+tab only
| shows the 21 first apps, and not ALL.


Tweakui for XP
General
Alt+Tab

If TweakUI is not installed on your system, then download it from
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
Note: V2.10.0.0 needs Windows XP SP 1

If you do not have SP1, the earlier version of TweakUI can be found at
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Thanks again, but this still does not solve my problem (as
noted in the post by S Fisher). At least we're now talking
about the same thing!

I tired different values for this key, but nothing
happened. As stated, this key does not change the minimum
width.

S Fisher also have an interesting point in why alt+tab only
shows the 21 first apps, and not ALL.

Any further ideas?

P.S. As for my machine - without revealing too much I can
definitely say that my RAM is maxed out all the time, and
I'm still running 32-bit XP.

Sorry I couldn't help with this. Someone else here may have another idea.
Good luck.

 

[S Fisher]

| I tired different values for this key, but nothing
| happened. As stated, this key does not change the minimum
| width.

Value must be in multiples of 15.

Doesn't make a difference, but thanks anyway.

| S Fisher also have an interesting point in why alt+tab only
| shows the 21 first apps, and not ALL.

Tweakui for XP
General
Alt+Tab

Ahah! Thanks for the tip.

I don't use TweakUI itself because historically the old TweakUIs
untweaked too many of my manual tweaks and I'm not going to risk
the resulting aggravation again, but that was enough to tell me
where to look.

If anyone else is allergic to TweakUI, the settings are under:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

and they are

CoolSwitchColumns (normally 7, I've used 10)
CoolSwitchRows (normally 3, I've used 5)

Log off and log back on for the change to take effect.

 

[S Fisher]

Sorry I couldn't help with this. Someone else here may have another idea.
Good luck.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Any further ideas?

Are you using multiple monitors? If you do, get something like UltraMon.
It can be set up to create a separate taskbar for every monitor, and only
show on it the applications that are running on that particular monitor.

I *think* the current Nvidia drivers also have this option built-in, if
you're using one of their cards. I don't know about ATI.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Seems dumb...you obtain WINXP but then want it to look like a previous

version.
Duh...Okay

There's more to XP than the Fisher Price UI. I use XP on all my machines,
and use Windows Classic on each one of them.

 

[anonymouse]

| > Seems dumb...you obtain WINXP but then want it to look like a previous
| > version.
| > Duh...Okay
|
| There's more to XP than the Fisher Price UI. I use XP on all my machines,
| and use Windows Classic on each one of them.

Adding to that, the 64-bit version of XP has only "Windows Classic"
- none of this "TeleTubbies-on-steroids" eye-candy for "home" users.

 

[Guest]

Ok, thanks for the tips everyone (especially S Fisher )
I still have not solved this problem.
I is quite incredible that Windows will not allow you to
change this obvious and easily fixable 'flaw'!
When running running 800x600 (my projector resolution) I
have to go through 3-4 (!) taskbars to get to the app I
want (that's 4-5 mouseclicks for a task that normally would
require 1 click... incredible..)

Anyways, thanks for all the help, guys.