Windows 7: System Tray icons on vertical taskbar.

This is one of those things that could be worded in so many ways, there may be a solution out there but I have no idea what phrasing may have been used in such a case. Basically, I recently switched to using a vertical taskbar on the left side, more workable area on widescreen monitors. I love it so far, except for the change in system tray behavior. They're doubled up, which is fine, but if I have an odd number of icons it disturbs my general arrangement. This is hugely annoying for me as I frequently use the system tray to open multiple applications I always have open in the background, such as IRC or AIM. Easiest to explain using animage.

Is it possible to have the tray like it is in the second one? Or if there is a way to have a single line of icons, that is also an acceptable solution.

your image is not working

*edit* now i can see it

Use this tutorial to upload and post screenshot in this forum :
Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Vista Forums - Vista Forums

>>>>except for the change in system tray behavior. They're doubled up.....

What " they " doubled up ? The icons ?
" Doubled up " as in increase in size 2x ?

Fixed image. Apologies.

Select the icon with your left mouse button and drag it to where you want in the tray. It will stay there.

That isnt the issue. The problem is that windows automatically places the one icon on the bottom. Dragging an icon to the empty space simply makes it the lone icon, bumping the previous one up.

Ah. I see what you mean. I don't know any way to do that.

i don't think there is a way.

I had spent a few moments experimenting your issue.

Apparently, the task bar has a " pecking order ".
It re-arranges when more icons are added. I can't figure out the patent.
One thing for sure, we can't manually change the arragement.

P.S. Where is your Power/Battery icon ? You hide it ?

Desktop.

Edit: May have found a way around this, although vertical system trays are still completely broken. It remembers the positions of the icons even after closing whatever program, so I can drag them to the bottom without disturbing my general arrangement, although the ideal solution would be for them to remain exactly where they are, rather than being bumped up.

I say its broken because I moved one icon that was at the top down to the bottom, it moved both on that specific row to the bottom. Other times it won't move the icon at all. Other times it will move the icon but not to the spot where I wanted it. I've even had it hide one icon after starting something, and wouldn't show it until I moved ANOTHER icon. Gah! I guess it's sort of a niche problem , but Windows 7 has been out for some time and this doesn't function even remotely like it should.