Windows 7 - How do you deal with a crowded taskbar?

I love the functionality of the new taskbar, but I have too many applications to use on a regular basis that it gets a bit crowded (especially with unpinned objects like installers, updaters, control panel, etc all popping up randomly as I use them), to the point in which that it could even move to the next row.

What do you do about crowded taskbars? For the record, I don't want to use Quick Launch or anything. My goal is to maintain the functionality of the taskbar while reducing the clutter or at least making it more organized and manageable...

Hello Dreakon.



Most people just us a dock app like Stardock.

Stardock.com - Your Edge In Software

In taskbar properties, you can choose either of the following.
1) Always combine, hide labels
This is the default setting for the Taskbar. Windows 7 combines multiple files from the same application, for example Word, by hiding the labels, preserving valuable space on the Taskbar.
2) Combine when taskbar is full
With multiple files active in several programs say Word, Paintbrush, Notepad etc. the Taskbar would be too crowded. So, Windows 7 combines the files from the same application.