Windows 7 - Taskbar Button Grouping - Enable or Disable

**Brink**

How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Taskbar Button Grouping

Information

A taskbar button represents an open window on the desktop. These buttons appear on the taskbar as a horizontal bar button or a icon button. This will show you how to have similar taskbar open window buttons to group to one button or not in Windows 7.

Note

When you have more than one similar window open, say Notepad windows, you could set the taskbar to group the same Notepad taskbar buttons to just one button instead of multiple buttons. This can help organize the taskbar and save space when you have multiple windows open.

Tip

Microsoft has made available a hotfix that will resolve a problem where the taskbar customizations are lost and reset to defaults when automatic logon is enabled in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. More details are available at FIX: The Taskbar is reset to the default settings when you use the "Automatically Log On" feature in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2.

EXAMPLE: Taskbar Buttons Grouped

EXAMPLE: Taskbar Buttons Not Grouped

OPTION ONE

Through Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

1. Right click on a empty area of the taskbar and click on Properties. (See screeshot below)

A) Go to step 3.

OR

2. Click on the Start button and click on Properties. (See screenshot below)

A) Click on the Taskbar tab. (See screenshot below step 3)

3. Click on the drop down arrow menu to the right of Taskbar buttons. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If this option is grayed out, then see this tutorial to "Allow" it: Taskbar Button Grouping - Allow or Prevent

4. To Always Group Taskbar Buttons
NOTE: Any taskbar buttons for the same program or window will always be grouped to one icon button.
A) Click on Always combine, hide labels to select it. (See screenshot below step 3)

B) Go to step 7.

5. To Only Group Taskbar Buttons when the Taskbar is Full
NOTE: Any taskbar buttons for the same program or window will be grouped to one icon button when the taskbar runs out space for the buttons.
A) Click on Combine when taskbar is full to select it. (See screenshot below step 3)

B) Go to step 7.

6. To Never Group Taskbar Buttons
NOTE: Open window taskbar buttons will remain as separate buttons on the taskbar and not be grouped together.
A) Click on Never combine to select it. (See screenshot below step 3)

7. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 3)

OPTION TWO

Using Registry Editor

1. See OPTION TWO or OPTION THREE in the tutorial below for how:
Taskbar Open Window Buttons or Icons

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**fquist** · 06-11-2009

How do I keep Windows 7 from positioning all the Firefox buttons together? When I open a new Firefox window, I would like to button to appear at the right end of the taskbar. However, Windows 7 positions it with the other Firefox buttons and will not let me move an individual button; they all move as a group. Under Vista and XP I used a utility called Taskbar Shuffle that let me put each button where I wanted it. Windows 7 is almost there, but not quite. (Note: this doesn't just apply to Firefox, it will occur with all applications that allow multiple instances).

**Brink** · 06-11-2009

Hello Fquist, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I'm afraid that the individual buttons will move together when not grouped, or as one when group by default and cannot be changed.

Sorry,
Shawn

**nomadgamer13** · 08-21-2009

i cant see the pin to taskbar option when i right click the shortcut icon.... i cant move the shortcut icon to taskbar......the taskbar wont allow it.... i tried the download .zip file.... extracted it without error... still i cant find the pin to taskbar option.... theres no unblock in the properties/gen tab also.... so its already unblocked.... BTW.... i alread enabled the recent items on the start menu...

**Brink** · 08-21-2009

Hello Nomadgamer13,

What shortcut or tutorial is this for?

10-23-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by fquist

How do I keep Windows 7 from positioning all the Firefox buttons together? When I open a new Firefox window, I would like to button to appear at the right end of the taskbar. However, Windows 7 positions it with the other Firefox buttons and will not let me move an individual button; they all move as a group. Under Vista and XP I used a utility called Taskbar Shuffle that let me put each button where I wanted it. Windows 7 is almost there, but not quite. (Note: this doesn't just apply to Firefox, it will occur with all applications that allow multiple instances).

Google for "7 Taskbar Tweaker".

**Ritzpkr** · 11-01-2009

Hi,

I'm tired of looking for this answer everywhere (maybe i'm not looking well)... Is there any way to change the taskbar so it shows the number of windows opened of an application (when programs are grouped) like on Windows Vista and XP taskbar?

thanks

**Brink** · 11-01-2009

Hello Ritzpkr, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sorry, but not that I'm aware of.

You will have a extra edge on the pinned icon for each opened window you have for it. Plus, you can hover the mouse of the icon to see a thumbnail preview of the opened windows. You can see in the example below with 3 opened tabs (windows) of IE8.

**Hengehog** · 11-12-2009

I was wondering if there was a way to group unopened applications on the task bar?
to turn this:

Into this:

**Brink** · 11-12-2009

Hello Hengehog, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Not by default, but your can left click and hold on them, then drag the icon to another location on the taskbar to manually group them.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Windows 7 - Taskbar Button Grouping - Enable or Disable

Taskbar Button Grouping - Enable or Disable

Taskbar Button Grouping - Enable or Disable problems?