Force grouping of similar programs in the taskbar...

[Dreakon]

Is it possible to make all of Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access, etc) only take up one spot in the Windows 7 taskbar, instead of taking up 4 individual spots if I have all 4 programs open at the same time?

 

[richc46]

Maybe what you may like is to right click and select unpin from task bar.

I do not think what you want can be done.

Hope it helpsl

 

[Dreakon]

Maybe what you may like is to right click and select unpin from task bar.

You may be able to right click on the taks bar and show all windows stacked.

Hope it helpsl

I appreciate the reply, but that's not quite what I'm looking for. My taskbar tends to be pretty full (I use it as a dock) so having all 4 Microsoft Office programs clogging it up or forcing it to a new line if I need them isn't very pretty.

I'm looking for a way to combine all open Microsoft Office programs into one collective icon in the taskbar. And not simply to launch them (so software like 7stacks doesn't work), but when they're already open and taking up valuable taskbar space.

 

[richc46]

I do not know of a way to do that, sorry. Others may come by, and give their opinion.
Ill take a look through our tutorials, maybe it will give a way.

 

[Dreakon]

I appreciate any help.

 

[logicearth]

No you cannot do what you want. The taskbar only sees executable files not a "group" of applications.

 

[Dreakon]

I see... well they should.

 

[amon41amarth]

I sort of found a way to do it. Not exactly what I wanted, but it works just as well.
Create a folder somewhere (under My Documents or wherever. Doesn't matter). Create shortcuts to your Office programs and place them in that folder. Right-click the taskbar, go to "Toolbars" and "New Toolbar...". Select the folder that you just created. Now, when you click the arrows by the folder name, your Office apps pop up.
Again, not an icon, but just as good. I would suggest making the folder name short (Office or MSOffice, etc.) because the full name is displayed on the taskbar. This is especially important to save taskbar space (I have tons of icons too, 18 at the moment). Another problem with not being an icon is that an icon will appear when you start it, which may cause problems if you have the taskbar completely full already, but it's something that I don't mind dealing with. If you haven't done so already, make the taskbar smaller (room for tons more icons!!). Hopefully this is something Microsoft adds in the future.