Can I move a System Tray program to the Taskbar?

[ballo]

What I'd like is for a program that normally appears in the system tray to show in the taskbar at all times it is running so i can easily see it and use the exit functions etc.
Specifically for Steam - (X) minimizes to system tray and hides activity in the task bar. I don't mind if this results in 2 icons showing (1 for an active window and 1 for the process) I know you can do the same from system tray for this particular program, but I just don't have the habit to look there for anything other than system background applications.

I'm running Windows 7 Professional x64 and am comfortable tinkering with registry and system files if needed.

So the questions are:
1/ Can a system tray icon be permanently moved to the taskbar applications area?
2/ If not, can a background process be assigned a taskbar icon when active?


Thanks in advance,
Eric

 

[Computerpete]

You could try this application called taskbar shuffle here is the link
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/rearrange-taskbar-buttons/

 

[ballo]

Taskbar shuffle

Thanks, just tried it.
Unfortunately it only allows switching icons around within either the taskbar or the system tray, I couldn't move any icons between them.

 

[brianjmh]

I use a program called PowerMenu v1.51.

It wasn't designed for windows seven so it's a little wonky, but for the most part it still works.

 

[awfultruth]

Hi ballo
Did you ever find a way to move an item from the systray to the taskbar. I need to do also and I cannot find a way.
Did the program called PowerMenu v1.51 mentioned above accomplish this perhaps.
Thanks - Phil

 

[ParkerB]

I may not understand what you are trying to do but it sounds like you want the icons for running programs to be listed in the toolbar for quick start up.
If you make a shortcut on the desktop of whatever program you are looking at in the sys tray, you can drag it to the task bar. The icon may be different than the sys tray icon but you can modify the icon before dragging it.
I would be curious to hear what results you get.

 

[awfultruth]

Hey Parker -- I should have been more specific.
I'm trying to use the same program launcher that I have used for many years in XP in Win7 but the program CoolTabs lost it's functionality to quickly activate it. It had hot keys and "hot edges" in XP but those do not work in 7.
So I was hoping to at least give it on the Taskbar and pin it as the 1st icon there as the next best way to quickly pop it up. (or make it be the first icon there because of the program being run during startup.) I also wanted it to be a big and obvious icon for my wife. It goes by default into systray and has no option to make it run on the taskbar.
What I see on the forums is people wanting to get things off the taskbar and onto the systray. I just need to go the other way in this case.

So like ballo who started this I want to know:
1/ Can a system tray icon be permanently moved to the taskbar applications area?
2/ If not, can a background process be assigned a taskbar icon when active?
Thanks

 

[ParkerB]

I think I understand what you are trying to accomplish. I am fairly certain there is no way to go create an icon from the sys tray to the task bar but if your goal is to provide a quick and easy way to launch an application there are better ways to do it. I recall some years back software that "preloaded" programs that you selected like Word to speed up the delay in starting the program but that is obviously no longer necessary because of the current speeds. Even if the program I question is already running at startup or in the background which it must be if it is in the sys tray, why not use a program like Win 7 App Launcher or circle dock. You can customize these apps however you want. Even if you wanted an icon for the system volume control or the catalyst control center you can customize the Win 7 APL however you want. There are also gadgets that you can add to the windows sidebar that would do the same. I am not sure if that helps but I do not think it is possible, or at least not very simple to do what you are asking.

 

[awfultruth]

I certainly can not find a way to move a program from the systray to the taskbar but I'm still hoping that someone will know a way to do that. Or perhaps a way to execute a program from the command line that will cause it to appear in the taskbar.

I realize there are other launcher programs out there, dozens in fact. I have a shareware one I like already (CoolTabs - no longer supported) and I'm a particular sort of fellow so I'd like to keep using that. I've looked at a number of these programs and there are only a couple of them that work in a way I really like. My next option is another shareware program (Control Runner) and another $30.
So, I guess the answer is I like to using a launcher that functions in very specific ways and if possible not have to buy another one. That's why I keep hoping someone will know a way to do this.
I can keep running CoolTabs out of the systray it's just not my idea of quick access nor an easy place for my wife to remember and use. Making it the first item in the taskbar would at least do that.

 

[boohbah]

cant you have it showing in the sytem tray as the first one.
left clicking and dragging the icon will move it to the first in the queue, and dragging it from the hidden icons window to the first position on the tray will also accomplish this,
it shouldnt take you long to get used to it being there,if you use it regularly.