Multiple windows clicking annoyance

[Nastt]

I like the taskbar so far, though there is one thing I think should change. When one window for a program is open, clicking it's taskbar icon minimizes or opens the window (like in previous versions of Windows). However when multiple windows of the same program are open (or multiple tabs in IE8), clicking the taskbar icon only displays the preview thumbnails. I don't see the point of this because mousing over the icon does the exact same thing. Instead, what I think would be more useful would be if clicking the icon would minimize or open all windows of that type.

 

[psirontech]

I believe (don't have Win7 in front of me right now) that you can "minimize all" for that specific group of apps by right clicking and selecting that action.

 

[weirddave]

OK, if you have the buttons 'combined', you have to SHIFT and right click, allowing you to min/max them all.
If you have them 'never combined', SHIFT and right click gives you the old min/max/size/move/restore options.
If your buttons are not combined, left clicking does the usual min/restore

 

[Nastt]

I understand that there are ways to minimize all windows of a combined taskbar icon, but it requires steps that don't seem necessary (and may be confusing to Windows users who don't use shortcut keys). Because left clicking a combined taskbar icon does the same thing as mousing over the icon, it's pointless and could be replaced with the minimize/restore all function.

 

[dylix]

I understand that there are ways to minimize all windows of a combined taskbar icon, but it requires steps that don't seem necessary (and may be confusing to Windows users who don't use shortcut keys). Because left clicking a combined taskbar icon does the same thing as mousing over the icon, it's pointless and could be replaced with the minimize/restore all function.

i completely agree with this. i find it annoying when i have some tabs open in ie8, and its minimized that i have to select a certain tab, instead of clicking on the icon and ie8 just popup...

 

[garysgold]

I like it. If I want to look at a tab that is not the active tab, I can select it from the thumbs and when IE pops up it is at that tab instead of me having to click to maximize and then click again to get to the tab I want. Just wish Firefox could do that too.

Gary

 

[dylix]

yea but u can do the same thing by hovering.. clicking the icon should be more productive..

 

[garysgold]

Exactly, its one click to the tab I want instead of two. No need to click the icon at all.

 

[Nastt]

I think there is some confusion here. I'm not proposing that they get rid of the tab previews (I think it should work with all browsers that have tabs). There is no need to click the icon at all, but for some reason, doing so does the same function as hovering over the icon.

 

[Digger]

I have even went to the length of putting my mostly-used type and some startup programs that i need to pull up, icon-pinned to the taskbar to use it for a preview icon and/or quicker access.
Rather than either having it sitting in notification area (sys tray) shown (which takes up space imo) or having to click to bring up taskbar-notifications(sys tray) then clicking again on the icon to brink up the app.

Everything seems to be within quicker reach that way for me.

The only problem I can see and agree with is for IE to be atleast able to differ to a seperate instance of IE... example one IE with 3 tab (newspaper site) another IE with 5 tabs (research) another IE with 5 tabs. Having the ability to identify quickly which instance is which, instead of having all tabs lined up one after another. Either color coded (red blue yellow green?) or some type of seperator even.

a thought

 

[garysgold]

Hello Digger.

To open a second instance of IE or Win Explorer, open first window. With that window active press Ctrl+N. New IE. Seems to work for any program that does not have it's own Ctrl+N shortcut.

Gary

 

[Digger]

heya Gary. yea, it opens another explorer window, but ... i'd really call it a duplication IE as it opens the instance with the same loaded webpage.

What i would really like would be for the desktop preview to have a sort of "color-coded-type-grouping" of a particular IE along with its included tabs, as all the same "highlighted color".... sometimes the titlebar will not specificly tell me exactly which instance or website by name that i have opened. Sometimes its just a guess as to which is a tab and which is the actual "instance" of Iexplorer.

Something comes to mind.... take for instance a RTS game, C&C to be exact. If i want all my tanks grouped i can group them by selecting ctrl+(designated #)... humvees another # and say troops another #... this way i can say (alt+tab-like) between specific grouped groups, rather than say just a single tank or click/drag, of course, or guessing which humvee has the troops that i want to drop off per say. Time consuming to a degree.


As of now, its kinda a guessing game if you have ALOT of IE's + tabs opened up to where the desktop preview is no longer available/useful.

Tis why i offer up the possible color-coded experience or something to the liking to differenciate better in my case.

 

[LordTakyon]

I too wish that left clicking would simply min/max the group. It is a bit of a PITA how it currently is. Not how I am used to working.

Mind you, this a beta, things can change.

 

[garysgold]

Send Feedback to MS. Who knows?

 

[LordTakyon]

Already have my friend, and on a few other issues too.

I suppose I should be happy that this is the worst of my annoyances LOL

 

[garysgold]

Excellent and Welcome to the forums, LordTakyon. Enjoy.

Gary

 

[LordTakyon]

Thanks matey. I love places like this. Friendly and intelligent people in one place, hard to find these days.

 

[psirontech]

Opening a new instance also works easily with a Ctrl-click on the pinned icon, and this works for any pinned icon, not just IE8.

 

[garysgold]

Hello psirontech,

Welcome to the Seven Forums.

Ctrl+click not working here. Do you have some 3rd party app doing that? Shift+click works for all except windows explorer.

Lots of good info around. Take a look at the tutorials if you haven't already.

Enjoy your stay.

Gary

 

[psirontech]

Yeah, you're right. Ctrl-click cycles through open instances of that pinned app. Didn't have it in front of me so I couldn't double-check (running it on 4 systems at home).

Shift-click will open a new instance, as you said. Sorry 'bout that.