Setting up Windows 7 to function like XP

[higgins]

Hi all!

Some background first. I'm an XP user and I'd like to take advantage of the multiple cores and a hunk of a RAM in the near future that have become available at reasonable prices. While 64-bit XP does support the RAM, it can't really deal with many cores so, some kind upgrade is bound to come up. I'd be as happy as a pig in dung with a 64-bit multiple-core supporting XP which includes a non-crashing Windows Explorer, but as this isn't going to happen, I had to weigh my options.

I decided that I'd had it with Windows and its crashes and the horrendously unstable Windows Explorer, so, Mac OS X seemed like the obvious choice as all my work-related software is available for it... Yet I had some annoying gripes with OS X and after a week of owning the latest MacBook Pro, I installed XP on the boot camp and haven't booted to OS X since. Then I tried Windows 7. I have mixed feelings here. I didn't like the dock on OS X and the new taskbar feels just like it.

I mean... I was sooooo pissed and angry about my XP that I wanted a change. And when I finally got the change in the terms of Mac OS X and Windows 7, I realised how much I actually loved the XP and that my main gripe with it was that I was constantly faced with a non-responsive Windows Explorer.

So, I decided to give Windows 7 a shot and set it up to look and feel like XP. I got the Quick Launch back thanks to this wonderful tutorial here, but I'm unable to fix the window management. When picking "never combine" under taskbar buttons options, I expected the windows to behave like they have from Windows 95 through XP, yet they don't. Instead, the windows are grouped together by application. For example, if I have Notepad text document as the leftmost window and Google Chrome browser next to it, and I create a new text document, it appears not in on the right side of the opened windows, like it has for over friggin 15 years, but between them. Plus, even more silly, while we are supposedly given freedom to re-organise the windows however we like, it is impossible to change the order of the windows within the same application -- that order set in stone like in the old taskbar. I know it sounds nitpicky and unappreciative to the Microsoft's efforts to create a better OS, but I never realised how much I loved the old taskbar before trying out both OS X and Windows 7.

Anyway, is there a way to "un-link" or "un-stick" the windows? I've seen some other registry hacks that give more options to the given three choices, so, maybe it's possible?

Thanks for taking your time reading this!

 

[NinaJay]

Easy fix...

Right click on taskbar (empty space)
select properties
In task bar buttons drop down select never combine
Apply, Ok

You can also change the size etc of the icons to make it more like XP

I always resist change too (think Office 2007) but after a while I end up liking it a lot more. Have fun with your 'XP' seven

 

[V3xar]

Hi all!
it is impossible to change the order of the windows within the same application -- that order set in stone like in the old taskbar.

Anyway, is there a way to "un-link" or "un-stick" the windows? I've seen some other registry hacks that give more options to the given three choices, so, maybe it's possible?

Thanks for taking your time reading this!

Hi Higgins!

Please have a look at this little application, it will solve all your problems and give you exactly what you are looking for.


7 Taskbar Tweaker - RaMMicHaeL's home page


This programs enables you to tweak your Windows 7 taskbar.
Features:
- Show standard window menu on right click instead of jump list.
- Close or focus a window on middle click instead of running a new instance.
- Disable grouping of windows by file path or application id.
- Cycle through windows of a grouped button on left click instead of showing a thumbnails preview.
- Open with while dropping a file on a taskbar button instead of pinning.
- Disable thumbnail previews.

Hope this helps you.


.

 

[higgins]

Hi Higgins!

Please have a look at this little application, it will solve all your problems and give you exactly what you are looking for.

7 Taskbar Tweaker - RaMMicHaeL's home page

(...)

Hope this helps you.

Yes. Yes! YES!

This was EXACTLY what I wanted! Thank you very, VERY much!

 

[V3xar]

No problems higgins

I am glad you got it sorted. Enjoy!


.

 

[NinaJay]

Ooops, just realised I didn't read your OP properly Sorry

 

[higgins]

Ooops, just realised I didn't read your OP properly Sorry

No worries. At the first glance "never combine" indeed does look like the old system. Only when you actually use it, does it turn out that it's a completely different beast.

 

[dsperber]

Ok... one more request.

Under WinXP you could create a shortcut for a file (e.g. PDF, Word document, or in my current case a particular CFG/INI-like file that launches an IBM 3270 remote host TN3270 application customized to a specific configuration).

That shortcut could be placed on the desktop or START menu where it could be launched from. Same with Win7.

However under WinXP that same shortcut could also be placed on the Quicklaunch toolbar, and launched from there as well with the convenient single-click. Unfortunately, the normal Win7 super-bar does not allow this same facility. You cannot "pin" a shortcut for a file, nor can you even drag/drop it from the desktop to the super-bar.

So... without actually activating the WinXP-like Quicklaunch feature (e.g. according to this particular tutorial) is there any "native" way to get a file-shortcut available on the super-bar (i.e. "pin")?

 

[higgins]

So... without actually activating the WinXP-like Quicklaunch feature (e.g. according to this particular tutorial) is there any "native" way to get a file-shortcut available on the super-bar (i.e. "pin")?

Just to point out, the tutorial you link to teaches how to get the "new quicklaunch" where "it used to be". The regular Win7 quicklaunch actually resides on the right side of the screen, just before the tray, as shown in here:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html

So, as I get it, you could set up a quick launch with large icons, and then have them either next to start menu or before tray... yet not mixed with the regular icons. Is it close enough?

 

[Anthony]

Is this any good to you higgins? Classic Windows Start Menu

 

[higgins]

Is this any good to you higgins? Classic Windows Start Menu

For me the thread has already served its purpose as I've managed to un-link the windows completely, but by all means it can be used to gather all the XP-related mods.

 

[V3xar]

Ok... one more request.

Under WinXP you could create a shortcut for a file (e.g. PDF, Word document, or in my current case a particular CFG/INI-like file that launches an IBM 3270 remote host TN3270 application customized to a specific configuration).

That shortcut could be placed on the desktop or START menu where it could be launched from. Same with Win7.

However under WinXP that same shortcut could also be placed on the Quicklaunch toolbar, and launched from there as well with the convenient single-click. Unfortunately, the normal Win7 super-bar does not allow this same facility. You cannot "pin" a shortcut for a file, nor can you even drag/drop it from the desktop to the super-bar.

So... without actually activating the WinXP-like Quicklaunch feature (e.g. according to this particular tutorial) is there any "native" way to get a file-shortcut available on the super-bar (i.e. "pin")?

Dsperber,

Have a look at this information.Pin Any Item to the Windows 7 Taskbar - windows 7 - Lifehacker

Follow the link to "Folder on taskbar" as well.

You may find that this is what you are looking for.

Hope this helps.


.

 

[dsperber]

Dsperber,

Have a look at this information.Pin Any Item to the Windows 7 Taskbar - windows 7 - Lifehacker

Follow the link to "Folder on taskbar" as well.

You may find that this is what you are looking for.

Hope this helps.

It's a miracle!! You are a gentleman and a scholar!

WORKS PERFECTLY! All it took was putting the word "explorer " in front of the existing value in the "Target" field of the shortcut, and this now allows both (a) the RMB popup menu on the shortcut to include the "pin to taskbar" item to be presented, and (b) drag/drop the shortcut onto any place on the superbar (two adjacent objects will spread out and space for it will appear as you hover the object over exactly where you want it to go in the superbar).

The only caveat is the fact that placing "explorer " in front of the Target value also changes the icon to be a folder, rather than the actual associated-program icon originally shown when the shortcut was initially created. So you have to go back and "change icon" back to that associated program's... a minor step.

Nevertheless, once that's done (say, manipulating the shortcut object sent to the Desktop for this secondary manipulation), the new "explorer " version can be sent or drag/dropped to the superbar, exactly as I wanted. And clicking on it it really does result in an "instant launch", with no indication that Explorer is involved at all... exactly as it launched the associated program from Quicklaunch in WinXP.

EXCELLENT!

I actually like the UI of the superbar, and didn't really want to resurrect the Quicklaunch toolbar. I only wanted to get these file-related shortcuts always visible and easily launchable (as they were in WinXP in the Quicklaunch area), and this "explorer " method is perfect for my desires.

MANY MANY THANKS.

 

[V3xar]

It is a pleasure Dsperber

Glad to have been of assistance.


.

 

[dsperber]

Just one more remark...

Unlike ordinary program object shortcuts on the superbar which expand in the superbar when the programs are launched (visibly showing them as active... as with the WinXP taskbar), these file shortcuts with the "explorer " modification do not expand when placed on the superbar and launched from there. So they serve as always-visible, easy-to-launch single-click shortcuts, as the WinXP Quicklaunch toolbar served as... but they don't quite behave the same as program shortcuts on the superbar that get launched from the superbar.

In contrast, when these same file object shortcuts are launched from either a desktop shortcut or a START menu shortcut (both with or without the "explorer " prefix) an expanded entry IS created at the end of the icon list on the superbar indicating that they are now active (and, of course, which disappears when the program/file is closed).

 

[gvstn]

V3xar, Thank you so much!

I've been trying to pin a folder to the superbar as a separate icon for months. Nothing worked like the old Quick Launch. This finally works as I want without any unnecessary tweak program running in the background with extra options I don't need. I appreciate the information. LifeHacker is a good site with some neat tips but I would never have found it over there.

Thanks to all at sevenforums. You have a great site that has helped me before, but I am especially impressed with finding this info here. A 10 minute search and 3 threads led me to the answer I have been looking for all over the web.

 

[dashesy]

Thanks for the info in this post.
One problem with taskbar is not still solved for me though. The XP taskbar makes it very clear which window is active. After ungrouping the windows the way windows 7 highlights the active window just does not work for me, having all the windows of the same application (say firefox) be near each other makes this indistinctness even worse. Is there a way to tell the visual style to make the active window actually look grey (like a button being pushed in all previous windows versions)? The buttons look too bright and pale looking to me even after disabling Aero and increasing the color intensity in Personalization menu. Now going to Win2k style is not a reasonable choice.
I think win7 is going to be the next XP, but if this seemingly simple annoyances are not fixed I doubt it gets as much attention.