How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

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Thy Grand Voidinesss
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:01 pm

How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by Thy Grand Voidinesss »

What system adjustment will stop a program from stacking under its icon on the Taskbar all files which are opened in it? For example I am unable to quickly close CorelDRAW 2020 and Internet Explorer with just a single Middle Mouse Button click

On my Windows 10 Enterprise 20H2 x64 I have already tried adding to its Registry this

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Corel\CorelDRAW\22.0\Draw]
"TaskbarNoThumbnail"=dword:00000001
and this

Code: Select all

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"TaskbarThumbnailsEnabled"=dword:00000000
when Corel was closed - and then resetting the system - but the behavior of Taskbar in regards to it has not changed


This has been my long time annoying issue, dating back at least to Windows 7, affecting only a handful of programs; and I have already asked about this on the forum of CorelDRAW [https://community.coreldraw.com/talk/co ... of-windows] but got no answer there
Last edited by Thy Grand Voidinesss on Fri Sep 01, 2023 10:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
horst.epp
Posts: 1443
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:24 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by horst.epp »

I guess you are talking about taskbar grouping.
For Windows 11 there comes the option to disable this.
From the web:
Windows 11 is bringing back ungrouped taskbar items, if you’d prefer that option over the default view. It’s officially called “never combined mode”, and it will show taskbar elements individually with their own labels, pre-Windows 7-style. Taskbar ungrouping was an option right up until Windows 10, but as part of the update to Windows 11 and its many redesigns, the taskbar lost a lot of functionality, including this feature. Microsoft has been working on listening to user feedback and bringing back some of these older features, and taskbar ungrouping is the latest to land.
Thy Grand Voidinesss
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:01 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by Thy Grand Voidinesss »

So I guess I will just wait this out and have it resolve itself with my next PC upgrade- instead of trying to continue to find some REG hack for this, which already cost me time
meteorquake
Posts: 495
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:44 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by meteorquake »

There are two elements.
There's taskbar grouping which can be turned off in Win10 (I have it off) - right-click the task bar - Taskbar Settings - Combine Taskbar buttons - When taskbar is full
I have my taskbar double height to allow more buttons before it gets full.
There's also the option to turn off recent files showing there too -
Desktop (rightclick) - Personalise - Start - Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on start or the taskbar... - OFF
d
Thy Grand Voidinesss
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:01 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by Thy Grand Voidinesss »

Yes, I can change

Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Combine Taskbar buttons > Always, hide labels

to

Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Combine Taskbar buttons > Never

but then icons of pinned programs that I have replaced with my own are reverted to default ones whenever they are running - thus creating visual chaos; which is more counter productive for me


And that other one

Settings > Personalization > Start > Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar and in and in File Explorer Quick Access > Off

I already had selected


So I guess I will stick to current behavior of my Taskbar
meteorquake
Posts: 495
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:44 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by meteorquake »

I'm wondering what you meant by "icons of pinned programs that I have replaced with my own are reverted to default ones whenever they are running"
Do you mean you changed the icons or the programs?
If the program is changed it would need repinning, in my experience of having done that once.
If the icon, I suppose it depends how you changed the icon. Perhaps you could use a resource editor to physically change the icon in the programs concerned?
If I understand you right :)
David
therube
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by therube »

(I've not read through this thread, nor do I know that status of 7+ Taskbar Tweaker & Win11.)
Thy Grand Voidinesss
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:01 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by Thy Grand Voidinesss »

meteorquake wrote: Sun Jul 02, 2023 11:20 am I'm wondering what you meant by "icons of pinned programs that I have replaced with my own are reverted to default ones whenever they are running"
The

Properties > Shortcut > Change Icon

option
meteorquake wrote: Sun Jul 02, 2023 11:20 am [...]
it depends how you changed the icon. Perhaps you could use a resource editor to physically change the icon in the programs concerned?
[...]
I do use Resource Hacker for changing icon of e.g. multiple copies of the same version of a portable Notepad3 - but trying to change a file like

C:\Windows\System32\Magnify.exe

does not work in the same way


therube wrote: Mon Jul 03, 2023 3:05 pm [...]
7+ Taskbar Tweaker
[...]
I have once again tested out various setups in it and none of the options seems to get rid of such sub-menu with opened files

Image

which files I have to close via Taskbar one-by-one instead of executing just one closure of the entire program [through Taskbar and not the
X
mini system icon available in the top right corner of the program's window]
Thy Grand Voidinesss
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:01 pm

Re: How to stop programs from stacking all opened files under their icons on the Taskbar of Windows?

Post by Thy Grand Voidinesss »

So does anyone have any other ideas for stopping those few programs like CorelDRAW or Internet Explorer from stacking items under their icons on Taskbar?
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