Problem with Taskbar button grouping

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nick Cellino
  • Start date Start date
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Nick Cellino

On my XP Home computer, Taskbar button grouping is no longer enabled. In
the past, I must have installed a plug-in or registry hack to stop it
from working but now I want it back. How would I enable it?

Right now, after opening a fourth program or a fourth document in a
program, the first three "disappear" from view while the fourth is
visible. I then have to click the up-down arrows in the taskbar to view
the first three again. I don't like this at all and want to change it.

Thank you.
 
On my XP Home computer, Taskbar button grouping is no longer enabled. In
the past, I must have installed a plug-in or registry hack to stop it
from working but now I want it back. How would I enable it?

Right now, after opening a fourth program or a fourth document in a
program, the first three "disappear" from view while the fourth is
visible. I then have to click the up-down arrows in the taskbar to view
the first three again. I don't like this at all and want to change it.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Right click the taskbar and select Properties. Check box next to "Group
similar taskbar buttons."
 
Sharon said:
Right click the taskbar and select Properties. Check box next to "Group
similar taskbar buttons."
Click to expand...

Thank you, Sharon, but "Group similar items" isn't one of the choices
within the Taskbar tab. I see the following choices:

Lock the taskbar
Auto-hide the taskbar
Keep the taskbar on top of other windows
 
Nick said:
Thank you, Sharon, but "Group similar items" isn't one of the choices
within the Taskbar tab. I see the following choices:

Lock the taskbar
Auto-hide the taskbar
Keep the taskbar on top of other windows
Click to expand...

I have solved the problem.

I now remember the program which allowed me to edit the Registry,
creating my problem. This program is FreshUI, published by
Freshdevices.corp. This is an excellent program but like all similar
programs which edit the Registry, it can cause havoc if users forget
what changes it has made or don't understand all the ramifications of
those changes. I used the program to disable the "task grouping" setting
for the taskbar which, unknown to me at the time, removed the "Group
similar taskbar buttons" command from Right-click > Taskbar >
Properties! This is why I could not follow Sharon F's suggestion. I
reversed the setting in FreshUI and the command reappeared.

The problem is solved but one question still remains. The taskbar
setting controls the grouping of icons within the same program. For
example, when in MS Word, grouping takes place after the third Word
document is loaded (or a different number if the Registry is edited).
However, "grouping" takes places in a different manner when multiple
programs are loaded. On my computer, after the 4th application is
loaded, the first 3 disappear from view on the taskbar and only the 4th
is visible. To see the first 3 again, I have to click the up-down arrow.
I would like to know if the Registry can be edited to control this type
of "grouping" so I can see 4 or 5 icons before grouping takes place.

Thank you.

Nick Cellino
 
I have solved the problem.

I now remember the program which allowed me to edit the Registry,
creating my problem. This program is FreshUI, published by
Freshdevices.corp. This is an excellent program but like all similar
programs which edit the Registry, it can cause havoc if users forget
what changes it has made or don't understand all the ramifications of
those changes. I used the program to disable the "task grouping" setting
for the taskbar which, unknown to me at the time, removed the "Group
similar taskbar buttons" command from Right-click > Taskbar >
Properties! This is why I could not follow Sharon F's suggestion. I
reversed the setting in FreshUI and the command reappeared.

The problem is solved but one question still remains. The taskbar
setting controls the grouping of icons within the same program. For
example, when in MS Word, grouping takes place after the third Word
document is loaded (or a different number if the Registry is edited).
However, "grouping" takes places in a different manner when multiple
programs are loaded. On my computer, after the 4th application is
loaded, the first 3 disappear from view on the taskbar and only the 4th
is visible. To see the first 3 again, I have to click the up-down arrow.
I would like to know if the Registry can be edited to control this type
of "grouping" so I can see 4 or 5 icons before grouping takes place.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear that you have part of this worked out. The default setting
is to start grouping when the taskbar is full. This can be altered using a
tweak program (TweakUI, for example) or by editing the registry.

Several options for adjusting settings related to groups via the registry
can be found here:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
 
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