Windows 7 Taskbar Icons versus Vista

[Luvsql]

Finally got a laptop with Windows 7 but miss my Vista's icons. I know that I can go to properties and change it to use Small Icons, but they go ridiculously small and still take up a lot of space (like they're padded). On my Vista laptop, they shrink and increase depending on the display resolution I have configured, which is smart.

My laptop is set at 1920x1080 and have a 24" HD screen. 8 icons on the taskbar almost takes up half the taskbar, where on my Vista, I had 15 in less space, at a lower resolution.

Is this fixable?

 

[linney]

I don't keep any icons pinned to my Taskbar, anything I want is usually an icon on the Desktop. If you type "How to use the taskbar" in the Help and Support program you will get the Windows 7 Taskbar abilities displayed to you.


There are some third party applications on the Internet but whether they are of use to you I don't know.


7+ Taskbar Tweaker

http://rammichael.com/7-taskbar-tweaker

 

[SgtJarrow]

You don't mention what your current settings are so....Without that, it is hard to "see" what you currently have and why you don't like it. If you have labels shown, the taskbar items are quite wide.

If you open the properties of the Taskbar window and set the Taskbar buttons dropdown box to "Always combine, hide labels" and make sure you uncheck the "Use small icons" option, then you will get the larger icons but they don't take up much room. These options also allow for stacking of the same application and with Aero Peek that works great for me because you still gain the benefits of the Jump Bars and Middle-Click Open and Close.

=======================================
People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world. (Calvin from Calvin And Hobbs)

Robert L. Johnson III
CCNA, CCDA, MCSA, CNA, Net+, A+, CHDP
C#.NET Programmer

 

[Luvsql]

My current settings are the default: Use small icons is NOT checked and taskbar buttons is set to "always combine, hide labels." This leaves the icons huge. If I change it to use Small icons, the icons are tiny but the spacing between them is large. I just don't understand why my screen resolution doesn't affect the taskbar or the icon size.

 

[Luvsql]

Looks like I have to live with these huge icons, but now another annoying thing about Win7 is that in Vista, the taskbar had my shortcuts separated by a line then the open applications showing on the right so I can easily see which applications are open and to click on them. In Win 7, it just slighly changes the appearance of the shortcut icon if it's being used then lumps other ones beside the shortcuts taht are open.

Why can I not separate shortcuts from open apps?

 

[linney]

This type of posting is one that might benefit from a screenshot of the problem. A site like these might help you post and link to a screenshot.

http://www.uploadit.org/

http://www.photobucket.com/

http://reg.imageshack.us/register.php

What is the problem like from Safe Mode, or with another Windows user in Normal Mode?

Advanced startup options (including safe mode)

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Advanced-startup-options-including-safe-mode

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/929135

Guided Help: Troubleshoot Aero problems in Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976170

 

[karlisi]

This may help. Your taskbar will not look exactly like Vista but this is the best You can do without third party tweaking software.

===
Karlis
ECDL; MCSA