Making More Room on the Taskbar In Windows XP


In earlier versions of Windows, active users who like to maintain many windows open all together had to figure out which tiny taskbar button symbolized which window. As new windows opened, each taskbar button was reduced to fit, leaving no room for the taskbar title.

Windows XP offers a better way: taskbar grouping. With this feature, when the taskbar fills up, Windows merges taskbar buttons from a single application (for example, several Internet Explorer windows) under one taskbar button. A number on the button shows how many application instances it includes. Clicking the button shows a list of windows, as shown in Figure 1. As you may expect, right-clicking an item in the list shows the similar shortcut menu that you’d see if the window had its own button; with this menu, you can move, resize, or close the window.


Figure 1. Click one of the taskbar button's list items to select its window.

As well reducing taskbar clutter, taskbar grouping presents a few other benefits that aren’t immediately clear. The menu that shows when you right-click the group button gives several helpful commands.

● Show all windows in the group (select Cascade, Tile Horizontally, or Tile Vertically), with no disturbing any other open windows.

● Minimize all windows in the group.

● Close all windows in the group.

To enable taskbar grouping, open the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 2. You can find it in Control Panel (in the Appearance And Themes category) or, more simply, by right-clicking an unoccupied area of the taskbar and choosing Properties. Select Group Similar Taskbar Buttons.


Figure 2. Reduce clutter and gain window-management features by enabling taskbar grouping.

You can also increase button space by removing the clock from the taskbar. If you don’t want Windows to show the time of day, you can almost certainly squeeze at least one more button onto the bar by removing the clock. In the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box, clear Show The Clock.