We all know that Windows 7 comes with Windows Media Player 12 which provides lots of new features and an improved UI. But for some unknown reason, Microsoft removed one of the most essential and useful feature from WMP12. That is WMP Taskbar toolbar which is also called Taskband.
In older WMP versions, you could minimize WMP to Taskbar in form of a small nice looking toolbar which shows Play/Pause and a few other buttons to easily navigate between songs. But WMP 12 doesn't have this feature.
We have posted a tutorial in past which can be used to enable this Taskbar toolbar by downgrading WMP version in Windows 6. You can take a look at this tutorial here.
But now no longer need to downgrade WMP version. You can now enjoy the good old Taskbar toolbar in WMP 12 under Windows 7.
How? Here is the complete tutorial:
1. First download following program:
2. Now right-click on Computer icon on desktop and select Manage, it'll open a new window. Now go to Services & Applications -> Services. You can also open the same from Administrative Tools -> Computer Management. Or you can directly open "Services" list by providing services.msc command in RUN or Startmenu search box.
Now right-click on "Windows Media Player Network Sharing" service and select "Stop". It'll stop the service.
3. Now run the downloaded WMP12.exe file. It'll make the required changes like registry settings, etc.
4. Now you can enable the Taskbar toolbar by right-clicking on Taskbar and select "Toolbars -> Windows Media Player" option.
That's it. Now enjoy the Taskbar toolbar in Windows 7.
Thanks to "Lord Devrexster" at WinMatrix forums for this excellent tip...
Complete list of AskVG articlesThis article was posted in Windows 7.
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Jason Yip
Doesn't work for me. It just creates a blank space on the task bar, and that's it
The Champ
But hey ,whats the need of all that shit doin' coz when u minimize WMP12 and hover mouse over it & shows thumbnail of viz. with play/pause , next & previous buttons & I'm already lovin that all
Bruised
Important :
1. Works only for 32-bit versions of Windows 7.
2. The toolbar can be enabled only when WMP is minimized.
3. Please let us know if your machine is blown to pieces
4. The installer does no real change in your system except all the registry entries regarding WMP is reconstructed and some old dll's from WMP11 is stored in your Windows\System32 folder.
Fakedf
Awesum!!!
worked like water
Fakedf
In the screenshot above the taskband could be seen on the whole of the taskbar
whereas it's been viewing the same size as of small taskbar in my windows......
could it be fixed???
Fakedf
I guess that in the above sreenshot the taskbar itself has been edited to small size....
XibaD
Only for 32-bit Windows? Are 64-bit users STILL out of luck? I mean, really...
Well, thanks anyway for the effort.
Astitva
hey in third para last line its windows 6.......?
Archy
@ Fakedf - I think you'll find that it takes up the whole taskbar because the taskbar is set to show small icons, and reverts to the old XP/Vista height. Hence why it appears to take up more room.
I've found it a little buggy. I'm not complaining, by any means, but has a tendancy to open parallel instances of Media Player and mess around.
A nice effort, nonetheless. ;D
Alex
Can anyone make a 64bit installer?
Isnt it easy? Just use the 64bit WMP11 Vista Files