Get Windows 7 Iconized (Icon Only) Taskbar Feature in Windows XP and Vista



Windows 7 taskbar doesn't show text in application buttons, it only show their icons. On the other hand previous Windows versions used to show icon as well as text in all application's taskbar buttons.

Actually Windows 7 new iconized taskbar feature looks good and it also saves space in taskbar area. If you want to have the same feature in Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003, 2008, etc, then you can get it after following a few simple and easy steps.

Before applying this tutorial:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v374/vishaal_here/Default_Taskbar.jpg

After applying this tutorial:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v374/vishaal_here/Iconized_Taskbar.jpg

So here are the steps to follow:

1. Type regedit in RUN dialog box and press Enter. It'll open Registry Editor. Now go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

2. In right-side pane, create a new String value MinWidth and set its value to -255

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v374/vishaal_here/Adding_MinWidth_Value_in_Registry.jpg

3. That's it. Log off or restart your system and get ready to have iconized taskbar in your system.

4. To restore default taskbar behavior, delete the MinWidth String value and log off or restart your system.

PS: If you want a ready-made registry script which can do the task automatically, then download following ZIP file, extract it and then run the Install.reg file. It'll ask for confirmation, accept it:

Download Registry Script



This article was posted in Windows Vista, Windows XP.

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106 Comments

  • Help!i have a windows 7 theme on my vista and when i do this the icon isn't in the middle of the box and it is down in the left :/ anyone can help?(i have -275 and i tried -255 but it didnt work either)

  • VG

    ^^ The program icon position is set by the theme not registry.

  • Hey VG, I used your regedit thingy, but can I make the icons in the boxes bigger?

  • VG

    ^^ You can use ViGlance for bigger icons.

  • Hi VG,

    In my Registry editor, i don't have a minwidth ionly have a menuwidth

  • I did the automatic one (the download) and it didn't do anything. It asked for confirmation, and it still looks exactly the same.. what do I do?

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