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

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Also check free tools to get iconized Taskbar: Taskbar Iconizer and Taskbaric

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:

After applying this tutorial:

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

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

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This article was posted by VG in following section: Windows Vista, Windows XP.

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VG

^^ Here you go:

http://www.askvg.com/how-to-get-the-old-thin-taskbar-buttons-with-text-in-windows-7/
riane9

nice..i never thought that it could be done manually. thanks!
Shubham

hi
my MinWidth is already set to -255 ..now what to do...?

thanx and regards,
Shubham
VG

^^ Here it is:

http://www.askvg.com/taskbaric-get-windows-7-iconized-taskbar-buttons-in-windows-xp-and-vista/
bob

its not working i cant find minwidth
PsychoHoliC*

hi vg.

is there any way to reduce the icon size on win7 superbar by a couple of pixels? not meaning the "use small icons" option, but a registry entry that allows me to change the size? im working on a wb theme and want to have a smal gap between the screen edge and the superbar itself. when i do this now, the icons is too close too the bottom border. or top, left or right depending on where i dock the superbar.

any way? :\
VG

^^ Sorry but no idea about wb theme.
Aramis

Hi, I've been trying this minwidth=4 line in Windows 7 to get it so that taskbar buttons show no labels and never group, but it always squeezes the icon pictures a little bit and they go the wrong size and look terrible. Is there a way around this? I've tried many different values for the minwidth string and the icons still won't look right.
Thanks
yeah

WoW im win 7
WindowsCuztomizer

Thank you very much VG. It worked like a charm! I have 1 question,tho. Which theme are you using in those screenshots?