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Windows 7

Show Program Labels on the Windows 7 Taskbar

SUMMARY: Display the contents of window title bars on the Windows 7 Taskbar.

In earlier versions of Windows, the Taskbar displayed the names of open program windows. With the small icons this was useful to determine exactly which programs were running, as well as which window would open when you clicked a button.

Windows 7 by default does not show these windows titles. With the larger icons and window previews by hovering over buttons, this is done to clean up the Taskbar display and allow more buttons to appear simultaneously. However, if you do not like this behavior and want program labels to appear, do the following:


Showing window labels on the Windows 7 Taskbar



1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose "Properties".

2. The "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" dialog box appears. Make sure the "Taskbar" tab is selected.

3. Next to "Taskbar buttons", click the pull-down and choose from the following options:

* Always combine, hide labels - the default

* Combine when taskbar is full - this displays labels and combines buttons when the taskbar is full, such as combining buttons for two open Notepad windows into one

* Never combine - displays all labels and does not combine open windows from the same application into one Taskbar button


Configuring the Windows 7 Taskbar to display labels and never combine buttons



Note that when labels are configured to be shown, buttons representing non-opened programs (icons pinned to the Taskbar) will not show labels.

4. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

This tip was written for Windows 7 RC. Screenshots and information are subject to change between this and the official release of Windows 7.

Return to the Windows 7 page.

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The MalekTips website was created in 1998 by Andrew Malek of Envision Programming. The page's goal is to freely disperse computer-related tips, hints, and informative articles. Tips are organized to be easy to find, and are presented clearly, in easy-to-understand language. MalekTips also provides information and links to public-domain, open source, freeware, shareware, and commercial software available for download. < more >