Handle Tasks with Taskbar

Windows 7 includes an enhanced Taskbar that addresses minimizing clutter and putting commonly needed functions in a single place. Unlike the Windows XP version, Microsoft made the biggest change in combining the Taskbar’s ability to manage open application icons and shortcuts which are located together on a single area to minimize the number of UI locations you need to visit to get the work done

  • Running application icons look different than shortcuts because they’re shaded and have borders

  • By default, running applications will appear on the Taskbar next to shortcuts and in the order that they were open. To change the order of running application icons and shortcuts, drag a running application icon or shortcut and place it in the desired location on the Taskbar


  • To open a new application window from a shortcut or running program icon on the Taskbar, right click on it and click on the name of the application to open the new application window

  • Aero Peek feature, is a part of the Aero Themes package, and gives you a X-ray vision of each running application so that you can peer past all your open windows right on the Windows 7 desktop

    • Move the mouse to hover over an icon of a running program

    • Move the mouse to hover over the thumbnail preview

    • The open window will present itself in front on the desktop.

      • If that’s the window you want to switch to, click once on the thumbnail preview of the application to get it to the desktop

      • To quickly close the running application, click the red close button in the top right corner of the thumbnail

  • Preview Desktop, is a part of the Aero Peek’s functionality, this feature has been improved and renamed from the Show Desktop icon on the Taskbar of previous Windows versions because it is still used to hide all opened windows by instantly turning them transparent. This feature allows you to see the desktop, and any shortcuts or any gadgets running

    • Move the mouse to hover over the small rectangle on the right side of the Taskbar to turn the running application windows transparent

    • Click once on the rectangle to minimize all windows down to the Taskbar


  • By default, the Taskbar is locked down at the bottom of the desktop screen. To move it to different location on the desktop, do the following:

    • Right click on any blank area on it and uncheck Lock the Taskbar option from the shortcut menu to unlock it

    • Move the mouse to a blank spot on Taskbar, click and drag it over to the left/right/top of the screen where you desire it located.
    • After placing it in a desired position, right click on a blank area on it and select Lock the Taskbar option to lock it



  • For other options allowing to change Taskbar properties, right click on any blank area on the Taskbar and choose Properties option from the shortcut menu

    • Auto-hide the Taskbar feature is a popular feature which hides the Taskbarout of the way when it’s not being used

      • Go to Taskbar tab 

      • Under Taskbar appearance section, check Auto-hide the Taskbar box 

      • Do one of the following:

        • Click Apply button to keep the Taskbar and Start menu Properties window open

        • Click OK button to close the Taskbar and Start menu Properties window

    • To change Taskbar location, click on the down arrow next to Taskbar location on screen and select a desired location to apply to Taskbar

  • By default, the Taskbar buttons always combines and hides labels because this is important when you start to run different programs at the same time or have multiple files open in an application. To change Taskbar button behavior, click a down arrow next to Taskbar buttons and select a desired option

  • Notification area displays which icon and notifications appear is located on the right side of Taskbar. To customize the Notification area, click on Customize button in the Notification area to change which icons you want to hide and show in this area

  • By default, the Aero Peek feature is enabled. To manually turn on/off the feature, go to Preview desktop with Aero Peek section and check/uncheck Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop