Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10  

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    Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10

    Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10

    How to Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Customization
    16 Jan 2021
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10


    Windows includes a special application desktop toolbar called the taskbar that shows on the bottom of a display screen by default. The taskbar allows you to find, see, open, and switch between your apps. You can also see the date and time, system icons, and items running in the background on the notification area. You can make the taskbar look how you want, manage your calendar, pin your favorite apps to it, change the size, change location on screen, and specify how taskbar buttons group together when you have more than one window open.

    If you have multiple displays, then you will be able to set button grouping separately for the main taskbar and other taskbars.

    Taskbar Button Grouping Options:
    • Always combine, hide labels - This is the default setting. Each app appears as a single, unlabeled button (icon), even when multiple windows for an app are open.
    • Combine when taskbar is full - This setting shows each open window as an individual, labeled button. When the taskbar becomes crowded, apps with multiple open windows collapse into a single app button. Clicking the button displays a list of the windows that are open.
    • Never combine - This setting shows each window as an individual, labeled button, and never combines them, no matter how many windows are open. As more apps and windows open, buttons get smaller, and eventually the buttons will scroll.

    This tutorial will show you how to set taskbar buttons to always combine, combine when full, or never combine for your account in Windows 10.


    Contents




    EXAMPLE: Taskbar Buttons set to always and never combine
    Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10-always_combine_hide_labels.png
    Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10-never_combine.png






    OPTION ONE

    Change Buttons on Main Taskbar in Settings


    1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Personalization icon.

    2 Click/tap on Taskbar on the left side, and select Always, hide labels, When taskbar is full, or Never in the Combine taskbar buttons drop menu for what you want under the Taskbar section on the right side. (see screenshot below)

    3 You can now close Settings if you like.

    Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10-combine_taskbar_buttons.jpg






    OPTION TWO

    Change Buttons on Other Taskbars in Settings


    1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Personalization icon.

    2 Click/tap on Taskbar on the left side, and turn on Show taskbar on all displays under the Multiple displays section. (see screenshot below)

    3 Select Always, hide labels, When taskbar is full, or Never in the Combine buttons on other taskbars drop menu for what you want. (see screenshot below)

    4 You can now close Settings if you like.

    Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10-combine_buttons_on_other_taskbars.jpg






    OPTION THREE

    Change Buttons on Main Taskbar using a BAT file


    The downloadable .bat files below will change the DWORD value in the registry key below.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

    TaskbarGlomLevel DWORD

    0 = Always combine, hide labels
    1 = Combine when taskbar is full
    2 = Never combine


    1 Do step 2 (always), step 3 (full), or step 4 (never) below for what you would like to do.


    2 Set Buttons on Main Taskbar to Always Combine, Hide Labels

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 5 below.

    Main_Taskbar_Always_combine_hide_labels.bat

    Download


    3 Set Buttons on Main Taskbar to Combine when Taskbar is Full

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 5 below.

    Main_Taskbar_Combine_when_taskbar_is_full.bat

    Download


    4 Set Buttons on Main Taskbar to Never Combine

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 5 below.

    Main_Taskbar_Never_combine.bat

    Download


    5 Save the .bat file to your desktop.

    6 Unblock the .bat file.

    7 Run the .bat file.

    8 You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt quickly opens and closes as explorer is restarted to apply the registry changes.

    9 When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file if you like.






    OPTION FOUR

    Change Buttons on Other Taskbars using a BAT file


    The downloadable .bat files below are for the registry key and values below.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

    MMTaskbarEnabled DWORD

    1 = Show taskbar on multiple displays

    MMTaskbarGlomLevel DWORD

    0 = Always combine, hide labels
    1 = Combine when taskbar is full
    2 = Never combine


    1 Do step 2 (always), step 3 (full), or step 4 (never) below for what you would like to do.


     2. Set Buttons on Other Taskbars to Always Combine, Hide Labels

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 5 below.

    Other_Taskbars_Always_combine_hide_labels.bat

    Download


     3. Set Buttons on Other Taskbars to Combine when Taskbar is Full

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 5 below.

    Other_Taskbars_Combine_when_taskbar_is_full.bat

    Download


     4. Set Buttons on Other Taskbars to Never Combine

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 5 below.

    Other_Taskbars_Never_combine.bat

    Download


    5 Save the .bat file to your desktop.

    6 Unblock the .bat file.

    7 Run the .bat file.

    8 You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt quickly opens and closes as explorer is restarted to apply the registry changes.

    9 When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 118
    windows 10 20H2 Build 19042.928
       #1

    Hi,
    Is it possible to Hide taskbar labels and Never Combine Taskbar Buttons all together (as the bellow image)?
    Regards

    Always, Sometimes, or Never Combine Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10-taskbar-labels1.jpg
    Last edited by Brink; 29 Apr 2018 at 10:53. Reason: attached your image to post
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello coukou,

    Not that I'm aware of.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 118
    windows 10 20H2 Build 19042.928
       #3

    What a pity
    BTW, each time I ran the here above reg files and restart, I lost the Quick Launch Toolbar.
    Moreover, when I try restoring the backup Quick Launch as ToolBar as Backup and Restore Taskbar Toolbars in Windows 10 it doesn't works. I've to re-create it.
    Regards
    Backup and Restore Taskbar Toolbars in Windows 10

      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Hmm, I'm not sure why it's removing "Quick Launch" unless somehow restarting the explorer process may be doing it for you.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 150
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Insider Preview Build 19045.3269
       #5

    Hiya Shawn

    I have NEVER liked taskbar grouping and have always set my Windows to never group taskbar buttons but for a week or so now I have not been successful in achieving this with my 19536 build.

    I have tried through settings, the registry and your bat file still with no success.

    Please offer me a solution!

    Thanks mate.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    thewizardoz said:
    Hiya Shawn

    I have NEVER liked taskbar grouping and have always set my Windows to never group taskbar buttons but for a week or so now I have not been successful in achieving this with my 19536 build.

    I have tried through settings, the registry and your bat file still with no success.

    Please offer me a solution!

    Thanks mate.
    Hey Mark,

    I'm afraid the icons (always combine) or buttons (never combine) will still always group together for the same app if that's what you meant.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 150
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Insider Preview Build 19045.3269
       #7

    Brink said:
    Hey Mark,

    I'm afraid the icons (always combine) or buttons (never combine) will still always group together for the same app if that's what you meant.
    Thanks for your response.

    Actually my biggest problem is with Firefox and I.m using the 56 version of that.

    For years if I opened a new tab or several they would ALL have their separate icons along the taskbar so this meant that i could easily select which tab I wanted next but recently they are all grouped!! This now means that I have to click on the "group" then chose a tab but then repeat that for any and all of the other tabs that I have opened. This slows me down badly and is very annoying.

    Plus of course why have a Windows setting with the choice of grouping or not if it doesn't work!!

    Any further help much appreciated as always!

    By the way I'm running Insider Build 19536 at the moment.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    thewizardoz said:
    Thanks for your response.

    Actually my biggest problem is with Firefox and I.m using the 56 version of that.

    For years if I opened a new tab or several they would ALL have their separate icons along the taskbar so this meant that i could easily select which tab I wanted next but recently they are all grouped!! This now means that I have to click on the "group" then chose a tab but then repeat that for any and all of the other tabs that I have opened. This slows me down badly and is very annoying.

    Plus of course why have a Windows setting with the choice of grouping or not if it doesn't work!!

    Any further help much appreciated as always!

    By the way I'm running Insider Build 19536 at the moment.

    Are these separately opened windows of Firefox?
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 150
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Insider Preview Build 19045.3269
       #9

    Brink said:
    Are these separately opened windows of Firefox?
    Separate windows?? Probably/possibly although when I've opened each link I have chosen to Open Link in a New Tab and not New Window.

    IF I do choose to open a link in a New Window then the taskbar icons for those New Windows are separate and not grouped.... only when I've opened links in new Tabs are they grouped.
    Last edited by thewizardoz; 07 Jan 2020 at 19:41.
      My Computer


 

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