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

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

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 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:

• Option One: Change Buttons on Main Taskbar in Settings
• Option Two: Change Buttons on Other Taskbars in Settings
• Option Three: Change Buttons on Main Taskbar using a BAT file
• Option Four: Change Buttons on Other Taskbars using a BAT file

EXAMPLE: Taskbar Buttons set to always and never combine












OPTION ONE [/i] 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 the Combine taskbar buttons setting you want under the Taskbar section on the right side. (see screenshot below)

3. You can now close Settings if you like.









OPTION TWO [/i] 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 if not already. (see screenshot below)

3. Select the Combine buttons on other taskbars setting you want. (see screenshot below)

4. You can now close Settings if you like.









OPTION THREE [/i] Change Buttons on Main Taskbar using a BAT file

*note The .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
*note 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 [/i] Change Buttons on Other Taskbars using a BAT file

*note The .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
*note 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


Related Tutorials

• How to Enable or Disable Grouping of Taskbar Buttons in Windows
• How to Use Large or Small Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10
• How to Change Width of Taskbar Buttons in Windows
• How to Turn On or Off Auto-hide the Taskbar in Windows 10
• How to Hide or Show Taskbar on Multiple Displays in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Auto-hide the Taskbar in Desktop Mode in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Auto-hide the Taskbar in Tablet Mode in Windows 10
• How to Select Desktops to Show Open Windows on Taskbar in Windows 10
• How to 'Pin to taskbar' and 'Unpin from taskbar" Apps in Windows 10
• How to Hide or Show Badges on Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Last Active Click for Taskbar Buttons in Windows 10
• How to Change How Many Times Taskbar Button Flashes in Windows 10
• How to Change Height or Width Size of Taskbar in Windows 10

:)

 

Problem with a combine taskbar icons.

Hello,

In Windows 10, you can personalize the settings of your taskbar. If there are multiple applications opened, same applications will be combined under one taskbar button. If you want to change this setting, we suggest that you follow the steps listed below:

• Press the Start button.
• Click on the Settings app.
• Select Personalization.
• At the left side of your window, click on Taskbar.
• Under Combine taskbar buttons, choose Never.

Kindly update us with the results and if you have further queries, feel free to post back.

 

Problem with a combine taskbar icons.

Thanks for answering.

What you suggested is not the problem I asked for a solution.

For more understandable I've attached a figures below.

I'd like to have it in the right figure(showing the window of program not just a title)

Im sorry for my bad English, thanks in advance

 

Taskbar buttons combining

Win 10 Pro, v1903.

Related issues have been discussed before but I didn't find a solution to my specific issue:

Combine taskbar buttons is set to never on the Personalization screen.

• Each time I open a new app, a new button appears on the taskbar - Fine!
• Each time I open a new folder, a new button appears on the taskbar - Fine!
• Each time I open a new file (with any app) in that open folder, a new button appears on the taskbar - Fine!
• BUT, if I open a sub-folder in an open folder, the sub-folder button
  REPLACES the button for the parent folder on taskbar- BAD!

How do I make a new button appear for each sub-folder opened without
replacing the parent's button?

Thanks for the help...

 

Stop Taskbar Buttons from Combining!

I noticed that on my Windows 10 laptop, my taskbar buttons combine even though I have the setting for "never combine."

I changed the settings to "always combine" and then back to "never combine" and it still didn't work. I also did the same for "combine when taskbar is full" and it didn't work.

Does anyone know about this quirk and ho to fix it????

Thank you!

 

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


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