Start11: How can I disable application thumbnails in the task bar?

from Stardock Forums

Hello Stardock Support,

How can I get rid off the application thumbnails? In this screenshot you can see how useless the thumbnails are that are shown when you hover over one of the task bar buttons of this application (those are instances of the same application -> in case case SAP Logon):

They all look the same (it's just visual noise).

The desired behaviour is the one you get if there are too many instances running for this application: From some number of instances of the same application, the taskbar decides upon hovering, instead of showing the thumbnails, to display a vertical list, with the textual description of what each instance is showing (for the folks who know SAP: it's SAP transaction name). This information is short and crisp, and lets the user quickly find the instance of the aplication (= SAP session in this example) he is looking for.

I guess you can reproduce this behaviour with Word or Excel, and having many documents open.

BTW, I have disabled the application thumbnails for the Windows Alt+Tab navigation as well. Also here I get the small application icons plus the text for each application / application instance. ItÄs this registry key:  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer: New DWORD value AltTabSettings = 1

How can I disable application thumbnails for the taskbar in Start 11?

I use WIndows 11 Pro 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3593)

I don't want to uninstall and re-install Start 11. If it's not possible (yet) to control this (annoying) taskbar applicatiuon thumbnails, how can I bring this as a feature request to the Start 11 product management / development group?

Thanks & regards, Peter

start11 taskbar thumbnails start menu products
7,876 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

P.S.:

This is the desired behaviour:

 

One comment: When I took this screenshot, all taskbar buttons of the SAP Logon application were combined, and only one button was on the taskbar (the left one on the screenshot, labelled with "SAP Lo..."). The other ones (here: "I72(1)/...") show up in the moment when Itake the screenshot with SnagIt. So this is an artefact of the screenshot tool.

 

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Have you try Stardock Groupy? Groupy has an option to combine all taskbar button into one taskbar button and auto group your application into one with tabs. https://www.stardock.com/products/groupy/

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

For you to change Taskbar Thumbnail peek to List peek, kindly follow the steps below:

1. Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2. In the left pane of the Registry Editor, browse to the location below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband

3. To Change Taskbar Thumbnail Threshold:

    In the right pane of the Taskband key, double click/tap on the NumThumbnails DWORD to modify it.

    Note:  If you don't have a NumThumbnails DWORD, then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the Taskband key, click/tap on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value, type NumThumbnails, and press Enter.

    Open the new DWORD and Select Decimal, type a number you want for the taskbar thumbnail threshold, click/tap on OK.

    Note:  If you type 0 (zero) it will effectively disable taskbar thumbnail previews, and only show in list mode.

4. Close Registry Editor.

5. Sign out to Windows and sign back in.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 2

Have you try Stardock Groupy? Groupy has an option to combine all taskbar button into one taskbar button and auto group your application into one with tabs. https://www.stardock.com/products/groupy/

I have no problem with grouping (or not grouping) taskbar buttons. The setting in Start11 (even in WIndows 11) works fine for me: Combine only if task bar is full.

The only problem I have are those annoying application thumbnails when hovering over a taskbar button. My screenshot shows that clearly, doesn't it?

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

The Registry hack in Reply #3 will give you the desired behavior which you want. I tested it today, and it still works on Windows 11 - 22635.3646.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting pelaird, reply 5

The Registry hack in Reply #3 will give you the desired behavior which you want. I tested it today, and it still works on Windows 11 - 22635.3646.

Yes, this registry hack works! I even found this registry key in my notes, together with the registry hack to remove the visual noice from Alt+Tab (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer: New DWORD value AltTabSettings = 1).

@Stardock:

As it is easy to hover-over disable the taskbar application thumbnails, I wonder why this setting is missing in Start11. Could it be added, together with the AltTabSettings = 1 setting?