How to prevent stacking of windows in the Windows 7 taskbar?

Question

Is there a way to get Windows 7 to show two separate icons in the taskbar when I have two instances of the app running instead of having them stacked on top of each other?

Windows XP had similar behavior, but the TweakUI tool allowed to specify the number of windows that could be displayed automatically.

Answer 1

Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties (right click on the taskbar and select Properties).

Under Taskbar appearance, select "Never combine". As more programs and windows open, buttons decrease in size and eventually scroll within the taskbar.

You can also select "Combine when taskbar is full" option. So when the taskbar becomes crowded, programs with multiple open windows collapse into a single program button.

Answer 2

Most winsdows 7 may have migrated to Windows 10, so show the soluution of Windows 10 here. For Windows 10, right click task bar, click the lowest one"Settings", 2nd combo-box from top to down is 'Combine taskbar buttons', you can choose:

1. Always, hide labels
2. When taskbar is full
3. Never (the one you want)

If you have one or more monitor connected, you may want to scroll down to the bottom make its setting: under 'Combine buttons on other taskbars', same choices as above.

Additional info, you may want to set what taskbar to be shown on other monitor also, above the 'Combine buttons on other taskbars', is 'Show taskbar buttons on', you can choose:

1. All taskbars
2. Main taskbar and taskbar when window is open
3. Taskbar where window is open (I like to choose this)