Windhawk mods for the Windows 11 taskbar
A few weeks ago, Windhawk, the customization marketplace for Windows programs, was released. You can read the announcement blog post for more details and for the motivation behind creating it. One of the sections of the blog post was dedicated to 7+ Taskbar Tweaker.
Regarding the future of 7+ Taskbar Tweaker: It will keep existing as a separate program which supports Windows 7 to Windows 10. As mentioned in a recent blog post, most parts of the taskbar were reimplemented in Windows 11, and 7+ Taskbar Tweaker can’t be made to work with the new taskbar without a huge amount of work. My plan, at least in the short term, is to implement the most demanded customizations for Windows 11 as Windhawk mods.
Below is a table with features that are available in Windows 10 but are missing in Windows 11. Some of the features are part of Windows 10 (marked with the 
icon) and some are part of 7+ Taskbar Tweaker (marked with the 
icon). Please vote for the features that you’d like to have back in Windows 11. I’ll prioritize implementing the most requested features as Windhawk mods. For each implemented feature, the page will be updated to reflect the current status.
Voting can be done in two ways, simple voting and a donation. I added the donation option to be able to give extra priority to votes of users who wish to support the project with a donation. To vote with a donation, add the feature hashtag to the donation comment like this. Donations are a great motivating factor (thanks!), and I think that letting supporters decide where to focus first is a nice perk.
| Feature | Votes | Donations | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right click: Standard window menu |
✅ Done | ||
| Middle click: Switch to / Minimize / Close |
✔️ Partial | ||
| Dropping: Open with |
|||
| Hovering: List / Tooltip / Nothing |
✅ Done | ||
| Thumbnails: Drag to reorder |
✅ Done | ||
| Thumbnails: Left click on the active thumbnail minimizes the window |
|||
| Pinned items: Remove extra gap between items |
✔️ Partial | ||
| Pinned items: Open with double click |
✅ Done | ||
| Grouping: Don’t group |
✅ Done | ||
| Grouping: When not grouping, place new items next to the existing ones |
✅ Done | ||
| Grouping: Don’t group pinned items |
✅ Done | ||
| Grouping: Drag within/between groups using right mouse button |
|||
| Left click on combined item: Cycle through windows |
✅ Done | ||
| Mouse wheel: Cycle between taskbar buttons |
✅ Done | ||
| Minimize/restore when mouse is over: Taskbar buttons / Thumbnails |
✅ Done | ||
| Control volume when mouse is over: The taskbar / The notification area |
✅ Done | ||
| Customize double/middle click on empty space |
✅ Done | ||
| Hide the Start button |
✔️ Partial | ||
| Hide the “Show desktop” button |
✅ Done | ||
| Display seconds on the tray clock |
✅ Done | ||
| Reserve empty space on taskbar |
|||
| Change the size of taskbar icons |
✅ Done | ||
| Taskbar Inspector |
|||
| Change padding between tray icons |
✅ Done | ||
| Decombine taskbar buttons |
✅ Done | ||
| Show labels in taskbar buttons |
✅ Done | ||
| Taskbar on the top of the screen |
✅ Done | ||
| Taskbar on the side of the screen |
✅ Done | ||
| Open Taskbar Manager via right click |
⭐ | ||
| Taskbar with multiple rows |
✅ Done | ||
| Taskbar toolbars |
If a feature that you’d like to see in Windows 11 is not in the table, please let me know in the comments below.
Tags: 7+ taskbar tweaker, windhawk
Hi. I am trying to move away from the “7+ Taskbar Tweaker”, in Win 11, but there is one thing I cant seem to be able to activate/install with Winhawk, that the 7+ has: “Decombine -Active Group – And show labels”
I saw here that it says ” Decombine taskbar buttons” – Done and “Taskbar Labels for windows 11” is mentioned there, but as I saw there is no way to achieve decombining the active group with that.
It is an incredible feature (for me at least), because if I work with multiple file explorer windows, I can see the true labels in taskbar (i.e: Tools, Movies etc) and also I can copy,move files etc quickly between the explorer windows. The benefit is if i go to edge or notepad etc, the explorer recombines/regroups itself so is all neat on the taskbar.
Is there a way to achieve the “Group by Application id” then “Combine Grouped buttons” then “Decombine -Active Group…” with Winhawk somehow?
Thank You.
Hi Adrian,
Unfortunately, there’s no Windhawk mod at this time to help with this.
It’s not in the table because it felt too specific to me, and indeed, not many users complained that they miss it. I might look at it at some point, but due to the complexity of implementing it for the new taskbar, and due to the low demand, it’s not a high priority.
I would like to have that, for multiple monitors.
Me too 🙂
I’m using exactly this combination of settings with 7+TT, and it was my reason for installing it in the first place. I would love to have this behavior available via Windhawk.
Thank You so much for responding. I searched and searched how to activate it for a while now , trying mods etc, I could not figure it out. I least I know for sure that is not possible currently thanks to Your response. I will stick with 7+ for as long as I can ( maybe till I have to upgrade to 24h2 or newer).
For now I’m still using StartAllBack 3.7.11 and Win 11 23H2 in order to keep them compatible with 7+ Taskbar Tweaker.
Best wishes !
Is there any plan to implement
Windhawk for the feature that corresponds to
Access Advanced Options:
disable_topmost in the 7+ Taskbar Tweaker.
The combination of ExplorerPatcher and 7+ Taskbar Tweaker
does not work on win11 24h2, and I can’t find anything on the market that can achieve the same functionality…
Hi, yes, it’s on my list and I plan on looking at it at some point.
Thank you!
Hi Michael, I only used one Mod-Taskbar Labels for Windows 11，here are my settings: 1、Mode-Hide labels, don’t combine taskbar buttons; 2、Running indicator style-On the left(below the icon); 3、Progress indicator style-Same as running indicator style.
I Pinned Edge icon on taskbar, when I close Edge, sometimes there will be an gray indicator as Full width style under Edge icon which has already closed.
I don’t know under what circumstance this issue will be triggered, maybe it’s a bug?
Hi, it sounds like this issue which is probably a bug in Windows, please see my last comment here:
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk-mods/issues/1173
One of the things I want is to change the Start button icon.
You can use the Windows 11 Taskbar Styler mod with the following settings:
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windows-11-taskbar-styling-guide?tab=readme-ov-file#start-button-image
What’s the status on Grouping: Drag within/between groups using right mouse button? I made a contribution to this a long time ago and every day I’m still missing it. I would LOVE to have this! Thanks!
Thank you for the contribution. I try to prioritize tasks according to several parameters, including the amount of users that asked for it (or contributed) the ease of implementation. I hope to find the time to work on it sometime soon, but currently many other things are on my short-term roadmap.
Thank you for the excellent work so far. I just switched to Win 11 today and your tools make it so much more bearable to use.
I was wondering if there’s a mod to let you change the behaviour of the alt+tab screen:
Be able to select or highlight the windows during alt+tab with the scroll wheel, and thus switching to that window once alt is let go of. I believe this behaviour was only officially there in Windows 7.
Thanks so much!
You’re welcome 🙂
Currently there’s no such mod for Alt+Tab. You can post your suggestion here:
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk-mods/issues
Since I have been forced in windows11 to install update h2n2, it disabled explorerpatch from working, so i have tried to use windhawk mods to solve most of my problems, but one that I have not been able to see solved is the fact that now I now longer see the percentage completed for a download or a conversion or anything showing a green bar that shows on the task bar icon that shows the percentage complete like it did in window 10 and how it did with windows 11, using explorerpatch and 7+ taskbar tweaker, if there is a setting I just do not know where it is in windows 11, please let me know, if not could you add it your list of mods to the windows 11 taskbar in the windhawk app, Thanks so much.
Hi, a similar question was asked and answered here:
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windows-11-taskbar-styling-guide/issues/68
Thanks very much for Windhawk. I came to it from 7 taskbar tweaker to allow me to prevent icon grouping, which its working well.
I have looked through the other mods, and I cannot find how to revert to showing the browser tab icon (favicon) in the taskbar, rather than the Chrome/Firefox default icon.
I set the “use window icons” setting on, ant that shows the expected behaviour in , for example, windows explorer (different icon on for a standard folder, vs documents, vs downloads).
Is this a feature thats available in another mod and I have missed it?
Hi Tony,
That’s up to the program. I see that something like this was suggested for Chrome and was rejected:
https://issues.chromium.org/issues/41323040
Looks like Firefox lacks this functionality too:
https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/eemgvi/addon_to_display_the_current_tabs_favicon_in_the/
These links are from a very quick search, I didn’t spend too much time looking for solutions. If the browsers lack this functionality, then a dedicated browser extension or mod is needed for these browsers to get this functionality.
I have seen many complaints about two win10 features missing from win11 that aren’t on your list:
The first is moving the taskbar to a monitor different from the one designated as primary.
The main reason is that most fullscreen apps will only ever run on the primary monitor, but the system tray is also only shown there. So whenever you’re running a fullscreen app, you can’t see the system tray. Even if you set the taskbar to show on another monitor (which win11 only allows you to by showing it on all monitors, which is a great waste of screen space), the system tray will still only show on the primary one.
The second missing feature is reducing the height of the taskbar, it’s way too big for no reason.
The list isn’t complete, it only has some of the most requested missing features.
You can use the Primary taskbar on secondary monitor mod.
You can use the Taskbar height and icon size mod.
Windows 11 24H2 / RDP taskbar can’t be shrinked anymore
only up to a limit, that’s my issue.
in older version you could shrink it to a minimum.
when you have for example 10xRDPs open (yes, i have that much open sometimes) it’s a complete mess with those big bars…
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk-mods/issues/2116
Taskbar tray icon spacing works not with Windows 11 Build 26100.4762.
Please create an issue here and attach debug logs:
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk-mods/issues
I love some of your mods. Having a few issues with some.
I would like to see a mode that allows you to tweak your mouse and it’s looks. Something that Linux might be combatable with. Because Linux allows you to have everything customizable. So they already made the mouse pointers. Just like to see something like that for your App to be used in a Windows based OS.
Plus it would be a quick fix. Just drop the download of the file one downloaded (mouse pointer styles) into the mod and it will install it on the Windows OS. Pref. Win 11 and 12.
I am a longtime user of toolbars on the taskbar. In W11 I have used ep_setup from the beginning to have the W10 taskbar. Still working with the newest version of W11. The way Windows handles toolbars is pretty messy, reordering the icons randomly with no way to update from the original. In the W10 past I was advised to make a backup from the registry. Upto now I never tried to use it. Today it turned out that the order of the icons is not stored that way (I started the name of the shortcuts with 1,2,3,.. to order them in the folder). Would also be nice if there was a way to add toolbars without texts and with small icons.
Wonder what the present version of 7+ will do, but haven’t tried it yet. Maybe windhawk?
I am looking to be able to move the windows/applications on my task bar and put them in the order that I want. Right now if I try to move things on my task bar, they ALL move. Am I missing something that exists to allow me to do this, or is this something that could be addressed?
Sounds like you’re looking for the “Disable grouping on the taskbar” mod:
https://windhawk.net/mods/taskbar-grouping
Hi! I really want to ask if it is possible to do the same on Windows 10? If not, then please invent something like that!!!!😁
What exactly do you mean by “the same”? Are you asking about something like Windows 11 Start Menu Styler or Windows 11 Taskbar Styler for Windows 10?
Hi Michael
I’d like to give one suggestion which was very good from 7+ taskbar advanced mouse options. Since I’m using 24H2 I cannot use it anymore.
Its name is taskbaritem|lclick, value 1. It allows to disable window minimize when clicking on its taskbar item. It was very handy. Do you have a mod which have this feature?
https://www.upload.ee/image/18536757/mouse_click.png
https://tweaker.userecho.com/communities/1/topics/469-add-option-to-disable-minimize-window-when-clicking-already-active-window
Olavi
Hi Michael,
Recently got a new PC with Win11 and trying to setup old (traditional) taskbar where used 7tt with great result.
This week installed Windhawk with some mods with quite good result, but some remained that would be good to improve. Either not found the right mod, not setup them correctly or some missing function.
Mind if I put down them here in one post? If its too much or hard to follow will put them later only one-by-one.
– Using multirow setup, but can not move task bar icons across the rows, just within one row.
– Using labels (text) beside the Icon, but it seems that the text is at different align from the icon, label seems on bottom while icon centered vertically. Text is off from icon. Tried with different sizes (icon and text), but visible the offset. Is there a mob to help with it, maybe one current mod can have such a setting for text too?
– Can disable finally the running indicator from below the task icons, but they are looking floating, because not visible its shapes. Is there a simple mod already where can set them to show as rectangles and not just icons and names in a row?
– Using file explorer and set somewhere (maybe in a mod or openshell) to using same layout (details) for all directories, but when navigating across them there is always one where Win decided to use either music, picture or something different from ‘general’ which is using the details view. Quite annoying to always set them back. Earlier used some tool where set the maximum directory amount to remember its folder view settings. Possible that on this new Win11 this is the case, not sure. Is there a tool, setting, mod to help with it?
– Earlier used a quite tall taskbar with 2 rows with an extra smaller quicklaunch bar below them. I see that there is no feature for it in Win11. Not sure if would use them again as little more space for programs now, but clock and systray had more space with it. Now I see that there is not possible to use the 3rd (middle) row between time and date (name of the week). Was good to see it, got used to it. Maybe possible to get it back later on?
Other question here about horizontal alignment for time and date seems off. Using both centered, but date looking always in a fixes place. Either date alignment not working or time centered different from date as they are off from each other. I know this is so small for any eyecandy, but visible all the time looked there, I am fool I know.
Screenshot
Sorry for the long post, stopping here now.
Thank you for your work so far, you are my man with this tweaks!
Kobor
Hi Kabor,
That’s a known limitation:
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk-mods/issues/1350
The only way to customize it currently is with the Windows 11 Taskbar Styler mod. It might require some manual work to find the right target and styles.
I don’t understand this one.
Currently there’s no Windhawk mod to help with this. Applying it via Windows setting might work, see:
https://www.tenforums.com/customization/190874-default-folder-view-all-folders.html
With the clock customization mod, you can add newlines to have more than two lines.
You can customize it with either the clock customization mod, or Windows 11 Taskbar Styler.
Thank you for your answers Michael, sorry for late reply, life had been so busy and still is.
Managed to set 3 lines with %time%%newline%%weekday% written for Top Line, found it at other tab there. Seen Middle line (Windows 10 only), that was why thought not possible with Win11, but is there now, thank you.
If I disable the running indicator (Line below or bottom of button) then there is no difference where is the button (edges) as all the same color with whole taskbar. Just Icon and text show there is a button there, feeling that is ‘levitating’ (not moving) there. Would be better visual if there would be some outline or bit different color or shade, something similar when I am moving the mouse over one button its a bit different. Seen a picture at a whole taskbar package, but not planning to change much of it yet.
Inside the File Explorer my old Win10 system (both at work and home) remembered all the current and future directory views. But in this new Win11 regardless I set all View for the one I was one, just not using on new directories it seems. Probably Win11 think his time arrived, there is a new directory, lets see what is in it, music-movie-document, I will set for you (stupid user) the view for it, because I know it. But don’t want to discover new ones neither. Even if parent directory set General type with valid for all sub ones either.
Many years earlier was some tweak or registry settings where can set higher the number of directory views Win can remember. Have reviewed all tweak program, but not found it now, maybe was before Win8/10. Probably Win10 and Win11 handling them differently, not sure.
If you’re looking for specific visual customizations, you can try the Windows 11 Taskbar Styler mod.
Regarding File Explorer views, currently there are no Windhawk mods to help with that.
Hi! Is there a possibility of implementing the Mouse wheel – minimize/restore when mouse is over function? This feature is the only thing holding me back from upgrading to Windows 11 😀
Hi, there’s a mod for that which is also in the table, have you tried it?
https://windhawk.net/mods/taskbar-button-scroll
Thanks, I couldn’t find it.
I hope the “drag within groups” is being worked on. With Windows 11 looming, the inability to do this is going to drive me insane. I don’t really care about dragging between groups, but being able to rearrange windows on the taskbar is incredibly important to me because Firefox can’t get their ducks in a row when it comes to remembering order.
Anyway I put my money where my mouth is on that one. Thanks for the work you’re doing to make Windows 11 less awful.
Hi, regarding Firefox, see my comment here:
https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk-mods/issues/1952#issuecomment-2937322920
In short, the order of the thumbnail previews is controlled by Firefox and is synchronized with the order of its tabs.
It’s not the thumbnail preview, but the order of the windows. When you have multiple windows open in Firefox, sometimes it spazzes out and forgets the order they’re supposed to go in when you restore a session. Most of the time it’s fine, but every now and then it just randomly reorders everything. I use 7+TT to drag the windows back into the order they belong on the taskbar.
Gotcha. Usually the workaround for Windows 11 is to use the thumbnail reorder mod, but as I explained in the linked issue, Firefox uses the uncommon feature of having a thumbnail preview per tab instead of per window, which is incompatible with the mod. This feature can be disabled in the Firefox settings, but if you like having a preview per tab, then it’s not the best solution. Currently, I’m afraid there’s no other way to solve this.