There is no denying that Windows 7 brought significant changes to the user interface. The most apparent change to Windows 7 is the new taskbar. This redesigned taskbar features various windows open combined under one icon instead of displaying individual buttons, creating a more aesthetically pleasing, modern, and efficient Windows display. While this update is meant to improve the overall appearance and experience of Windows for users, many users are accustomed to the more classic look of Windows XP or Vista. This is completely understandable, and fortunately, Windows 7 does allow customization, including reverting the taskbar to more closely resemble how it looked in the past.
If you prefer the classic Windows XP or Vista-style taskbar with separate buttons allocated to different open windows, you can achieve this look by following the steps below. The first step is to right-click on any area of the taskbar to prompt a menu to show up on the display. This menu should display various options, including Properties. Make sure to select this option.
Within Properties, you will now be given the option of how you want your taskbar to appear. These options include three different settings, but it is important to select Never combine. This ensures that the different windows open will not combine into the one icon presented with the Windows 7 update and instead will stay separate, looking more like the taskbar seen in Windows XP or Vista versions.
The final step in this is to make sure that your settings are saved–without this, any changes that you have made will be a waste. To do this make sure to click Apply and then OK to confirm that you are changing your preferences.
Now, if you wish to take it a step further and additionally mimic Windows XP and or Vista, you can reduce the taskbar size. In order to do this, it is recommended that you complete the same steps as explained above by right-clicking and opening Properties. Then, it is important to enable the option called “Use small icons.” There should be a check box that you can click to enable this function. This change allows you to shrink the icon of open windows, lower the overall size of the taskbar, and make your display look even more similar to Windows Vista.
Again with this step, as before, you must save your work in order to save the settings. To do this, apply the changes by selecting Apply and then OK.
The next and final step to making the Windows 7 taskbar appear more like Windows XP or Vista is by unpinning things from the taskbar. Windows 7 introduced “pinned” taskbar icons. These icons will still be located in the taskbar, which was not how they appeared in previous versions of Windows, such as Windows XP or Vista. If you wish to remove them, the simple thing to do is right-click on the pinned icon and simply press the option listed as Unpin this program from taskbar. This simple but effective step allows Windows 7 to revert and look more like Windows XP or Vista.
While Windows 7 presents a different look for the taskbar, as you have seen, it is indeed possible to revert the system and make it look more like Windows XP or Vista if you wish. By following the steps above, you can integrate the new looks of Windows 7 and the older versions of Windows by choosing what you want to change.
