7+ Taskbar Tweaker v4.5, with Windows 8.1 Update 1 support

7+ Taskbar Tweaker v4.5, the stable version that is compatible with Windows 8.1 Update 1, is finally out!

Two months ago, I’ve created a blog post describing why adding support for the new Windows update is not trivial, and provided a way for you, the users, to support the porting effort with donations. I was pleasantly surprised by the quick completion of the goal. I want to thank everybody who supported the porting effort: Charles George, Justin Shillock (Platypus Man), and other contributors.

In addition to the support of Windows 8.1 Update 1, 7+ Taskbar Tweaker v4.5 fixes a couple of minor bugs comparing to v4.4.6. One issue that is still left unsolved is the lack of proper support for Metro taskbar items. Windows 8.1 Update 1 has a separate handling logic for Metro tasks, so it will require some effort. I plan to get this fixed in one of the future versions.

You can get 7+ Taskbar Tweaker v4.5 here.

Posted in Software, Updates by Michael (Ramen Software) on May 10th, 2014.
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48 Responses to “7+ Taskbar Tweaker v4.5, with Windows 8.1 Update 1 support”

  1. xpclient says:

    Thank you again for a fantastic program. Makes the new Windows taskbar usable.

  2. Great, it works for me, thank you so much! It feels good to have the Taskbar working “correctly” again: Middle-click to close programs/windows, just like Internet Explorer, Visual Studio, and most of the other tabbed applications out there.

  3. Hi
    i have problem explorer.exe crashed
    when windows startup loading
    it is problem 7+ taskbar or Windows ?
    http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa423/Gamkutopolowk/Imageexplorer2_zps70e68ec8.jpg

  4. not one microsoft can search help code error: 0x3b1ed6bc

  5. CMMartti says:

    Thank you very much for updating 7+TT for Windows 8.1. I was sorely missing the scroll to change volume, among many, many other great features. 7+TT is freeware at it’s best!

    Hopefully Microsoft doesn’t break 7+TT compatibility any more in future Windows updates!

  6. RobotNinja says:

    Amazing functionality & thanks for update – I salute you

  7. RPhillips says:

    It’s been said many times already, but I don’t think you can ever get tired of hearing kudos and appreciation from this community. You have created an amazing product that makes windows so much more like it “should” be.

    Thank you very much!

  8. Jay says:

    I got the same problem!!

    Explorer.exe – unknown hard error.

    Closing the dialog box restarts explorer.exe automatically then runs fine.

    Trying to solve the problem damaged my windows installation. I’m currently trying different solutions to boot in my account, (currently stuck in a black screen loop), before reinstalling windows.
    Once I’m up and running again, I will reinstall 7+ (uninstalled it and did scan /sfx, windows died on the next reboot) when I’m up and running again and report back here if the the problem comes back.

  9. David Roper says:

    i am the admin of my laptop. I am the only one using it.
    I cannot uninstall it. It refuses to uninstall and tells me i do not have admin rights. What now?.

    • The tweaker shouldn’t require administrative rights to either install or uninstall.
      Could you provide a screenshot with the error you’re seeing?
      Also, you might want to try disabling autostart for the tweaker, restarting, and trying to uninstall again.

  10. johnp says:

    Hi,
    would it be possible for you to increase the default size of the volume mixer? If you have a lot of programs opened you always have to scroll because the newest ones, which normally are the ones you want to adjust, are always added rightmost. Unfortunately this behavior seems to be intended[1].

    I think remembering window size wouldn’t be easy, but probably, as you have experience in making modifications to such windows UI internals, it’d be possible to manually set the default size (horizontal would be enough) to a higher value.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

    [1] http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/29e695dd-17bd-459d-9fcc-d159bc2755b3/volume-mixer-size-isnt-remembered?forum=w7itproui

  11. Genesis says:

    I just installed 7+ Taskbar Tweaker v4.5.1 on windows 8.1 with Aug feature/rollup update.

    Explorer windows will not combine, even using Taskbar Inspector. I had Windows setting set to ‘Combine When Full’

    Seems you must first set the Windows Taskbar Setting to ‘Always combine’, before 7+ settings will work.

    If this is true that certain options must be preset in Windows Taskbar properties for 7+ settings to operate correctly, you may want to add a note to that effect on download page.

  12. Genesis says:

    sorry your imggur has expired..
    and i cannot find any note under SETTINGS in help file
    and various search terms do not turn up anything about per-requiste Windows Taskbar settings.

    I’ll stick with my original suggestion and amplify it by suggesting that a LIST of pre-required settings for Windows Taskbar be made available.

    For example I noticed ‘group’ seems to be the same as ‘combine’ in Taskbar Inspector. Is this behavior because some other setting must be first done in Windows own settings?

    I had thought ‘group’ was just supposed to put same program icons BESIDE each other on taskbar, not cascade them like ‘combine’

    • Weird, the image was deleted.
      Here it is again:
      http://i.imgur.com/tjUs8e4.png
      Mirror:
      http://i.snag.gy/Q7Q7X.jpg

      For example I noticed ‘group’ seems to be the same as ‘combine’ in Taskbar Inspector. Is this behavior because some other setting must be first done in Windows own settings?

      In which way are they the same?
      The ‘combine’ option doesn’t work when “Combine when taskbar is full” is used, neither the global option, nor the per App-ID option.

      I had thought ‘group’ was just supposed to put same program icons BESIDE each other on taskbar, not cascade them like ‘combine’

      Please see the help file to understand the difference between grouping and combining.

  13. Richard says:

    Hello RaMMicHaeL.

    I was referred here from another forum. I’m trying to find find some way to change the way the taskbar groups/orders windows from the same application in windows 7.

    Let me explain. In windows xp when the taskbar starts combining windows together from let’s say a browser it puts the most recently opened window at the top of the column, so when it you get so many windows open that the column has to add scroll buttons to the grouping column the most recently opened window remains at the top and you have to scroll down the column to reach the oldest windows.

    Now windows 7 puts the most recently opened windows at the bottom of the column, so when you get too many open windows for the column to show at once the most recent windows actually have to be scrolled to and the oldest windows remain at the top of the column instead.

    I guess this would be considered ascending – descending order. I am wondering if your program would change this. If I’m not explaining myself well enough here’s a link to a thread where I asked this and posted pics to illustrate the problem. thanks in advance.

    http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/345803-change-taskbar-column-window-order.html

  14. Richard says:

    Thanks for the quick reply RaMMicHaeL.

    I will install your app and try it then. I’ll get back to you and tell you if it works for me.

    thanks a bunch.

  15. Alex says:

    I have to run 7+ TT as administrator to get it to work in 8.1, but I am now getting the message Could not load library (102)

    Can you suggest a solution to the problem?

  16. Alex says:

    Thanks, uninstalled, although the uninstaller didn’t work, then installed the latest beta 2.
    Seems to run Ok now, although it won’t start when windows starts and I have to run it as administrator.

  17. Alex says:

    Firstly the prog doesn’t run at windows startup.
    Then if I double click either the desktop shortcut or the exe file in my user folder I get the standard response box;
    “Your system administrator has blocked this program. For more information contact your system administrator”
    If I right click either the exe file or the shortcut and select ‘Run as Administrator’ then the program runs.
    I have tried setting the ‘run as administrator option in the exe file properties, but this doesn’t seem to help.

  18. Vyacheslav says:

    In version 4.5.5, at turning on of the second screen there is a stop of the conductor, to the subsequent restart. In version 4.5.1, everything is excellent. (((Windows 8.1 Pro x64.
    В версии 4.5.5, при включении второго экрана происходит остановка проводника, с последующим перезапуском. В версии 4.5.1, всё отлично. ((( Windows 8.1 Pro x64.

  19. Stephen says:

    On Windows 8.1, I installed Taskbar Tweaker and set the no_width_limit to 1, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Have rebooted several times since install and verified that option is still set accessing via the TT icon in the notification tray. Any clues?

    • No clues so far. A couple of questions:

      1. Do you understand what the option is supposed to do? (You probably do, just making sure.) It should allow you to resize the vertical taskbar beyond the default limit: http://i.imgur.com/mTsvsbf.png

      2. Do other tweaker options work?

      3. Do you have multiple taskbars (multi-monitor enviroment)? The option only works for the primary taskbar.

  20. João Henrique says:

    How you doing RaMMichael, 7taskbar is a nice and very useful aplication.

    Can you add a feture to hide icon from the taskbar, but maintaining open ? using the Taskbar inspector to control.

    Thank again.

  21. j carerra says:

    Suggest ability to change taskbar font color/size is desperately needed, and bkgnd color too–but font color/size REALLY needed…hx

  22. Sanjev says:

    Thanks … but need to give option to change fonts too. currently disabled taskbar and using object dock and rainmeter.

  23. Sam Dixon says:

    I’m on Win7 x64 with the latest updated version of 7+.
    Everything works as expected except the resizing. That is, the program may resize (make thinner) the taskbar once in every 10 or 15 launches, never consistently. I’m wondering if I may have some setting incorrect or something. Aero is on, do I need to turn it off?

    • You’re using a vertical taskbar, right? Are you using any of the advanced options of the tweaker? Also, are you sure that the tweaker causes the issue?
      It would be helpful if you could find a way to reproduce the issue.

      • Sam Dixon says:

        Thanks for the quick response.

        Vertical? Of course. There’s no need for a thinner horizontal.
        But I use none of advanced options because I saw nothing I need to change. Should I?

        This is Windows, so it’s completely possible that 7+ may not be at fault, but I don’t have the slightest clue what would stop it from working. I have no other taskbar enhancements installed.

        Now I do have QTTabBar installed, but that injects itself into the Windows explorer executable, not the taskbar exe. Might that have something to do with it even though an entirely different executable is involved?

        I like like the volume feature and a few others, so if necessary, I’ll just use 7+ extra features with the horizontal bar.

        Thanks for the reply.

        • But I use none of advanced options because I saw nothing I need to change. Should I?

          No. I’m asking because there’s an option which allows you to make the taskbar thinner than the default minimum. But if you don’t use it, it shouldn’t affect anything.

          Now I do have QTTabBar installed, but that injects itself into the Windows explorer executable, not the taskbar exe.

          It’s the same executable, explorer.exe, so yes, that’s possible.

  24. Andy says:

    Looks like a neat program, I can hide that taskbar icon that leads me to the 8.1 crappy screen no one wants, but what I really would like to have the darn windows key that microsoft made all the keyboard manufacturers add, lead to the old style start menu that they added back.

    Thanks!

  25. M. A. Fletcher says:

    I’ve been using 7+ Taskbar Tweaker for some time now, and really like it. Makes keeping stuff sorted in the taskbar easy. I installed the update yesterday, and very soon thereafter, my rootkit scanner indicated that there is an heuristic snooper of some sort in that program (wish I’d taken a screen shot of the error message, but didn’t at the time — I know it said there was a heuristic problem in the program). Interestingly enough, this does not show up when I run a malware scan, only the rootkit scanner picks this up. I don’t want to lose Taskbar Tweaker, but I don’t want malware in my machine either. Any ideas???

    • There’s a good chance that the identification is a false positive. As said on the FAQ, the tweaker’s behavior, such as injection into a system process (Explorer), can be considered as malicious/suspicious by some antivirus programs. I suggest you to contact your rootkit scanner company and ask them about the message that you have seen, and perhaps submit your tweaker files (not the ones from the website, because perhaps yours are infected), so they will verify whether they are infected.

  26. M. A. Fletcher says:

    Thank you!

  27. JD says:

    Hello! Been an avid user of 7 Taskbar Tweaker since last year but recently. I noticed that my Startup has become too long and an error occurs that the 7 Taskbar Tweaker library cannot be loaded. In line with this, my Metro Apps is freezing my whole computer for some reason (My Start Menu has stopped working as well). Could you possibly help me trace down why this conflict might be occuring.. Sorry and thank you!

    • Hi,
      I’m not aware of any issues with the tweaker and Windows 8. Can you tell me what is the exact error message that you’re getting?
      Also, if you disable the tweaker and restart, does the issue go away? If you haven’t tried it, please check it out to see whether the tweaker causes the issues.

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