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Items "escaping" on scrollable taskbar

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by lpd

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Maybe this is a known Windows XP annoyance, but I did not find it mentioned anywhere:
I have the taskbar fixed, double high, and this happens when there are so many applications open that the taskbar has more than two rows, and is scrollable. Every now and then, I want to click on an application icon on one of the lower rows to bring it into focus, but instead, the taskbar just scrolls up so I don't see the icon anymore! I scroll down and click on it once more, then it comes to focus ok.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Leonardo

8 replies

by absolutely

Have you selected "auto-hide the taskbar"?

I'm not sure what you mean when you say the
taskbar is "scrollable". Maybe that's a
Swiss word?

by lpd

well... as I said "...there are so many applications open that the taskbar has more than..." the number of visible rows, since there is not enough room on the visible rows to display all icons in a "readable" size. That's when Windows XP puts a scrollbar to the right of the "applications area" of the taskbar (to the left of the system tray). And by saying it was "fixed" I meant to say I have not checked "autohide", and I checked "Keep the taskbar on top of other windows".
(Is it typically Swiss to use words like readable, visible, scrollable? I'd think although "scrollable" is not everyday English, it sure should be established IT jargon, what do you think?)

by older mycroft

How many tasks do you have to have open (in Switzerland) ?

When I have multiple entries in my single-storey taskbar, XP tends to group similar task IDs together with a nomenclature telling me how many there are of that particular type.

I tried a two-storey taskbar once but found it looked ugly in the extreme, plus it never had much in it but free space.

I've seen users with two-storey taskbars but that was usually because of their bloated systray entries.

I've never seen a 'scrollable' taskbar.

by lpd

Ahem, let's try not to get into Swiss-bashing here... 8-)

OK, here it goes

Prerequisites:
- Windows XP Professional
- black laptop with 14" LCD
- screen resolution 1024 x 768 (I know, my eyes aren't the best -- but read on)
- advanced display setting: 'Large' 120 DPI
- appearance setting: Windows classic style, large font size
- no grouping of taskbar icons
- no hiding of inactive (tray) icons
(you see, I want control of *everything*)

My two-storey taskbar, from left to right:
- Start button
- two rows of quick-launch icons, totalling 8
- quicklaunch area 'extendable/extended' (click on the arrow to get more quicklaunch icons)
- more than 14 open application windows, that is as many icons in the middle area of the taskbar (14 just fit in two rows)
- a system tray containing 20 icons
- no clock display in the tray

I think this should give you an idea about my 'ergonomic' disability/challenge/requirements ... but since you are asking such questions, it comes to mind that MS might not have tested this feature very extensively either...

by older mycroft

- Windows XP Professional - Check
- black laptop with 14" LCD - silver/black 15.4"
- screen resolution 1024 x 768 - Check
- 'Large' 120 DPI - Standard
- Windows classic style - MAC OS X v10
- no grouping of taskbar icons - Check
- no hiding of inactive icons - Check

...So there we go. Apart from the aesthetic qualities of Flyakite (which I've run with for 2 years) we are rather similar [as users].

However, this is where the similarities end.
- Start button - Check
- quick-launch icons, total 8 - Zero
- quicklaunch area extended - Zero
- > 14 open applications - Three <>
- system tray 20 icons - Five
- no clock display in the tray - Clock

I apologise upfront!

How on earth can you possibly have 14 applications open at the one time?

You might consider freeing up lots more space in your taskbar by moving your quick-launch bar to the left-hand (or right-hand) side of your screen - where it will live in splendid isolation but fully visible at all times.

As for your systray having 20 icons, I shudder to think how slow your system must run at. I have always considered any more than half a dozen as foolhardy.

But, this is just my opinion.

by lpd

It seems to me you're taking the MS approach:
"We have something nifty to help you manage your work! Oh, it's broken? Err, why do you think you could rely on it? Do something else instead!"
I know I am causing this situation partly by the way I work. First part of it is things my company (or common sense) forces me to do/use (like mail client, firewalls, online help apps, automatic updaters etc.), second is real work I have to do (like any number of active sessions to different host systems, including VPNs and such), third is my personal convenience (like multi-clipboard, Palm hotsynch, online voice-mail, etc. etc).
If you're really interested into details, maybe I will compile a product list from my taskbar.
Just because of this situation, I am susceptible to annoyances like the one I described.
I do not think it will be fixed eventually, given MS's everyday work on security holes and other more essential bugs...

by dogknees

I've just tried it and it seems to work. Do you always get the problem or only occasionally?

by lpd

To me, the following sequence is consistent:
1. I have 3 rows of icons, 2 rows are visible.
2. I scroll down one row.
3. I click on an icon in the second row (which is at the top now). Corresponding Window gets focus ok.
4. I click on another icon in the second row. Taskbar just scrolls up (second row is at the bottom now).
I can repeat steps 2-3-4 ad nauseam.

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