I’m not sure how to express my thoughts, but using pictures would make it simpler.
This is the appearance of my taskbar. If I were to select the Windows Explorer application, it would have a similar appearance to what is shown.
Once I select the application’s icon, my intention is for it to retain its original appearance, as seen in the first image, while a distinct icon for that instance becomes visible. Thus, my desired outcome is depicted in the following manner:
I am aware that this is achievable because I had it set up that way previously, but I am currently unable to recall the steps I took to accomplish it, since I reinstalled my Windows operating system.
Thanks.
3 Answers
Introduction
When working with multiple instances of the same program in Windows, it can be challenging to keep track of which instance is which. One solution to this problem is to have each instance of the program display a unique icon in the taskbar. This makes it easier to switch between instances of the same program and can be especially helpful when working with multiple windows of the same program. In this blog post, we will discuss how to make Windows programs appear in the taskbar open another icon for that instance.
Step 1: Open Task Manager
The first step in making Windows programs appear in the taskbar open another icon for that instance is to open the Task Manager. To do this, right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager” from the context menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+Shift+Esc” keys on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
Step 2: Locate the Program in Task Manager
Once you have opened the Task Manager, locate the program for which you want to create a unique icon in the taskbar. You can do this by scrolling through the list of running programs or by using the search bar to search for the program by name.
Step 3: Right-Click on the Program and Select “Properties”
Once you have located the program in the Task Manager, right-click on it and select “Properties” from the context menu. This will open the Properties window for the program.
Step 4: Change the Icon of the Program
In the Properties window for the program, click on the “Change Icon” button. This will open a window that displays a list of available icons for the program. Select the icon that you want to use for this instance of the program and click “OK” to apply the changes.
Step 5: Pin the Program to the Taskbar
Once you have changed the icon for the program, you can pin it to the taskbar so that it always appears there. To do this, right-click on the program in the Task Manager and select “Pin to taskbar” from the context menu.
Conclusion
In conclusion, making Windows programs appear in the taskbar open another icon for that instance is a simple process that can be accomplished in just a few steps. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily keep track of multiple instances of the same program and switch between them with ease.
To have Windows programs appear as separate icons in the taskbar, you can do the following:
- Right-click on the taskbar and select “Taskbar settings” from the context menu.
- In the Taskbar settings window, scroll down to the “Taskbar” section and toggle on the option for “Show windows from all open apps on the taskbar”.
- Close the Taskbar settings window.
This should cause each open instance of a program to appear as a separate icon on the taskbar. You can then click on any of these icons to switch between open instances of the program.
Note: This feature is called “Taskbar icon grouping” and is turned off by default in Windows. Enabling it will cause all open instances of a program to be grouped together on the taskbar, with a small arrow indicating that multiple instances are open. To switch between open instances of a program, you can click on the arrow to see a list of all open instances, and then click on the one you want to switch to.
To create a shortcut on your desktop, you should first right-click on an empty space on your desktop, then select “New” and then “Shortcut”. Next, write “explorer.exe” as the target and click on “Next” and then “Finish”.
After that, you can right-click on the newly created shortcut and select “Pin to taskbar”. Finally, you can remove the desktop shortcut and use the newly added button on the taskbar instead.