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Windows 10 Virtual Desktops - change taskbar buttons behavior

Anonymous 8 years ago 0

Feature request: add an option to always indicate that an app is already running on another desktop (a dot under icon? maybe different underline color?) as the default set of features in Windows 10 leaves a lot to be desired.


Right now under Settings > System > Mutitasking we can choose between the taskbar showing only the windows that are open on current desktop or windows from all desktops.

The first option is better for organizing work (the point of Virtual Desktops) but it makes it impossible to switch easily between different windows of the same app that are spread between desktops. Try this: set the option to "Only the desktop I'm using", then run two instances of an app on Desktop 1 and go to Desktop 2. There is no indication that the app is open on Desktop 1.
The solution is to switch to "All desktops" - the windows preview pops up, allowing the switching. Now run another instance of the app on Desktop 2. You can switch between the 3 windows, but there is no way of telling which is open on the current desktop or another. This option is also messy if you choose to never combine taskbar buttons, as the taskbar quickly becomes filled with wide buttons of apps from all the desktops.


The solution would be to discreetly indicate apps that are active on other desktops, e.g. with a different underline color or size, and allowing to always show window preview. Also, when automatically decombining buttons using 7TT, it would be nice to differentiate between the decombined buttons from the current and other desktops.


Additionally, I choose to never combine taskbar buttons - for me, it would be nice to show a combined and underlined app button when none of its windows are present on the current desktop.

I hope this isn't too much to ask. Thanks for the software as it is!