Surface Pro 7 Taskbar Tweaks: Genius Hacks

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Surface Pro 7 Taskbar Tweaks: Genius Hacks for Effortless Productivity

Optimize your Surface Pro 7 experience with smart taskbar adjustments. These essential tweaks transform its usability, making it more efficient for daily tasks whether you’re working, studying, or creating. Discover simple yet powerful ways to personalize your taskbar and boost your productivity. Let’s dive into some genius hacks that will make your Surface Pro 7 even better.

Surface Pro 7 Taskbar Tweaks: Genius Hacks for a Smoother Workflow

Hey there, fellow Surface enthusiasts! Walter Moore here from Tabletzoo, and if you’re anything like me, you love your Surface Pro 7. It’s a fantastic device that bridges the gap between a tablet and a laptop. But sometimes, that little bar at the bottom of your screen – the taskbar – can feel a bit… well, uninspired. It might be taking up too much space, holding icons you never use, or just not set up the way you’d ideally want it. You’re not alone in feeling this way!

The good news is, Windows 10 (and now Windows 11, which many Surface Pro 7 users can upgrade to) offers a surprising amount of customization for the taskbar. You just need to know where to look. Think of it like tuning up a sports car – a few small adjustments can make a world of difference in performance and feel. Today, we’re going to explore some genius taskbar tweaks specifically for your Surface Pro 7. We’ll cover everything from freeing up screen real estate to making your most-used apps just a tap away. Get ready to unlock the full potential of your Surface Pro 7’s taskbar!

Why Bother Tweaking Your Surface Pro 7 Taskbar?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about the “why.” Your Surface Pro 7 is designed for flexibility. Whether you’re using it in tablet mode with the Type Cover detached or in laptop mode, every inch of screen space matters. An unoptimized taskbar can:

  • Consume valuable screen real estate, especially on a smaller display.
  • Clutter your view with icons you rarely use.
  • Slow down your workflow if you can’t quickly find what you need.
  • Feel unresponsive or unappealing, detracting from the overall user experience.

Making a few simple changes can lead to a more visually pleasing, efficient, and personalized computing experience. It’s about making your Surface Pro 7 work for you, not the other way around. Ready to make it happen? Let’s start tweaking!

Essential Surface Pro 7 Taskbar Tweaks for Beginners

These foundational tweaks are easy to implement and provide immediate benefits. They’re perfect for anyone new to customizing their Windows environment.

1. Auto-hide the Taskbar: Reclaim Your Screen!

This is perhaps the most impactful tweak for maximizing screen space. When enabled, the taskbar disappears when not in use and slides back into view when you hover your mouse pointer or tap the bottom of the screen. It’s like magic for making your apps feel bigger!

How to Auto-hide the Taskbar:

  1. Right-click on an empty space on your taskbar.
  2. Select Taskbar settings from the context menu. (If you’re on Windows 11, you might need to click “Taskbar settings” after clicking “Taskbar behaviors”).
  3. Look for the option that says “Automatically hide the taskbar”.
  4. Click the toggle switch to turn it On.

Pro Tip: This is especially useful in tablet mode, as it gives you more room for drawing, reading, or watching videos without the taskbar constantly peeking out.

2. Resize the Taskbar (Slightly!)

While Windows doesn’t offer a simple slider to make the taskbar smaller, there’s a trick that can make it appear less obtrusive. This involves unlocking the taskbar and then dragging its edge.

How to Resize the Taskbar:

  1. Right-click on an empty space on your taskbar.
  2. Make sure “Lock the taskbar” is unchecked (if it’s checked, click it to unlock).
  3. Hover your mouse pointer over the top edge of the taskbar until it turns into a double-headed arrow.
  4. Click and drag the edge downwards to make the taskbar one row of icons tall. Caution: Dragging it upwards will make it larger, which is counterproductive for saving space.
  5. Once resized, right-click the taskbar again and select “Lock the taskbar” to prevent accidental resizing.

Note: This might slightly increase the icon size, but the overall reduction in height can still be beneficial.

3. Manage Taskbar Icons: Declutter Your Desktop

The icons on your taskbar represent the apps you use most often. But what if those icons aren’t the ones you actually use? You can easily add, remove, and rearrange them.

Adding Icons:

  1. Open the app you want to add to the taskbar.
  2. Right-click the app’s icon on the taskbar (if it’s already there).
  3. Select “Pin to taskbar”.
  4. If the app isn’t open, find it in your Start Menu, right-click it, and select “More” > “Pin to taskbar”.

Removing Icons:

  1. Right-click on the icon you no longer want on the taskbar.
  2. Select “Unpin from taskbar”.

Rearranging Icons:

  1. Make sure the taskbar is unlocked (see resize instructions above).
  2. Click and drag an icon to the left or right to move it to your desired position.
  3. Lock the taskbar again once you’re satisfied.

4. Turn Off or Customize System Tray Icons

The system tray (or notification area) is that section on the far right of your taskbar, usually showing the clock, Wi-Fi, battery, and other small icons. You can control which icons appear here.

How to Manage System Tray Icons:

  1. Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
  2. Scroll down to the “Notification area” section.
  3. Here you’ll find options like “Select which icons appear on the taskbar”. Click this to toggle specific app icons on or off.
  4. You can also choose “Turn system icons on or off” to control the visibility of icons like Clock, Volume, Network, etc.

Pro Tip: Keeping this area clean reduces visual clutter and helps you focus on your active tasks.

Intermediate Surface Pro 7 Taskbar Hacks for Power Users

Ready to take your taskbar customization up a notch? These tweaks offer more advanced control and can significantly streamline your workflow.

5. Combine Taskbar Buttons: Less Clutter, More Focus

When you have multiple windows of the same application open (like several Word documents), they can either show up as individual buttons or all combined into one. Combining them is usually cleaner.

How to Combine Taskbar Buttons:

  1. Navigate to Taskbar settings (Right-click taskbar > Taskbar settings).
  2. Find the option “Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels”.
  3. You’ll typically have options like:
    • Always, hide labels: All windows of an app are shown as one button with just the app icon.
    • When taskbar is full: Buttons combine only when space is limited.
    • Never: Each window gets its own button (can get very busy!).
  4. Choose “Always, hide labels” for the most streamlined look.

6. Utilize the “Show Desktop” Corner (Windows 10)

Did you know there’s a tiny, often overlooked button on the far right edge of the taskbar? Clicking it minimizes all open windows, revealing your desktop. There’s a hidden gem here: you can make it a hover-to-activate feature.

How to Enable Peek at Desktop:

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Find the option “Use Peek to preview the desktop when you hover over the Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar”.
  3. Toggle this to On.

Now, instead of clicking, just hover over the very last sliver of taskbar on the right, and your desktop will peek through. Move your mouse away, and your windows return. It’s great for a quick glance without losing your place.

7. Adjust Taskbar Position: Left, Right, or Top!

While most users keep the taskbar at the bottom, you have the flexibility to place it on the left, right, or even the top of your screen. This can be particularly useful depending on how you hold or use your Surface Pro 7, or if you’re using a specific app that benefits from a different layout.

How to Change Taskbar Position:

  1. Unlock the taskbar (Right-click taskbar > Uncheck “Lock the taskbar”).
  2. Click and drag the taskbar from its usual bottom position to any of the other three edges of your screen.
  3. Once it snaps into place, right-click it and select “Lock the taskbar”.

Experiment with different positions to see if one feels more natural for your workflow.

8. Use the Search Box or Icon Wisely

Windows Search is powerful, but the search box itself can take up a significant chunk of taskbar real estate. You can change how it appears.

How to Change Search Box Settings:

  1. Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
  2. Look for the “Search” option.
  3. You can choose between:
    • Hidden: Completely removes the search icon.
    • Icon only: Shows a small magnifying glass icon. Click it to open search.
    • Search icon and label: Shows the icon and the word “Search”.
    • Search box: Displays the full search bar.

For maximum space, choose “Icon only” or “Hidden”. You can always press the Windows key to start typing and initiate a search.

Advanced Surface Pro 7 Taskbar Tweaks for Ultimate Customization

These hacks go a little deeper, requiring registry edits or third-party tools, but can offer unparalleled control over your taskbar.

9. Small Taskbar Buttons: Tiny Tweaks for Big Impact

If you opted for a larger taskbar or find the default icons too big, Windows 10/11 offers a hidden setting to use smaller taskbar buttons. This is not available directly in the standard Taskbar Settings menu.

How to Enable Small Taskbar Buttons (Requires Registry Edit):

Disclaimer: Editing the Windows Registry can be risky if not done carefully. It’s always recommended to back up your registry before making changes. Find instructions on how to back up the Windows Registry from Microsoft.

  1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.
  3. Navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced
  4. In the right-hand pane, right-click on an empty space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  5. Name the new value TaskbarSi.
  6. Double-click on TaskbarSi and set its Value data to 1.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Restart your computer or restart Windows Explorer for the changes to take effect.

After restarting, your taskbar icons (and the taskbar itself) should appear smaller. To revert, simply change the Value data back to 0 or delete the TaskbarSi value.

10. Use Third-Party Tools for Even More Control

For those who want ultimate control, the Windows ecosystem offers powerful third-party tools. These can unlock features Microsoft hasn’t exposed in the default settings.

Popular Options Include:

  • StartAllBack: Restores classic taskbar and Start Menu functionality (available for Windows 11, but can sometimes work with 10 too) and offers extensive customization.
  • ExplorerPatcher: Allows customization of taskbar and Start Menu for Windows 11, bringing back Windows 10 features. This is a free, open-source tool.
  • TaskbarX: Primarily focuses on centering taskbar icons (a Windows 11 feature now, but this app offers more options and works on Windows 10), but also includes options for transparency and animation.

Where to find them: A quick search for these tools will lead you to their official websites or GitHub repositories. Always download software from trusted sources.

Why use them? These tools often provide granular control over transparency, icon arrangement, grouping behavior, and even taskbar color that isn’t available natively. For example, you can achieve a truly transparent taskbar or have icons completely separate even in Windows 11.

11. Taskbar Transparency and Color Customization

While Windows 10 allows some basic color customization, achieving true transparency often requires a registry tweak or a third-party app.

Basic Color Customization (Windows 10/11):

  1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors.
  2. Choose your accent color.
  3. Toggle “Transparency effects” on or off. This affects the taskbar’s opacity slightly.

Advanced Transparency (Using Registry or Apps:

  • Registry Method: Similar to enabling small taskbar icons, specific registry edits can control transparency. Search for “Windows 10 taskbar transparency registry tweak” for detailed guides.
  • Third-Party Apps: As mentioned, tools like TaskbarX or StartAllBack often have built-in transparency sliders or presets.

12. Pinning Websites Directly to the Taskbar

This is a fantastic productivity hack for quick access to your favorite web services. Instead of opening your browser and navigating, you can launch a website directly from the taskbar.

How to Pin a Website:

  1. Open your preferred web browser (e.g., Microsoft Edge, Chrome).
  2. Navigate to the website you want to pin (e.g., Gmail, Outlook.com, your company portal).
  3. For Microsoft Edge: Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner, hover over “More tools”, and select “Pin to taskbar”.
  4. For Google Chrome: Click the three dots ( : ) in the top-right corner, go to “More tools” > “Create shortcut”. In the dialog that pops up, check the box that says “Open as window”, then click “Create”. This will create a shortcut on your desktop. Drag this shortcut to your taskbar.

Now, when you click the pinned icon, the website will open in its own dedicated window, without browser toolbars visible, giving it an app-like feel.

Surface Pro 7 Taskbar Tweaks vs. Tablet Mode

It’s important to consider how these tweaks interact with Windows’ Tablet Mode. Tablet Mode is designed for touch-first interaction and aims to simplify the interface.

  • Auto-hiding the taskbar is crucial for maximizing screen space in tablet mode.
  • Large icons can be beneficial for touch accuracy, so resizing might be less appealing for some in tablet mode.
  • Search box vs. Icon: Having the search icon is generally better for

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