How to Revert and Get Back Vista Style Taskbar (With Label) in Windows 7
Windows 7 has remade the Taskbar completely to become a Superbar, where the application windows’ button on Taskbar has been replaced with icons, with added features such as ability to pin shortcuts or programs directly to Taskbar (instead of using Quick Launch bar), Jump Lists, and improved thumbnail preview with Aero Peek. But not all people will like the icons-only Taskbar without label though.
Microsoft includes option to allow users who want to revert and get back the classic Windows Vista and Windows XP buttons-style (or bar-style) Taskbar, which not only displaying the icon for the running applications, but displaying button bars with also the label of the windows of opened files or programs.
![]()
- Right click on empty space on the Taskbar, and then select Properties.
- In “Taskbar and Start Menu Properties” dialog window, in the Taskbar tab, select Combine when taskbar is full or Never combine for “Taskbar buttons” option.

- Click OK.
Voila, now the Windows 7 Taskbar has been changed to button style with label for running applications.
![]()
Note that the pinned programs which hasn’t been ran or opened will continue to appear as icons. The feature is useful for user to differentiate between running and non-running pinned items. To get exactly the same Taskbar with Windows Vista or Windows XP in Windows 7, unpin all items from Taskbar and then add back the Quick Launch bar.
Related Articles
- How to Display Text on Taskbar Buttons in Windows 7
- With SBar Taskbar Replacement for Windows 7 Taskbar Features in XP or Vista
- Change the Position of FireFox Tabs Close Button (or Revert Back to FireFox 1.5 Style at the End of Tab Strip)
- Change the Size to Group Similar Windows Together in Windows Taskbar (with Trick to Force Combine to One Button Only)
- How to Change the Windows 7 Taskbar Button Length or Width Size
- Never Combine Icons (Or Only Combine When Full) But Hide Labels in Windows 7 Taskbar
- How to Make the Windows 7 SuperBar (Taskbar) Icons Smaller (Small Size)
- Change and Revert Back Firefox 3 (FF3) Awesome Location Bar to Old Firefox 2 (FF2) Style with Oldbar Extension
- Volume, Battery (Power) or Network Icon Disappear or Missing from Vista Taskbar Notification Area (System Tray)
- Shift-Right Click to Reveal Classic Context Menu (Restore, Move, Maximize, Minimize) on Windows 7 Taskbar App










































July 4th, 2009 06:36
how do i change back to windows vista from windows 7? when i inter the product key that is under my laptop it says that it isn´t valid?
June 15th, 2009 18:29
[...] in Windows 7 Taskbar is ability to hide title label for the buttons on Taskbar leaving only icons (revert to button with text), Jump Lists, ability to pin to Taskbar, and thumbnail preview for open running programs’ [...]
January 27th, 2009 07:24
Why somebody wants to do this? If you like the Vista taskbar “as is” keep Vista and don’t install Seven!!!!!
January 25th, 2009 04:36
[...] It’s also possible to force all similar windows to always combine to just one button in Taskbar as similar to Windows 7 when two or more windows are [...]
January 24th, 2009 03:41
[...] you click and open it. If you still unable to get used to this icon based button and would like to display text as what has been done in Windows Vista or XP, you can get it easily by following below configurations. 1. Right click on empty section of the [...]