Submission details
Allow taskbar to span multiple monitors
Lots of users have multiple monitors these days. However you can only display the Windows taskbar on the "primary display".
Stretch the Windows taskbar along the bottom, top or side (as selected by the user) of each monitor.
This would allow more space for the taskbar buttons, quick-launch bar and system tray for multi-monitor users (ie the type of user who are likely to have more windows open in the first place!)
Medium
Medium
Not fixed
Discussion (30 comments)
This seems like something that would be appropriate for a PowerToy.
Something fundamental like that should be integrated in the core OS.
There have to be much more stuff in Windows targeting professional users like those who use many windows and many screens...
Nha, I have a better and crazier idea.
2 Task bar. If you move a window on monitor 2, the item switch task bars. This way you have a task bar, and you don't have items cut in two between your monitors frames.
What do you think?
Yeah, actually thats the only implementation that makes sense - UltraMon does that, but it should be integrated in Windows.
I think this should have higher priority - it's a very obvious thing to have (or not have).
User should be able to choose whether to dynamically stretch the task bar or to duplicate it on each window.
Thanks.
Steve Clayton has a relatively recent post on this. He has two monitors, and took a panoramic photo and used a little gadget to splice the monitors so that the taskbar and panorama stretched the entire double-screen length. I'm guessing that the device tells Windows that there is one monitor, and it is really really wide, and Windows acts accordingly.
http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/archive/2008/0...-you-have-the-con.aspx
This is by far my #1 requested feature for Windows. It's a must have! We're waited since Windows 98!
i was actually just thinking that the other day when i set up my old pc monitor to my laptop.i really would love to have the taskbar expand on both screens..definately high priority
Actually, I recall, when i was using Windows XP I had dual screen setup for a moment, and I must say I hated to have the task bar span on 2 screen. Luckily you had an option in the video card to not do that. The problem with this behavior, is that the task on the task bar does not reflect where the window is. So a task on the task bar on monitor 2, when you click on it, may pop-up the windows/application to windows 1. This is fairly confusing. Like I said earlier, it should have 2 task bar, with 2 identical Start menu (for easy access), and the task on the task bar moves depending on which monitor the window or application is located.
What do you think?
I use a program called UltraMon which takes care of this as well as backgrounds for each screen. None the less there is a bit of a bug where the task bar allows you to drag the bottom edge of the window under it when multiple monitors are enabled even if Always on Top is enabled. It should be stopping at the top edge of the task bar. I already reported that one to Microsoft and they said it was slated for the next Windows release (translation -- probably Vista SP2 and never for XP). The list of affected versions is all versions of Windows XP, all versions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008.
Someone told me that Windows 2000 allowed the Taskbar to be extended on multiple monitors, but I cannot confirm that. If that's true, I dont' know why Microsoft felt the need to only allow the taskbar to extend on one monitor.
this is too hard to do with different screen resolutions and DPI
I've struggled with multiple monitors since 2003. Microsoft really need to improve the task bar in relation to this. IMO, a couple of things need to happen:
1] The taskbar needs to be split up:
* Running applications
* System tray / clock
* Start menu
2] We should be able to have a taskbar (running applications) per monitor positioned wherever we want on a per-monitor basis. For example if you are running one monitor in portrait mode you might want the taskbar at the top whilst the other monitor has it on the bottom.
3] Each taskbar should be able to only show the applications that are on it's monitor.
4] We need the ability to assign hotkeys to move windows to other monitors, span windows across monitors, etc.
I've been using Ultramon for a number of years now; Microsoft should employ this guy and most of the above would already be solved. Even better he could probably make a really neat Ultimate Extra version for Vista.
It's an OK idea, but make is user configurable. I have a triple monitor set-up, running with UltraMon for some additional features. One of the features I really dislike is the monitor spanning of the TaskBar.
@Slugsie: You mean a taskbar on each monitor or one spanning all?
I like the feature of UltraMon which gives you a Taskbar like thing on each added monitor.
An idea I like, but I'd want it optional - At the moment, I'm running VMs on the second monitor at least part time - having windows disappear behind the VM is okay when it has focus, but losing the windows altogether 'cause they're on a hidden taskbar would be icky.
This definately needs integrated into the OS. I believe both the ATI and NVidia utilities that come with video cards allow a way to do this, but why can't the operating system handle it?
An idea I really like is how a utility called UltraMon handles it. I've been using UltraMon for years on XP to get around this issue and I find it really helps productivity. UltraMon gives you a "smart taskbar" where you basically have a second taskbar on your second monitor (without the start button and quick launch bar). Basically taskbar item for your window only shows up in the taskbar for the monitor that it is on. It also gives you two addition titlebar buttons in the windows non-client area for maximizing across both monitors and moving the window to another monitor (while keeping size and position relevent to the monitor it is on). Some other nice features are letting you set different wallpapers for different monitors and multiple-monitor screensave management.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UltraMon
@Myrrlyn actually I'm using a hardware solution to achieve my stretched desktop. a matrox dual head 2 go (digital) as my graphics card cannot pump out the resolution needed to go that big.
I promoted, but for the reason that I'd like the choice. I really don't think with monitors like 2x22" or below should have that option, as it'd completely cramp up the screen. There's a reason why they suggest a primary monitor. All OSs have a primary screen for this reason.
I'm not sure it's a good idea to span the taskbar across several screens. Granted it could be up to the user to chose. But even if it was possible, I don't think I would span mine. I hate it when things go across monitors... can't stand having 2 things across the divide. 2 monitors are great for having things well separated. I was grateful the day Windows became aware of several monitors. Back in the day, it was one big desktop that simply stretched across... nasty.
Yes! This is something that has annoyed me for AGES... and I've even used third-party software to do the job for me... only to find that it's only a trial period and that I have to pay, or it contains bulky features I don't want. How hard is it to extend a taskbar onto two screens. Yes... probably very, but can you try? Please? Pretty please!?
I would love to see this implemented!
Yes, not needing to add more special utilities just to get the feature would be nice. It should be part of the OS.
There's lots of different ways to do this, any of which I'd find interesting:
- One big taskbar
- Mirrored task bars on every monitor
- Auto-hide task bar that is available on whichever monitor the cursor is in
- Each monitor has its own monitor that can have different content
@GRiNSER Any form of taskbar spanning. I like a single taskbar for all tasks, and have it appear only on my primary monitor. That way I don't have to go hunting to find the right taskbar button to click.
I'd love to see an extended taskbar. Honestly, its something that's quite basic today since a lot of techies use multiple monitors.
I'd like the extended desktop to have a couple of other options too.
1) select monitor you want the start menu on (default would be the left most)
2) ability to have the system tray in a monitor other than your primary one (I'd like it on my left most).
3) Some users might like to have their system tray replicated so may be you could add that in.
I'm surprised Windows hasn't added better Multimon support. Ultramon hasn't added the multiple system tray option yet either :P
This would be a huge improvement! In my opinion, the basic functionality of Ultramon (which is all I use) is perfect. They have nailed it. However, this is a basic feature which should be integrated into the OS, like it is on many *nix flavors.
I am working with two displays for over eight years now, using nvidia's ultra high end graphics cards and their management software nView. Never had any problems under Win2k and XP x86 & 64; easy taskbar-spanning, defining different display behaviors for different applications, snap-to-display functions, sub-window dialog re-positioning, etc.
This all ended when I had to install Win7 to one of my workstations! Not only does Win7 lack any sense for ergonomics, but it actually prevents third party software like nView to enhance your workspace! Win7 is an OS for amateurs by amateurs!!!
Fixed in Windows 8 but now taskbar has no Start menu. :(
tsilb wrote on June 3, 2008, 2:57pm
I'd suggest it be resizeable as desired, snapping to each screen border as it comes along during the dragging process. Further, some users desire the "Smart Taskbar" (One taskbar per screen) feature of UltraMon.
I just want to see GroupBar integrated so I don't have to download it from MS Research and live with a duplicate taskbar... Of course, the groupability would be a setting.