Disable/Enable Taskbar Thumbnail Preview in Windows 7

[Jackie]

Windows 7 has much better aero transparency glass effect along with taskbar thumbnail preview. Windows 7 Taskbar is completely different from Windows Vista and XP. But After playing around with the operating system I found that I don't like the thumbnail (previews) from the taskbar.

Method 1: Turn On or Turn Off Desktop Preview Via gpedit.msc

Follow the steps given below to disable the Thumbnail Previews:

1. Click on start and type on search bar gpedit.msc and press enter

2. Now go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

3. Locate “Turn off Taskbar Thumbnails” in right pan of Group policy editor and double click on it.

4. Now select "Disabled" then click on Apply and OK.

5. Now check your Taskbar, it shouldn’t show Thumbnails Preview .


Method 2: Turn On or Turn Off Desktop Preview Via Show Desktop Button Bar

• Right click on the button bar on the far right end of the Windows Taskbar.
  
  
• To turn on Desktop Preview (the default configuration), select Preview desktop on the context menu so that a tick is displayed next to ti.
  
  
• To turn off Desktop Preview, unselect Preview desktop on the context menu so that the tick is removed.

Please Note: Taskbar Thumbnail Preview only works when you have Enabled Aero in Windwos 7.

[WindowsGeek]

You can also do it through Taskbar and Start Menu Properties:

• Right click on the Start button and click on Properties, or right click on any empty space on the Taskbar and click on Properties.
• Go to the Taskbar tab.
• To turn on Desktop Preview (which is also the default setting), check and tick the Use Desktop Preview checkbox.
• To Turn Off Desktop Preview, uncheck and untick the Use Desktop Preview check box.
• Click on OK.

[Erskine]

Nice ifo, i'm also playing wiht windows 7 beta version. As far as i think this feature is awesome. No one will go to disable it. and if we will directly disable aero in windows 7, this feature won't work. But preview feature is far better than vista one. I'll never feel to delete it.

[myyysha]

Actually, I crave to turn it off... Unfortunately with my Windows 7 RC build 7100 neither of these three methods work. The regkey is set to 1, the feature in GPedit is enabled yet still those annoying little buggers popup when I hover the mouse over the taskbar buttons.

The feature is useless when you know what you use and all of your applications for multiediting use tabs in one application window anyway.

[myyysha]

Alright, setting ExtendedUIHoverTime to incredibly high value (such as 20000ms) worked for me. I rarely hover 20 seconds over the button, so it's now as if turned off.

Thank you, mighty Google.

[Muhammadi]

nice information

but I have no window 7 version