Spice Up Yo u r Ta s kbar
With TaskbarX
1
GET STARTED
TaskbarX comes in two flavors: A free version hosted on the
developer’s website, and a version on the Microsoft Store that
carries a small fee. Both of these versions are functionally the
same, however.
>> Head to chrisandriessen.nl/taskbarx and click “Download
Zip,” then extract the zip archive to your chosen location.
TaskbarX is a portable app and does not have an installer, so
double-click the TaskbarX.exe file to run it—you will notice that
any icons pinned to your taskbar have now become centered. By
default, TaskbarX will now run every time you load your PC. If you
want to adjust any of TaskbarX’s settings, you need to launch the
TaskbarX Configurator.exe file located in the same folder.THE WINDOWS 10 TASKBAR may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but you can give it
a healthy dose of visual flair with the help of TaskbarX, an app that makes it easy to center your
taskbar icons—and a whole lot more. It works particularly well if you want to have a cleaner,
more understated look for your taskbar. Centering your icons with TaskbarX gives a more
modern look than the default Windows taskbar appearance, especially if you only have a couple
of pinned icons.
You can take things further with some of TaskbarX’s built-in options. For example, you can
make your taskbar entirely transparent, making your icons appear to be floating against your
wallpaper. You can change how your icons animate into position when you open a new app. And
it works well if your setup involves multiple monitors, with lots of extra options to customize
it exactly how you want. We will take you through the process of giving your taskbar some
much-needed love and attention with this handy little program. –ALEX BLAKEYOU’LL NEED THIS
TA SKBAR X
https://chrisandriessen.nl/
taskbarxWINDOWS 10
2
EXPRESS YOUR STYLE
Once you have opened TaskbarX Configurator,
you will see several tabs on the left-hand side
of the app, starting with “Style.” This lets you choose
what visual appearance your taskbar will have. The first
selection is “Default” —this keeps the taskbar opacity
the same as if you were not using TaskbarX.
>> “Transparent” makes your taskbar entirely
transparent. “Blur” adds a heavy blur to your wallpaper
behind the taskbar while maintaining low opacity.
“Acrylic,” meanwhile, attempts to replicate the trappings
of Microsoft’s Fluent Design System. The result is similar
to Blur’s clouded taskbar, but it opts for a higher opacity
level, meaning the edge of the taskbar is easier to see.
>> After choosing, click “Apply” to make the changes.A B©^MI
CROSOFT,^ TASKBARXThe visual tricks of TaskbarX can be
combined with Windows 10’s taskbar
settings for some interesting effects.
Open the Windows 10 Settings app, click
“Personalization,” then click “Taskbar”
at the bottom of the left-hand column.
Under the “Combine taskbar buttons”
header, select “Never” in the drop-down menu to see your icons expand
to show window titles as well as icons.
Alternatively, enable the “Use small
taskbar buttons” setting to save space
while still retaining a centered taskbar.
Experiment with different settings
here to see what kind of effects you
can create using both Windows 10 andTaskbarX. The app is very flexible and
accommodates a wide range of Windows
10 settings adjustments. Some changes
to Windows 10’s taskbar settings may
require you to refresh TaskbarX—just
click the “Restart TaskbarX” button at
the bottom of the Configurator app to
see your changes take effect.COMBINING TASKBARX AND WINDOWS SETTINGS
54 MAXIMUM PC SEP 2020 maximumpc.com
R&D