Replacing the taskbar?

[AlexSein]

Greetings,

Before explaining my issue, I would like to apologise if this thread is posted on the wrong forum/sub-forum and also if this has been asked before. I am new to both this forum and rainmeter in general.

Currently I just started editing my desktop with Rainmeter - seeing all the awesome screenshots on the internet made me want to get rid of my taskbar (since I really can't stand the usual W7 one). Currently I have the auto hide option activated, but even when hidden there are a few pixels of the taskbar seen and it bothers me.

My question is: is there any possible way to replace the taskbar? By that I mean creating a custom one with similar features. Currently I have only this:



What I am looking for is finding a way to have the same useful features offered by the taskbar (seeing opened applications), etc. I don't really care how, it can be plugins, different themes, docks, etc.

Thank you no matter the answer and I apologise if all this sounds confusing, I pretty much lost my idea among different thoughts.

[jsmorley]

Sorry, no. There is just no way to get anything that has even 1/10th of the functionality of the Windows taskbar in Rainmeter.

[QwopJoans]

There are some tools in the TotalControl! Suite https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=7592 that can help you emulate taskbar behavior. Tasklist will display the open windows and allow you to close, minimize, or maximize them by right clicking. TrayPopup opens the tray at near the mouse. Using the Win7Audio plugin and the custom skin menu, you can replicate the audio icon. Clock is obviously easy with measure=time, and you can use nircmd or another utility to open the start menu. My File Explorer skin, http://qwopjoans.deviantart.com/art/File-Explorer-587532138, makes use of the tasklist, traypopup, and nircmd to simulate the taskbar behavior in a single menu.

[jsmorley]

I stand entirely by my original statement. While you can hide the Windows Taskbar, put something down there that looks a lot like it, use some third party utilities to get a bare minimum of functionality, the fact is, you won't get close to what the Windows Taskbar does.

No active application icons, no right click Start menu context, no drag-and-drop reordering of minimized applications, no real-time active thumbnail of applications on the Taskbar, no jump lists, the list goes on.

To each his own by all means... I knew perfectly well that someone would say "Sure, just use these five addon utilities and you can duplicate the Windows Taskbar." No, you can't. That may be fine for how you use Windows, and so be it. I stand by my "No, you can't..."

[QwopJoans]

Of course I agree with you, because nothing short of a shell replacement would allow a user to effectively change the taskbar's behavior, but if you're looking to emulate certain features, there are definitely ways to do so. Instead of Rainmeter though I'd suggest just using third party themes, like Placebo,http://solmiler.deviantart.com/art/Placebo-for-Windows-7-188414149, to give windows and its taskbar a different look and feel while retaining the functionality.

[falconwingz]

Hello, this might be an old thread. But i'm wondering too. Can Taskbar be replaced.

I have read the reply above. I understand.

But, I wanna know, can RocketDock replace Taskbar ?
Just wanna have the active windows, peek active windows feature.

@jsmorely Since this is 2017, maybe theres a chance we can replace our ugly taskbar ? or still no ?

[jsmorley]

Hello, this might be an old thread. But i'm wondering too. Can Taskbar be replaced.

I have read the reply above. I understand.

But, I wanna know, can RocketDock replace Taskbar ?
Just wanna have the active windows, peek active windows feature.

@jsmorely Since this is 2017, maybe theres a chance we can replace our ugly taskbar ? or still no ?

Still no... It is not the intention of Rainmeter to replace Windows functionality. Never will be.