[11/09/2008: This isn't really a hack. Please see my edit at the bottom of this entry.]

By default, the Windows 7 superbar is similar to Apple’s dock in that each program is represented by one icon on the bar. When you hover over this icon, it displays the windows hidden underneath.

Icon has a stacked effect for programs with multiple windows.

Hovering over Firefox icon shows hidden windows allowing us to click one or even exit one right from the preview.

It’s a very nice effect that I have found to be extremely functional and time saving.

One of the commenters on my original article has found an interesting registry hack that causes the superbar to emulate the Vista taskbar with a couple of variations. Windows that are from the same program are grouped in that they stay linked on the taskbar. Hovering over one of the buttons reveals all windows similar to the default superbar functionality.

Vista like superbar.

To enable this feature (?) do the following:

1. Open regedit.
2. Find the key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Add a DWORD named TaskbarGlomLevel.
4. Set the value of this DWORD to 1 to enable the Vista functionality or 0 to disable. (Or just remove the entry.)
5. Log off and back on.

Or, download Vista Superbar Registry Entry and double click it to add the entry automagically.

The standard disclaimers apply. Editing the registry is dangerous so don’t do it if you aren’t absolutely comfortable with doing so. If you jack up your computer or accidentally kill your gradmother or anything else, it’s not my fault.

Thanks to Matt A. Tobin for sharing this hack.

Edit: This is not a hack. You can change this setting in taskbar and startmenu properties as this screenshot shows:

I should have seen this before...

Setting TaskbarGlomLevel to 2 accounts for the “Never group” option.