Grouping multiple taskbar (or dekstop) icons into one "folder" icon

[TheGrunger]

Mac OS X Snow Leopard has a nice feature of grouping multiple icons. You can put whole folders on your taskbar (dock), which means that you can have one single folder icon for, let's say, all adobe's programs instead of whole bunch of different icon for every single program from adobe.

The only way to do something like that with Windows 7 is to create a new toolbar, but there is no option to hide all programs and show only folder's name, unless you put the toolbar to far right. There is also no option to show folder's icon instead of its name.

Is there any other way to do this? It can be with desktop icons, but not by putting actual folders on desktop. I find that inconvenient, since you have to close a folder afterward.

 

[phil_h_99]

I use True launch bar

 

[number13]

create a new folder on your desktop and call it Adobe and put all your Adobe icons in it

 

[TheGrunger]

@phil_h_99: Tried, but I can do the same thing by creating new toolbar manually. And I'll do that if I won't find any other way. Thanks for suggestion! Edit(6-17-2010): Gave True Launch Bar another try, checked its settings more thoroughly and realized that it's what I was looking for. Thanks!

@Number13: As I said, this seems inconvenient to me, because I have to always close a folder. I'm switching between programs a lot, so something like what Mac Snow Leopard has would really be useful.

 

[number13]

I'm looking in my archives,
LOOK here:
http://www.spheresite.com/

 

[TheGrunger]

Thanks for your help, but sphere seems to be for managing opened programs. I'm really looking for something to just group several icons together, so that I don't have 15+ icons on my taskbar.

This is what I mean:

You can see in the image above that the user has grouped various network utilities into one folder, which he has put on his taskbar (dock on mac). None of them are opened programs, they are just icons. When a program is launched, its icon appears separately on a dock, indicating that that program is running.

 

[number13]

I personally don't see any great advantage other than user preference, so get a Mac

 

[TheGrunger]

I have both desktop with Win7 installed and MacBook. I think there are some areas where Win7 is better and vice versa. But I'm not an expert.
Anyway, I did this for now:

 

[number13]

computers are like women,(women probably think the same of computers and men) find one you like and make a life with it, if it turns out good you will be a happy man, if not become a philosopher

 

[TheGrunger]

Best answer selected by TheGrunger.

 

[ramana16]

I came across this thread when I was also looking for a similar solution.
The best way to achieve this is to use BINS.
you can find more details at http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/group-and-organize-program-icons-in-windows-7-taskbar-with-bins/

 

[Johndol]

I like TheGrunger's solution although he did not post how to do it, any work around to this?