Taskbar buttons too small and too high

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need to know:-

1. Your are referring which version of Windowblinds?
2. Which WB theme?
3. Which Windows version? Use Winver.exe.
4. Which Start11 version?
5. You're referring to which taskbar? Post a screenshot of it, would be nice. or at least a link to it.

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Latest versions of WB11 and Start11.

Theme is not relevant because this happens with all themes, but if you really must know, I am using Aero7X.

Windows 11 Version 23H2 22631.2792

I'm not sure what you mean by "which taskbar". I am using the same theme for both Start11 and WindowBlinds 11.

This is the preview. As you can see, the taskbar looks completely different in sizing and placement.

That's a screenshot made acording to the coding in SkinStudio when the windowblind was created for and on another operating system than Windows 11 (Windows 8, Vista and later an updated version for Windows 10), and does not have anything to do with how the skin looks applied on your system, if that skin in particular have codes not compatible with Windows 11 - or your system.

There are also many, many mods of that skin available online, and the reason for that is that it's known to have issues. So yes, it does matter to know what skin you are using, if it has been modified, if it applies to all skins, and preferably, does it work with the skins that come with Windowblinds. In addition, do you use any other third party software to customize Windows?

I am using other applications for themes, but WindowBlinds is the only program I have for windows. The rest are for icons, and my taskbar.

 

Every single aero theme has that preview, and all of them have the sizing issue.

Didn't you read my reply above? That preview is determined by the coding at the time the theme was made, not how it looks applied to your system.

Well, that might be the reason why things don't look like you expect. What other apps you are using is essential for us to know to be able to help you. Using several apps from different software provides to customize your system is well known to cause a variety of issues. The more information and/or screenshots you are willing to provide, the more likely it is that we can help you.

Not sure you understand.. it is not possible for the 3rd party apps to be the issue. They are just icon changers and taskbar themes (I always disable the 3rd party taskbar themes when using start11 so that is not related to the issue).

I'm not sure what else you want me to screenshot, or what other information you want me to provide, as that is the only issue I am having.

Is there a chance it could be due to my screen resolution? I have only ever seen other users of this app using tower PCs with large monitors. I am using a laptop.

Yes, there is and well documented in many posts here in the forums.

That. Even though you disable them, they can be running in the backgound, have services enabled that cause conflicts, have made registry changes that conflicts with Windowblinds/Start 11, have modified system files, and on and on.

Again, I explained in detail if you could apply any of the default themes that come with the Windowblinds installation and see what that looks like. If you have iussues related to a skin (Aero7X) created long before Windows 11 was released and maybe modified many times, we are not able to recreate your issue and narrow the whole thing down.

We don't ask you for these details for no other purpose than to try and help you by recreating your issues with the taskbar.

Anything and everything is possible, but again, that's information you will have to provide for us to be able to help you.

Alright, I will try that.

I should mention that when I say disable, I mean I completely uninstall them.

I've tested the pre-installed Win8 theme, the pre-installed Diamond theme, and the pre-installed Luna theme, and the issue still occurs for all 3 of them.

Hello again,

I hope you do understand that no theme can have 100% look identical to native Windows 7 on everyone system. Yes, there are theme that come very close but, not perfect under Windows 11. Reason being, Windows 11 have different sizes for taskbar buttons and I also believe, the taskbar buttons is space out differently than Windows 7,8 or 10. So for a Skinner, to have one design that look the same on all OS is quite impossible. There will always be few pixels more or few pixels less here and there. What you can do is, try to adjust which ever theme you have to suit your own system. Use Skinstudio and some graphics program you know to work with and adjust the margins, shave off or add some transparent pixel from the original graphics to make the taskbar buttons a little bigger and a little shorter.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

I understand that, but I have seen other people using this exact theme on Windows 11 and it looks perfect on their PCs. I am perfectly okay with it looking different to Windows 7, my problem is that for whatever reason, only I seem to be having these issues, and all of my themes look wrong because of it.

I'm just wondering why you cannot provide information about what other 3rd party apps you use/have used to customize taskbar and icons asked for above? From experience, that is vital information - even if you don't think so - and the most likely reason your system looks differennt than others you have seen.

This is what my taskbar look like when I applied Aero7, I don't have the Aero7X, which look like the buttons shift up a little bit for me. I probably can adjust that with Skinstudio and graphics tweak but, I don't want to. What I am trying to say it is never perfect.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

They look almost identical, as you can see. Yours are one "1" pixel higher up from the bottom and closer to the top likely due to your display scaling and/or your setting for icon size or related to the theme you use.

There is no other information. I'm using a program to change my icons and when I'm not using start11, I open retrobar, which I always delete before enabling start11.

You still haven't said what program you use for changing icons, and expect us to figure out your problem with taskbar icons which very  likely could be the cause of issues related to that? That is pretty unreasonable, don't you think?

With that said, if you look at the screenshot I posted in the reply above ( #17), you have no issues. Everything looks normal on your taskbar for Windows 11.

If you have other issues with customizing your computer's interface, let us know, but I think this post has served it's purpose.

Thank you.

I did not remember the name of the program as it was not located in the usual program files folder, so it did not appear in my start menu or desktop.

I used this.

It's also worth noting that basj's icons reach the top of the taskbar, and are noticeably wider. Mine are clearly much smaller than they should be.

There is a tutorial on how to install the EXACT same theme used in my screenshot onto Windows 11. This is what their version looks like.

Sorry, but basj and I have already answered your questions. How do you expect anyone to be able to help you if you're not willing to provide the information needed? I have no knowledge of that tutorial, nor do I have the specs for that particular computer used, and it doesn't matter, since most systems are different. What I can say, however, is that there is nothing wrong with the taskbar icons in your OP and that has ben answered in reply #17.

I still do not what program you use/have used to customize your icons, although asked several times, the resolution and scaling of your computer screen, and so on.

Again, if you're not willing to work with us, we unfortunately cannot help you, but we have tried.

I literally just told you. Read the post above the one you quoted.

I am using a 1920x1080 screen, and used this github page for my icons.

Sorry, I did not notice that "this" was a shortcut.

From your screenshot in your original post, it looks like the scaling of your display is not set to 100% (maybe around 125% ?), since your taskbar is 72 pixels high - I think 48 is default at 1920x1080, 100% (no scaling) Have you tried to set your resolution to 100% (no scaling) to see what it looks like?

Using custom made iconpacks like that one, are known to modify your system files and cause a variety of issues. These modifications are not always resored even if you should choose to uninstall them. The icon pack you have linked to in your post #23 is not for Windows 11, and most likely anyone installing that under Windows 11 will encounter issues. I have downloaded the pack to be sure, and it was created on April 8, 2020. Windows 11 was released October 5, 2021 (18 months later).

Maybe someone can make this work on Windows 11, but it certainly isn't recommended.  (I still see no link to the tutorial you have folloed, if I haven't missed the link to that one too?) I have to read that tutorial to see what has been modified and what other tools they have used.

• What you can try based on the information you have provided so far is: Follow this tutorial to restore missing or corrupted system files (including system icons) : System File Checker
• Set the scaling of your screen to 100% and apply the theme.

 

 

Tutorial was uploaded onto youtube by MrAmayosken.