Solved Win11 (21H2) - Where is the icon which displays a matrix of large thumbnails of all windows?


bob17821

Well-known member
Local time
5:47 AM
Posts
89
OS
Windows 11 25H2 26200.7462
By far my favorite feature of Win10 was the icon towards the left end of the task bar which resulted in a display of large thumbnails of all windows. I can't find it in Win11. Google searches and searches here have not been fruitful.

Thanks, Bob
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2 26200.746232GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX5060
    OS
    Windows 11 25H2 26200.7462
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware 16X Aurora
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX5060
    Screen Resolution
    4K
  • At a glance

    Win11Intel Core i7-1270016GBGEFORCE RTX 3060Ti
    Operating System
    Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12700
    Motherboard
    No Idea
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    GEFORCE RTX 3060Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    4K
Not 100% sure I know what you mean, if I am reading it right I think that option is a goner in win 11 unless you mean task view in which case it's still there and a lot of things can be brought back with a few tweaks
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro13th Gen Core i9 13900HX32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GBGeforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro10th Gen i-9 10900 K32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHzNvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
Not 100% sure I know what you mean, if I am reading it right I think that option is a goner in win 11 unless you mean task view in which case it's still there and a lot of things can be brought back with a few tweaks
Thanks very much for responding. I should have included in my post an image of the icon I am talking about (but I forgot that I have an old Win10 laptop which is barely limping along). I was able to get a screenshot of the icon but not of the display which it produces. So the icon is:

AWOL Win 10 Icon.png

I do have Taskview turned on in Taskbar Settings. Until a few moments ago it was showing me my desktops. But not the windows belonging to the current desktop. If I then click on Desktopt 1 (the only one I really use) sometimes I see an instantaneous flash of what I am looking for - but it's of such short duration that I cannot be sure.

I'd appreciate any further thoughts you might have.

Thanks, Bob
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2 26200.746232GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX5060
    OS
    Windows 11 25H2 26200.7462
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware 16X Aurora
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX5060
    Screen Resolution
    4K
  • At a glance

    Win11Intel Core i7-1270016GBGEFORCE RTX 3060Ti
    Operating System
    Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12700
    Motherboard
    No Idea
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    GEFORCE RTX 3060Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    4K
That is the win 10 task view button it must be different in win 11 If you search on this site for Task View there are a few tutorials probably by Brink which are excellent
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro13th Gen Core i9 13900HX32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GBGeforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro10th Gen i-9 10900 K32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHzNvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
Greetings Bob,

As a former Mac user that moved to PCs about 6 years ago -- 'taskview' is a DO or DIE feature of any OS. So I understand your upset. But, if you will, there's an even better way to use it.

Some kind person posted WinXCorners. It's preset to the way most Mac users use it. If you put your mouse in top left hand corner of display, taskview. If you do bottom right corner, windows hide to reveal desktop.


There's 3 versions posted on this page. The more you scroll, the 'newer' the version.

Here's a direct link to Version 2 --


It's a tiny program and harmless. I've used it for years.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

11 if on this site
OS
11 if on this site
Taskview was completely revamped in Windows 11 and is totally useless unless you are using multiple virtual desktops or physical monitors. Losing the functionality it had in Windows 10 was one of my biggest disappointments with 11. If you want to see what it looks like, right click on taskbar-taskbar settings-toggle taskview to on. The icon that appears on the taskbar is 2 little squares, one on top of the other. When pushing Windows 11 MS touted it as the next big thing, but I've yet to find a use for it with the way I use my computer. I don't do multiple desktops.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9168AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9168
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.9168
Hey Bob, what build are you on? I'm on .376 and here's how Taskview looks on my computer.

 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168Intel® Core™ i7-14700KG.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB
    OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-14700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Z690-PLUS WIFI (BIOS 4505)
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-5 Plus
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 2K HDR Gaming
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe (Win 11 25H2)
    SK hynix P41 500GB NVMe
    SK hynix P41 2TB NVMe (x3)
    Crucial P3 Plus 4TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x Shift
    Case
    Antec Dark Phantom DP502 FLUX
    Cooling
    Corsair Nautilus 360 RS AIO
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 320
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk V3
    Internet Speed
    750Mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Winows Security
    Other Info
    MR 8.1 Home
  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168Intel Core i5-1140064 GB DDR4MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12GB
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-11400
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi (BIOS 2803)
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12GB
    Sound Card
    SoundBlaster Audigy Fx V2
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung F27T350
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750
    Case
    Cougar MX330-G Window
    Cooling
    Thermalright Frozen Edge 240 Black AIO
    Internet Speed
    350Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
  • System Three
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168
    ASUS PRIME Z370-P II BIOS 3004 7/12/21
    Intel Core i7-8700 CPU @ 3.20GHz
    32GB DDR4 RAM (4x8)
    iGPU Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Cooler Master Hyper 212
    Mid-Tower Desktop
Thanks very much to the responders! What I was looking for is what you get from the Windows key + Tab or Alt + Tab (I've found that I have to click on both keys simultaneously). (I can remember when icons were considered much preferable to key combinations.) NOTE that (at least on my machine) when I use the Taskview icon in the Taskbar -

Win11 Taskview icon.png

- I get only very large icons of my current desktops.

Thanks again to all responders. And thanks to brink - it was from one of his posts that I learned about the Windows key + Tab key.

Bob
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2 26200.746232GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX5060
    OS
    Windows 11 25H2 26200.7462
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware 16X Aurora
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX5060
    Screen Resolution
    4K
  • At a glance

    Win11Intel Core i7-1270016GBGEFORCE RTX 3060Ti
    Operating System
    Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12700
    Motherboard
    No Idea
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    GEFORCE RTX 3060Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    4K

Latest Support Threads

Back
Top Bottom