Feature Request - Timer over taskbar

I don’t know how to fix this problem by myself, so I thought you may have the expertise to do it. I like to have my minimized timerbar over the taskbar. When I get back to the maximized view and then back to the minimized view, it won’t be at the same spot. I guess that this is a problem caused by the taskbar wanting to be always on top of everything.

I also got the idea to place the minimized timer within the taskbar, maybe you have time to implement that feature aswell.

Any another idea would be to right click the minimized timerbar and then having an option there, which allows the user to freeze the window into place, so it becomes unmovable, even when the minize all apps feature is used.

Thanks for your work, it has been helpful for me!

You are correct. That is why that happens.

These are certainly interesting ideas that we would investigate if it weren’t for one little thing in our way: Microsoft. They have lots of best practices and guidance that they disseminate to app developers like us with the goal of making Windows a better and more consistent experience, and with an eye to the future. Sometimes their guidance runs afoul of what some people want or are used to.

For example, we get regular complaints from IT folks that Grindstone 4 doesn’t let the user select the install location, and always puts itself inside the application data directory of the user’s profile. But, this is a best practice directly from Microsoft. It’s what the Microsoft Store app does when you install a UWP app, and it really does make the experience better. Here are just a few of the big reasons why:

  • multiple users on the same machine aren’t forced to use the same binaries
  • no administrative privilege elevation is required to install or uninstall (which is important in a world full of ransomware and root kits)
  • installing Grindstone never requires a restart of your PC

That brings us back to your scenario. Microsoft has made it clear they do not want apps that are not a part of the OS messing around with the Windows Taskbar. They used to do it back in the day (see the language bar from arcane versions of Office), and a whole bunch of developers followed their example, and the end result could be a pretty messy Taskbar. If you can’t imagine it or didn’t see it, think about that one older relative you had back in the day that never unchecked the optional adware browser toolbar plug-ins that crept into a bunch of freeware. Remember when you opened Internet Explorer on their computer and saw scores of branded toolbars?

With the push to make applications more portable and Microsoft’s valid desire to reimagine how things like the Taskbar behave in upcoming versions of Windows, we feel compelled to honor their request and steer clear of their rightful domain. I know this answer probably won’t make you happy, but I hope it at least satisfies your curiosity regarding our decision-making on this particular issue.

Oh, and welcome to the forum, by the way, @cajon. :wink:

Yep, that is really a good idea to have the timer mode integrated over the taskbar. There are many who are using Large monitors nowadays and it might be awesome to have this feature.
See below how it would look like