The modification options that Microsoft added to the taskbar in Windows 7 improved significantly how I work on Windows machines that run Windows 7 or newer versions of the operating system.
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The main new feature, the ability to pin programs to the taskbar, provides you with one-click access to these programs which neither the start menu or the desktop provided . While desktop shortcuts come closest to this, they more often than not are buried beneath open windows. The same taskbar is also available under Windows 8 and Windows 10.
One thing that is missing, at least if you ask some users, is a separator to separate taskbar icons from each other. This is more a cosmetic modification to the taskbar than anything else but it may improve how you work with the taskbar as well.
Add taskbar separators
One of the newest options is a file called blank.exe which as the name implies adds a blank icon to the taskbar when pinned to it and does not do anything when it is activated.
The file has a size of about 1 Megabyte which may seem like overkill for what it does, but if you do have enough memory installed you may not mind pinning it to the taskbar, especially since you are not running the program at all.
To add a separator simply download the 7z archive from the Mediafire hosting site and unpack it on your system. A Virustotal scan returned 0 hits which means it should be safe to run.
Right-click the file afterwards and select pin to taskbar from the context menu. You can then drag and drop the blank taskbar icon to the position you want to separate icons on the taskbar.
Note that you can do this only once for each instance of the executable. If you need more than one separator, copy and rename the file and pin the copy to the taskbar as well.
Closing Words
The program provides you with options to add blank separators to the Windows taskbar using a simple program that serves no purpose other than filling up blank space on the taskbar of the operating system.
Summary
Article Name
Add separators to the Windows taskbar
Description
Find out how to add separators to the Windows taskbar to group taskbar icons on it and separate each group from each other.
On my Windows 10 desktop I can locate the Blank.exe file anywhere I want. On my Microsoft Surface Go they must be in the Desktop folder. I don’t want them on my desktop. Why does this act differently when both computers are running Windows 10 Home.
Solved my own problem. Blank.exe was placed on a removable memory card which is why there was no “Pin to Taskbar”. Interesting that there was a “Pin to Start”.
Martijn van der Corput said on August 6, 2016 at 4:20 pm
After checking out this post i created an 190 kb executable with no icon that quits directly.. You can pin that executable to your taskbar for creating a divider. Download the executable here: http://www.mvdcorput.nl/2016/08/windows-taskbar-divider/
The taskbar icons seem smaller than on my Win7 x64 Home taskbar. In other words there is more blank space above and below a given icon. Is this another Win8 feature? :-)
Surely it must be easier to create a transparent icon and assign it to any shortcut? Haven’t tested this, but makes sense. A 1Mb executable seems way OTT.
1MB executable which you download from some site over the web, wich if you cklick by accedent will be executed…. hm….. I think i’ll go with a transparent icon and my own executable
On my Windows 10 desktop I can locate the Blank.exe file anywhere I want. On my Microsoft Surface Go they must be in the Desktop folder. I don’t want them on my desktop. Why does this act differently when both computers are running Windows 10 Home.
Solved my own problem. Blank.exe was placed on a removable memory card which is why there was no “Pin to Taskbar”. Interesting that there was a “Pin to Start”.
After checking out this post i created an 190 kb executable with no icon that quits directly.. You can pin that executable to your taskbar for creating a divider. Download the executable here: http://www.mvdcorput.nl/2016/08/windows-taskbar-divider/
Failed to execute under win 7 pro / 64 bit
no diag nothing in taskmgr
Tried executing it from the command line – NOTHING
You do not run the program, you simply right-click it and select to pin it to the taskbar.
right click taskbar+left click properties+taskbar tab+check “Use small icon” box, click “Apply” then “OK”.
I meant to say toolbars instead of taskbars.
The taskbar icons seem smaller than on my Win7 x64 Home taskbar. In other words there is more blank space above and below a given icon. Is this another Win8 feature? :-)
Surely it must be easier to create a transparent icon and assign it to any shortcut? Haven’t tested this, but makes sense. A 1Mb executable seems way OTT.
1MB executable which you download from some site over the web, wich if you cklick by accedent will be executed…. hm….. I think i’ll go with a transparent icon and my own executable