Dick Frank unintentionally changed something in Windows 7 so that each window, rather than each application, gets its own taskbar icon. That’s too many icons.

You’ll probably want to experiment with different settings for different icons. For example, I don’t want the Windows 7 Action Center icon cluttering up my Tray, but I do want to hear from it ...

In Windows 11/10, by using the Registry and modifying values like BorderWidth, PaddedBorderWidth, IconSpacing, etc. you can customize Desktop Window Metrics.

Amid sharp criticism from some corners, Microsoft says it will take steps to strengthen a controversial security feature.