Making Live Messenger smaller in Windows 7 Beta

by Wade on March 25, 2009

Want Windows Live Messenger to show up in the notification area:

image  

instead of the taskbar?

image  

The behavior of Messenger on Windows 7 startled me too, but I came to like it. It’s much easier to work with from taskbar than it ever was from “systray” (the nerdy, I-guess-you-had-to-be-there, name for the notification area.)

That said, you can get the old behavior using compatibility mode:

  1. Click the Windows button and type “Windows Live Messenger” into the search box.
  2. When the “Windows Live Messenger” icon appears, right-click it and choose “Properties.”
  3. Click the Compatibility tab, and choose Vista compatibility mode:
    image
  4. Exit Messenger, and start it again.

An alternative for the screen-size-challenged is to resize the taskbar:

  1. Right-click anywhere on the taskbar and choose “Properties.”
  2. Check “Use small icons”
    image 

Karsten Palmvig provided the compatibility mode tip, among others.

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

03 September 12, 2009 at 7:34 pm

that was very useful. thanks for the tweak

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