Windows 7 Taskforce

Close Window Using Middle-click on Taskbar (instead of spawn new process)

Submitted by shaliron on May 31, 2009 to Annoyance, Usability

Problem: Middle-clicking on a tile in the taskbar current spawns a new process for that program, e.g. new window in IE8, new explorer window, etc.

This behaviour is inconsistent with other user interface paradigms in web browsers, especially when (more...)

Solution: There should at least be a setting, to make it more consistent with the operating system and web browsers, to close when middle-clicking on a tile. At the very least, there should be an option so that users change the behaviour to cater for different (more...)

Severity: Medium

Impact: High

Status: Not fixed

(8 comments)

More Notification Area Icons options.

Submitted by Jive Turkey on May 25, 2009 to Usability

Problem: I want to see icons, but not notifications. Out of the four possible options with showing/hiding icons and notifications in the Notification Area, the one I want isn't available. A default option for new icons would also be great.
Reasons (more...)

Solution: Preferably add the option to show icon, but not notification. Alternatively, use the "Click here to never display this message again" feature that has been in MSN/Windows Live Messenger for years.
Add the option to set default option (more...)

Severity: Low

Impact: High

Status: Not fixed

Remove "shake to minimize"

Submitted by i00 on April 9, 2009 to Annoyance, Usability

Problem: It can be annoying when you accidentally shake a window too much in Windows 7 and all the other windows minimize

Solution: Proposed: an option to disable this feature would be great and an option to change its tolerance

Severity: Low

Impact: Medium

Status: Not fixed

Add the minimize button of a window when openly some windows from one button

Submitted by pojitonov on March 22, 2009 to Usability

Problem: It is inconvenient to minimize windows

Severity: Medium

Impact: Medium

Status: Not fixed

Develop new media center UI around this (Not for windows 7, but for a feature verson)

Submitted by .Chris on January 28, 2009 to Aesthetics, Usability

Problem: While, it may be too late for windows 7, this could happen in a simple update or even a feature version of windows.

I found this over on AeroXP and it was a real neat mock up of a new media center UI. Reason why I wanted to post this, is (more...)

Severity: Low

Impact: Low

Status: Not fixed

(13 comments)

Add links to arbitrary drives or folders to top of list in Windows Explorer

Submitted by Jive on January 17, 2009 to Aesthetics, Annoyance, Usability

Problem: I don't want to have to wade past Favorites, Libraries, Desktop, Homegroup, User links to get at a folder on a hard drive. I would like to be able to add links drives or folders the the upper left of the Widows Explorer display in 2-pane mode. I (more...)

Solution: Allow user to add arbritrary links to the upper left of the Windows Explorer display above the current Favorites, Desktop, Libraries, Homegroup, User, Computer links.

Severity: Medium

Impact: Medium

Status: Not fixed

(7 comments)

Allow users to change priority's of applications from the applications tab on the task manager.

Submitted by TheDub on December 17, 2008 to Usability

Problem: Not a huge deal but if a user wants to change the priority of an application that they might not know the process name of they should be able to do it from the applications tab as well. I know there is a go to process menu option already but a priority (more...)

Solution: Add priority menu to applications tab in task manager.

Severity: Low

Impact: Low

Status: Not fixed

(3 comments)

Allow two line notifications in taskbar notification area.

Submitted by hoopla_punta on December 15, 2008 to Aesthetics, Annoyance, Usability

Problem: Since the new taskbar has extra ten pixels, it could have some small text under it (like the clock). Some examples would be:

Scrolling text under Networking to show connected to what network. (for 8 sec)
% battery life/batt time (more...)

Severity: Low

Impact: Medium

Status: Not fixed

Spread WMP 12 button apart in Live Thumbnail Preview (To easily select the tiny buttons)

Submitted by Zerlot on December 15, 2008 to Annoyance, Bug, Icons, Usability

Problem: The previous/play/next button in Live thumbnail preview is so small and no spacing that user can accidently select any of the buttons. User have to carefully point to the play/pause button.

Solution: Spread WMP 12 button apart in Live Thumbnail Preview.

Severity: High

Impact: High

Status: Not fixed

(3 comments)

Add a new folder view

Submitted by lipinho170 on December 14, 2008 to Usability

Problem: Many shell replacement as CairoShell and Proteus Shell, add in their explorer window a new view, as the Apple CoverFlow, and it was amazing beautiful..in media center, we have a kind of it, just look at the SS. Why don't add it to the explorer?
(more...)

Solution: Add the new "coverflow" view to explorer

Severity: High

Impact: High

Status: Not fixed

(4 comments)

User Account Control: Changing the setting as non-administrator

Submitted by rm20010 on November 5, 2008 to Usability

Problem: While you're running as a standard user, go and attempt to change the UAC settings.

For some reason, you can increase the 'sensitivity' of UAC, but of course you'll need to provide credentials after clicking OK. But (more...)

Severity: Low

Impact: Low

Status: Not fixed

(3 comments)

Allow video clip files to be uploaded as well as picture files

Submitted by formula_86 on March 26, 2010 to Usability, Website suggestions

Problem: Sometimes if someone is experiencing a UX quirk, a screenshot is not enough and a video clip is required to show the problem. Yes, the user could upload the video to YouTube and place a link here, but wouldn't it be better to be able to upload video (more...)

Solution: Even if you impose say a 10mb limit on uploaded clips, allow the following formats to be uploaded: wmv, avi, mpg, mov, flv, mp4, f4v, m4v, 3gp, mkv, mod, qt, asf and mpeg. The quality wouldn't matter a great deal, since we only want to see the UX (more...)

Severity: Medium

Impact: Medium

Status: Not fixed

(8 comments)

skroll without selecting one of multiple windows you have open

Submitted by BungyRich on March 22, 2010 to Annoyance, Usability

Problem: when you have multiple internet explorer windows you can put your mouse over the E icon in the lower left of the sceen and put the mouse over the window you want but can not skroll that window without selecting it.

Severity: High

Impact: High

Status: Not fixed

(2 comments)

Battery Management: Standardize ability to disable battery charging under certain criteria

Submitted by AllUltima on January 12, 2010 to Annoyance, Usability

Problem: It is now well established that long term lithium ion battery life is prolonged by keeping the battery around 40% instead of 100%. At least in terms of long term idle storage, keeping the battery at 100% is considered absurd.

Many users (more...)

Solution: On the driver level, implement a toggle for disabling the charging of the battery. If this is not possible, then Microsoft should propose a standard for future laptops (or perhaps future firmware for existing laptops) to conform to which would allow such (more...)

Severity: Medium

Impact: Medium

Status: Not fixed

(13 comments)

Explorer Left Pane on Right, Pen and Touch (Right/Left Handed)

Submitted by tharyn on November 29, 2009 to Annoyance, Usability

Problem: I use a Wacom Cintiq, but this will be very relivan for any Right handed person when we all move to touch displays.

With the Explorer pane always on the left, your hand is reaching across the entire display(Covering what your working on). (more...)

Solution: To accommodate users of either hand, Pointers, Panels, and Scroll bars should all be switchable, from one side to another.

Severity: Medium

Impact: High

Status: Not fixed