Windows 8 Max Overlay Icons

Question

With the changes to UI in windows 8, is there now the ability to have more then 15 overlay icons (11 of which a user can use) in windows 8?

Given the 15 icon it's impossible for all applications to actually use icon overlays:

• Windows
• Groove
• Dropbox
• Carbonite
• Tortoise
• lot's more

All these apps are very useful but having a stupidly low limit of 15 (which must be a carry over from windows 3) is quite annoying.

 

 

Answer 1

The only answer I could find was that the limit of 15 Overlay icons has not changed from Windows 7.
I suggest you send Feedback on this issue to let the developers know it is a problem. Use the links below:

Please submit feedback using the Windows Feedback Tool from the Connect Site associated with your Windows Developer Preview program. If you’re an MSDN subscriber, the information on how to join the Connect program is included on the download page where you installed Windows Developer Preview. There’s a link to the Connect site and an invitation code that you can click on to join using a Windows Live ID account. If you’re not an MSDN subscriber follow this limited use link to join the Connect program and then follow the steps here.

If you have questions about developing an Icon Overlay Handler, you can post in the User Interface development for Windows Desktop.

Sincerely,

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Marilyn

Answer 2

Its a major problem and just baffles me why this doesn't bother any developer on Microsoft's OS team!  Surely they must have also run into this too?!  15 overlay limit..so frustrating!!

See the following:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1057734/tortoisesvn-icons-not-showing-up-under-windows-7

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144123(VS.85).aspx (read comments at bottom)

ps: I don't see the useful-ness of proposed answer to pro-logic's request.  A much better answer would be simply the MSFT engineer creating the request on his behalf, linking back to this page and then linking your request at this page (cross-link them).  I don't know how many times I've seen great feedback found here or there throughout Microsoft's support sites but it gets lost in the shuffle because MS says you posted to the wrong area and then vaguely makes reference where to go (without a precise URL)..*sigh*

Answer 3

the Limit of 15 is really a nightmare and MUST be fixed asap for all Windows Versions.

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"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code"

Answer 4

Thanks for your feedback.

This limitation does bother engineers on the OS team (such as myself). We are aware of it but we also do need to prioritize our work. Any change needs to be thoroughly tested, code reviewed, security reviewed, etc. and can possibly have far-reaching impacts in areas such as backwards compatibility. Unfortunately, it's not always as simple as it seems. I can't say whether or not we will be able to fix this issue in this release -- just know that we are aware of it!

Thanks,

Ben

Answer 5

please, please fix this. This sucks sooo much.

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"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code"

Answer 6

Can you send your feedback through the official "Send Feedback" tool? That way the people who can actually make this happen will have your feedback to consider. The more people that complain through there, the more likely it will get fixed :-)

I know it doesn't feel like it, but these feedback items go pretty much directly into our official bug database, so every single feedback report gets looked at, investigated, and considered.

Answer 7

Can you send your feedback through the official "Send Feedback" tool?

*done*

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"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code"