Although Windows7 allows you to customize the colors of Windows taskbar and application windows etc., but if you want to go a step further and choose a different taskbar button color for each and every program, then you can try TaskBow Color Taskbar. This is a free application which allows you to colorize your Windows 7 taskbar and letting you assign a different color for every running program. It actually replaces the original Windows taskbar and can be used not only in Windows 7 but also in Windows 2000, XP and Vista.
TaskBow Color Taskbar is a portable application – it does not require installation of any kind. You can just download it and run the downloaded file taskbowfree.exe. You have to agree to the terms and conditions and then the magic happens – the TaskBow Color Taskbar replaces the Windows taskbar. You can see the options window for the Color Taskbar by double-clicking on the Color Taskbar notification area (system tray) icon. You can access the color assignment, quick launching and grouping options etc. in this window as shown.
The Color Assignment feature lets you choose a different color for different application in the taskbar. You can click on the Settings button in the options window and it would open a window where you can assign colors based on window titles, application names or both. You can click on the large “plus” icon to start assigning the colors of your choice to new applications. These colors are shown in the taskbar buttons when those applications are run and their window titles or application names match with Color Taskbar settings.
In addition to assigning colors, Color Taskbar also revives the Quick Launch area for Windows 7. If you do not know, the quick launch area was discontinued starting from the Windows Vista and it is not present in Windows 7 at all. But using Color Taskbar you can use, access and add application shortcuts to the taskbar once again. You can click on the Settings button in the Setup Quick Launch Options section to access and edit the list of items in the Quick Launch area of the taskbar.
By default TaskBow Color Taskbar sets itself to run automatically at the Windows startup, but you can change the settings from the Common Program Options section. The TaskBow Color Taskbar is a very good replacement for the dull looking Windows taskbar – especially if you are using Windows XP. You can assign colors to programs, use quick launch once again, group programs together and more. So if you want to add more vibrant rainbow like colors to your Windows taskbar, then you can check Color Taskbar out. You can download Color Taskbar from the Taskbow website at http://www.taskbow.com/.