Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar Description
This policy setting allows you to configure the behavior of small taskbar buttons. When set to: - Always: The taskbar always uses small buttons. - When taskbar is full: The taskbar dynamically switches between small buttons and standard button sizes based on available space. - Never: The taskbar never uses small buttons. Only standard sized buttons will be used. When this policy is enabled, one of the above options must be selected, and users cannot change the "Show smaller taskbar buttons" option in the Settings UI. When this policy disabled or not configured, no option is applied by Group Policy. Windows defaults to the "When the taskbar is full" behavior, and users can manually change this setting in the Settings UI.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer MDM / Intune (CSP)
Device
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior User
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
0- Always: The taskbar always uses small buttons. The setting will be grayed out in the Settings UI and the user can't change the setting value. -
1- When taskbar is full: The taskbar dynamically switches between small buttons and standard sized buttons based on available space. The setting will be grayed out in the Settings UI and the user can't change the setting value. -
2- Never: The taskbar never uses small buttons. Only standard sized buttons will be used. The setting will be grayed out in the Settings UI and the user can't change the setting value. -
65535 (Default)- There is no enforced configuration and the setting can be changed by the user.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
Applying both scopes creates an ambiguous configuration (computer takes precedence over user). Only do this intentionally.
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
; State: Enabled
; Scope: Computer (HKLM)
; Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior_Dropdown" value="1"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Windows Sandbox
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ConfigureTaskbarSmallButtonBehavior' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.