Windows 10: Disable Desktop Peek on hover over taskbar thumbnail

Question

Since Windows 7, there's an option to "Peek" at the desktop (overlayed by outlines of opened Windows) when you hover over a thumbnail produced by a Taskbar icon.

On a Windows 10 device, i need to disable this as it is often used in Extended Desktop mode for projecting/displaying content to the public on a second display. While in control using the primary monitor, when trying to switch windows it will often also peek the desktop on the secondary displays, which is not ideal.

Now, I've managed to disable this on a device in the past, but i now cannot find how.

Just to be clear, this is the only function of Aero Peek that i want to disable. I want to keep the taskbar thumbnails, and the option to desktop peek when hovering over the little button on the bottom right (far right of the taskbar).

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Solution 1

I believe I remember seeing that under the Performance Options.

Go to System --> Advanced System Settings --> Advanced tab --> Settings --> Visual Effects --> and uncheck Enable Peek

Solution 2

I had the same problem with a projected secondary display. The following procedure prevents the secondary display disappearing when hovering over the Show desktop button.

1) Right-click on the taskbar, select "Taskbar Settings".

2) In the Taskbar section the 5th switch down is labelled "Use Peek to preview the desktop when you move your mouse to the Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar." Switch this off.

3) In the Multiple Displays section, the first switch is labelled "Show taskbar on all displays". Switch this off.

Desktop peek now requires a click on the button, so is still available but not nearly so prone to accidental activation. Additionally, the secondary display is undisturbed even if the Desktop peek is activated/de-activated by a click.

Edit: Updated for Win 10 from https://www.askvg.com/how-to-disable-aeropeek-in-windows-7/

Edit2: Further expanded to prevent taskbar showing on secondary display.

Comments

[Ramhound]

Feature is actually called Taskbar Thumbnail Preview: sevenforums.com/tutorials/… don't have a device to submit a proper answer

[Víctor Rodríguez]

@Ramhound, i dont want to disable Taskbar Thumbnail Preview though. I want to keep the thumbnails, but i want to disable the fact that when you hover on the thumbnails, you can "peek" onto the desktop

[Ramhound]

"On a Windows 10 device, i need to disable this as it is often used in Extended Desktop mode for projecting/displaying content to the public on a second display." - This is the question you asked. The current answer you received does exactly that. Might not be the way you want it to be disabled, but how you want it, isn't an option.

[Víctor Rodríguez]

Thanks. This disabled peek entirely though? Is it not possible to only disable it when hovering over the taskbar thumbnail preview? I'm pretty sure i got this working previously?

[Ramhound]

@Salem874 - I doubt it.

[Jeffz]

I did not work for me.

[AnnanFay]

Why is step 3 required?

[Terry1951]

Just for completeness. I don't want the taskbar jumping up on the secondary display.

[Anirudha Gupta]

It doesn't work for me in latest windows 10, april 2018

[AlainD]

@Terry1951: Just a suggestion, but avoid naming the option as the "5th switch down". Microsoft are liable to change options (including their order) at any time. Just name the option.

[Víctor Rodríguez]

@Terry1951, this kind of does what i want, except i'd like this to apply, only only to the "Show Desktop Button" but also to pointing on the preview of a window in the taskbar. I'm almost certain this was possible before, although it may have been with a registry tweak..?

[Víctor Rodríguez]

The thumbnails are fine, its the fact that when you hover on them to switch windows (especially multiple instances in the taskbar of the same application are grouped together) that the desktop "peeks" through

[elig]

Well, you can get that behavior with DisplayFusion's custom taskbars .

[mirh]

For the records, that toggle sets DWORD EnableAeroPeek in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM.

[blueSky]

I am not sure what the OP looking for, but your response solved my problem when I searched for a solution, ended up on this page, decided to try each and every answer and eventually unchecked: "Save taskbar thumbnail previews", so thank you!