When WinXP opens a new window, the icon/button that gets created in the taskbar does this stupid expansion animation thing. Is there any way to turn that off so that the icon/button just pops into existence? It doesn't seem to be under Control Panel → Display Properties → Appearance → Effects.

The reason I ask is that I have a virtual desktop app that gets bogged down on this slow computer I'm using when Windows redraws the icons/buttons that it adds and removes on desktop switching.

I don't have an XP box handy (I'm on 2003), but does TweakUI have a setting for this?

Good idea; I hadn't thought to look there. But there's nothing I can find.

I don't notice any animation for the taskbar on my XP machine.
I wonder if I shut it off somehow...

It's probably pretty quick on a computer that's not as overloaded as mine. Basically, the button/icon pops up about as wide as the actual icon on the left side of it. Then it expands toward the right until it gets to its full size.

Get a faster computer :P

If you're running a virtual desktop app and its this slow already just doing redraw then you should get something else.

Feel free to email my manager.

Would more RAM fix it? Could you just buy some and send him the bill?
That's what I do.

I just use classic mode. Turns all that crap off, and I know where everything is to boot!

If you're using classic mode anyway then you should disable the theme service to save a bit of memory/CPU.

my computer>properties>advanced tab>performance settings

Then uncheck "slide taskbar buttons".

And whatever else strikes your fancy. The more unchecked the faster the UI gets.

This is in classic mode.

Aha!

Virtual beers all around.

Excellent find!

Mine was already configured for 'maximum performance' and so none of the boxes were checked.

Very sad that TweakUI doesn't access these settings.