I’m switching PCs, both are Windows 11. New one is just newer. I like to keep Sketchup and Layout pinned to the Windows taskbar, and on the old machine, this worked fine. In fact I had four icons on the old taskbar: Sketchup 2024, Layout 2024, Sketchup 2025, and Layout 2025.
But on the new PC, Windows is treating them on the taskbar as if they were two instances of one application: it groups them into one icon, which is Sketchup. When I have programs running and I hover over the icon, thumbnails for both programs will open and I can pick which one I want. When neither is open and I hover, the tooltip is “Sketchup 2025 (2)” which is what I would see if I had two instances of Sketchup running. A right-click will bring up the recent file list for Sketchup and Layout combined.
This is weird but not a big deal, except that it prevents me from launching both programs from the taskbar. I can only open Sketchup.
The only differences I can think of between installations is that my Sketchup version on the new machine is the latest build, and the prior build on the old. And I have never installed 2024 on the new machine, just 2025.
Do you have Vray installed? I found that with Vray loading the open Sketchup sessions appear at the far right on the taskbar while the shortcut to open SketchUp shows toward the left where I put it.
At first I found it annoying but I didn’t want to disable Vray all the time so I’ve gotten used to it. And I can open a new SketchUp with a single click on the lefthand icon.
Dave, I do not have Vray installed. And I cannot ever see this:
(screenshot of your screenshot of your taskbar showing separate icons for Sketchup and Layout).
This must be something related to the way the taskbar is set up to display. TBH, I’m looking at the Taskbar Personalization options but not seeing anything that seems to be pertinent. Maybe one of the Windows gurus like @DanRathbun would have some insight.
So there does not appear possible to prevent grouping without also getting labels. But in any case, this setting appears to only apply to programs in use. When neither program is open, I’m back to a single icon for both (unlabeled).
Another odd thing: If I pin Sketchup, it works, but then if I try to pin Layout, my option will be “unpin” meaning Windows considers Layout already pinned. If I tell it to unpin Layout, the icon will disappear. Then if I try to unpin Sketchup which I had left pinned, the option is to pin it, suggesting again that Windows is considering these that the pin/unpin setting for either applies to both. As if these were two instances of the same application, not two separate applications.
I’m not sure the mechanism whereby Windows understands what is a distinct app and what is a second instance of the same app, but I suspect that the problem must lie therein.
Neither did I make any special taskbar setup, on old or new computer.
But as far as I can tell, the pinned apps, when not in use, are never labeled and are never grouped. I don’t think it’s a Windows settings/preferences issue, honestly. I think something that should be identifying these two programs as unique, isn’t. No doubt that something is buried in the registry somewhere.
Out of curiosity did you install SketchUp and LayOut by right clicking on the installer and selecting Run as administrator? This issue doesn’t seem to be specific to SketchUp and LayOut but maybe it has something to do with the way the apps are installed.
Just tried pinning to start, rather than taskbar. In this case all is well. Each program gets an icon and I can pin and unpin one without affecting the other’s pinned status.
Run as administrator… that has become my standard practice so probably… but my memory fails me. It’s possible I didn’t.
Wouldn’t hurt anything to do a repair of the installation just to make sure. Quit both SketchUp and LayOut, run the installer using Run as administrator and then choose the Repair option.
That’s a good idea. No, it shouldn’t hurt. I am behind the gun with the kind of work that pays the bills, but I will try that when I get these drawings out.
FYI, I have had bad luck pinning from the Desktop icons that the installer creates.
Instead I go into the Start Menu and right-click those icons and pin to taskbar from there.
Re, the separate combine and labels was an option and probably still is in the registry.
Microsoft keeps dumbing down the interface more and more.
You might find a Windows tweaker app to make changes. I have several.
One is called WinAero Tweaker.
RLGL, I can see the taskbar just fine. What I meant is that I cannot get a Sketchup icon and a Layout Icon side by side, on the new computer, like DaveR is seeing (and like I used to see on every computer before this one):
Dan, the same thing happens with start menu icons. If I pin Sketchup to the taskbar from the Start menu, then Layout in the start menu will have the “unpin from taskbar” option. And unpinning Layout will remove the Sketchup icon from the taskbar. And vice versa. Windows is treating the two programs as if they are the same, for the purpose of the taskbar.
I’ve had a little look around and thr grouping in windows is done by some IDs of processes that are running.
SketchUp and Layout both run a process called webhelper (which I think is Chrome) it’s possible that those are ending up with the same ID somehow and then windows groups the apps together because they are both child processes of SketchUp/Layout?
I’ve seen it before where loads of those webhelper processes can end up running, maybe just check your task manager and see if you have any rogue webhelper processes that are somehow running prior to starting either piece of software.
Have you got any extensions for SketchUp installed?
