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I've been looking into ways for an app to add a custom DeskBand (or something similar) to the Windows 10 & 11 taskbar:

Custom area on the taskbar

There are various references to IDeskBand2 and other taskbar extensions, but I'm getting conflicting information[2] as to whether DeskBand is simply deprecated, or is actually no longer supported, for example, Microsoft says:

You should use thumbnail toolbars in new development in place of desk bands, which are not supported as of Windows 7.

...but thumbnail toolbars require that you hover over a taskbar button before they are visible. That's not the same as an always-visible area on the taskbar.

Is there no official (non-hacky) way to create something like the "Screen Time" example above for Windows 10/11?

Can anyone shed light on this?

[2]: Here's an example where Microsoft implies that it's not supported after Windows 7.

Scott Smith
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    The quoted text does not appear in the linked documentation, nor do I see any implication that Deskbands are not supported. See the [Deskbands](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/taskbar-extensions#deskbands) heading, where it explicitly states that Thumbnails are not intended to replace Deskbands, and you may still wish to use Deskbands, along with a caveat about Aero. – paddy Nov 08 '22 at 05:26
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    There's a C# example here (I have not tested it) https://github.com/navhaxs/media-control-deskband – Simon Mourier Nov 08 '22 at 06:57
  • @paddy - quoted text is here, in the IDeskBand2 documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/shobjidl/nn-shobjidl-ideskband2 – Scott Smith Nov 08 '22 at 17:06
  • @paddy - from the _linked_ documentation: "In Windows 7, deskbands can still be implemented and thumbnail toolbars are not intended to replace them all." – Scott Smith Nov 08 '22 at 17:10
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    @ScottSmith and yet, the OTHER *linked* documentation says: "*You should use thumbnail toolbars in new development in place of desk bands, which are not supported as of Windows 7*", just as the OP originally stated. So, there is a conflict of information posted on MSDN (this not the first time that has been pointed out: [Are deskbands still supported? (Custom taskbar interfaces)](https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/ea5afdae-ab1d-43db-9c89-fc43c14edf9b)). DeskBands ARE deprecated, even if they still "work" for now. – Remy Lebeau Nov 08 '22 at 18:46
  • @RemyLebeau - Yeah, after re-reading both pages for the umpteenth time, I realized that it _doesn't actually say_ that DeskBands _don't_ work in later Windows versions. My original take was also based upon lots of posts in various places from people saying it was/wasn't available... Thanks for the sample! – Scott Smith Nov 10 '22 at 19:09

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