Windows – How to disable “Recent” Windows 7 taskbar

Based on @dash17291's answer, here is a slightly faster procedure (no reboot) that worked for me:

1. Open Windows Explorer, go to %userprofile%\AppData\Local, delete IconCache.db. (This file is hidden, so it you don't see it, you will need to adjust your Windows Explorer settings to show hidden files.)

2. Open Task Manager, go to Processes tab, highlight explorer.exe, and click End Process. Your desktop will "disappear."

3. Still in Task Manger, select File > New Task (Run...), type explorer.exe, and click OK. Your desktop should reappear, with the previously missing icons.

Steps to disable flashing icon on Taskbar - Windows 7

1. Click the Start icon
2. Type in regedit
3. Select regedit from the top of the result
4. Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
5. Editing ForegroundFlashCount
   1. Find ForegroundFlashCount
   2. Double click ForegroundFlashCount
   3. Replace the value for Value Data with 1
6. Editing ForegroundLockTimeout
   1. Find ForegroundLockTimeout
   2. Double click ForegroundLockTimeout
   3. Replace the value for Value Data with 0
7. Reboot

This is the way to do it without any 3rd-party applications. The steps are in detail steps to help both experienced and non-experienced users. If you want to undo these changes, repeat the steps above using the original values: ForegroundFlashCount is 7; ForegroundLockTimeout is 30d40.

Disclaimer : You should always backup your registry before editing your registry.