A tour of the Windows 10 taskbar and what its icons do

pictures of taskbar

The taskbar along the bottom of Windows 10 is unassuming, but there's actually a lot going on down there. We're going to look really closely at each section and what it does, from the return of the Start menu on the left, all the way over to the clock on the right. A lot of this information will be old hat for veteran users, but we're hoping to offer a complete introduction for those just getting started with Windows 10.

Those four little squares in the bottom-left of the screen are the Windows button. Click it, and you'll get access to some of your favorite programs, and the ability to browse a full list of apps that are installed on your computer. The Start menu also lets you shut down your computer and diving into system settings. The Live Tiles on the right of the start menu can be moved around and put beneath custom subheadings for easy access. Clicking them will open up Windows programs, but often they're animated so you can see what's new and relevant at a glance. Many keyboards will have a Start key built into them, so you don't even have to click the icon to open it up. For more advanced users, right-clicking the Start button will provide quick access to detailed system utilities, such as Command Prompt and Device Manager.

Search and Cortana

The text box next to the Start button says pretty much exactly what it does: "Search the web and Windows". Clicking here will pop up a menu that will populate with search results as you type. These can be programs, documents, songs, pictures, or just about anything else. Just above your typed search query, you can click My Stuff or Web to filter based on content stored on your computer, or content online. If you live in a supporting country, you can enable Cortana with the gear on the left side. This voice-enabled assistant can intelligently execute tasks like send e-mails, provide weather results, and making calculations. Cortana adapts over time based on your usage. For quick access to Windows search, pressing the Start button on your keyboard and S will get you started without having to click the search box.

Task View is an imaginative way of managing your active windows. Clicking it will shrink all of your programs so that a small thumbnail of each is visible. From there you can click each one to view the open app, or the X to close it. The really interesting feature is the New Desktop button in the bottom-left. Here you can tailor-craft a desktop built for specific tasks, such as watching movies or editing videos. This means you won't have to keep one desktop overly cluttered with dozens of windows, and instead parse them out over several task-focused desktops. You can drag and drop active windows in Task view to the appropriate desktop easily. Learn more about how to use Task View here .

File Explorer and Pinned Programs

The File Explorer icon is a yellow folder that, when opened, will let you browse through the content of your computer. The other icons directly beside it are pinned programs. These are shortcuts to programs so you can access them immediately without having to go rooting around in the Start Menu or search bar. Just about any type of program can be pinned here, or, if you don't ever use it, be unpinned. Right click the program, and you'll see options to pin or unpin from the taskbar. Some pinned programs will provide more detailed launch options after right-clicking them, such as a browser that goes directly to a recent website rather than the default front page. Pinned taskbar items can be reordered; just hold left-click, move your mouse, and release left click to put it elsewhere on the taskbar.

Active Programs

Programs that are currently open will look a lot like pinned applications, except there will be a thin line beneath them. A lighter background will be behind the window that is currently active, and if more than one instance of an application is open, you'll notice the edge of another tile tucked behind the icon. To switch between multiple windows of an application, just move your mouse cursor over the icon, and thumbnails of each window will show up.

Move your mouse over each of those thumbnails, and they will highlight on screen. Click whichever one you want to switch to. Some active applications will have other controls accessible when you mouse over them like that, such as changing status in Skype, or skipping tracks in Music. This way you can interact with your programs without having to open them. You can also close programs from these previews by clicking the X in the top-right of their thumbnails. Right-clicking active programs in the taskbar will bring up more detailed tasks, similar to those offered by pinned programs. Also like pinned programs, they can be repositioned within the overflow menu or in the system tray next to the clock by dragging and dropping.

A small upwards facing arrow will sit in the taskbar, close to a collection of other icons in the bottom-right of your screen. Clicking it will show other applications that are running in the background. Their icons will often indicate the status of the applications, and right-clicking them can bring up options for interaction, much like active applications. These system tray applications tend to keep to themselves without needing much user involvement, which is why they don't live with the other active applications. These will often start running when your computer boots up though they can be disabled from doing so in Task Manager. You should also have a bit of empty space along the taskbar just to the left of the overflow arrow.

This space will fill up with applications as you open them, but it's also helpful space for working with the taskbar itself. Right-click it to alter how the taskbar behaves, such as by adding additional toolbars, or hiding the Task View button. Hold down your left mouse button while the cursor is in this space, and move it to the left, right, or top of the screen if you'd rather the taskbar there.

Power Status

The plug and battery icon will show how much power is left in your laptop. The icon will change over time, so can be very helpful for keeping tabs on your battery life at a glance. Don't worry too much about it, though. Windows will notify you when battery life is getting particularly low. Left-clicking the battery icon will let you easily turn down your laptop's display brightness, and access power settings. Right-clicking the icon gives even more shortcuts to specific battery-related utilities, including those provided by your computer manufacturer.

Volume Control

Very simply, this allows you to control the volume out of either your computer's speakers or headphones. Often keyboards will have built-in volume control that can do this as well. Just click the speaker icon, and then click and drag the slider up or down to adjust. Click the speaker itself in the pop-up window to mute and unmute. Right-clicking the volume control provides access to detailed sound settings, such as identifying where you want audio coming out of, and identifying microphones attached to your computer. Selecting Open Volume Mixer will allow you to adjust volume of individual programs.

Network Status

The next icon indicates your network status and often how you're connecting to the internet. This will be either wirelessly over Wi-Fi, or connected over an ethernet cable. Left-clicking the network status icon provides a list of networks you have access to though you'll often need a password to log onto Wi-Fi networks. Additional settings can be seen when clicking Network settings from this screen. Icons along the bottom of the network status window will also let you turn off Wi-Fi or enter airplane mode should the need arise. When you're encountering internet problems, often right-clicking this icon and left-clicking troubleshoot problems will solve your issue.

Action Center

Action Center combines notifications from all of your various programs for easy viewing. The icon will turn white when a new notification comes in, such as via email. When you click the icon, you'll see all of your latest notifications. Along the bottom of the Action Center are a series of toggles that can helpfully connect you to new networks and save battery, among other things. If you want Action Center to shut up for a little bit, right-click the icon and click Turn on quiet hours.

Time and Date

The utility of the clock is pretty universal. Moving your cursor over it will show an alternative format, so you're not left counting out the months trying to figure out which one we're in. A left click will bring up a larger calendar where you can skip forward and back a month using the arrows in the top-right of the windows. Click today's date at the top of the window to zip back to today in the calendar. You can dig into additional date and time settings from the link at the bottom of this window.

Show/hide desktop

The little skinny bar to the right of the clock can be easy to miss, but it's quite handy. Click it and your windows will be temporarily hidden so you can see everything on your desktop. If you click that slim bar again, previously open windows will zip back up to full size. Pressing the Start key on your keyboard and D at the same time will do the same thing.

Hopefully, that's a comprehensive look at everything the Windows 10 taskbar enables. It's a gateway to your entire computer and the internet. New customization options ensure it behaves to best suit your experience, so go ahead and get dirty, do some tweaking, and set up your taskbar as you see fit. If you have any issues playing around with this stuff, leave a comment, and we'll do our best to help out.

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Customize the Taskbar

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For the Windows 10 version of this topic, see Customize the Windows 10 Taskbar

You can pin up to three additional apps to the Taskbar. You can configure Taskbar pins using one of these two methods:

TaskbarLayoutModification.XML method (recommended)

  • Supports multivariant images; you can specify different sets of taskbar layouts for different regions.
  • Uses a single XML file.
  • Only method that allows you to add UWP apps to the taskbar.
  • In the examples below, the file name "TaskbarLayoutModification.xml" is used, however, you can choose any name you like.

Classic Unattend method (still supported in Windows 10, but marked as deprecated and may not be available in future builds)

  • Uses the Unattend setting: TaskbarLinks

Image showing the Windows desktop, including the taskbar

Taskbar links and ordering

The taskbar starts with the following links: Start , Search (glyph) , Task View , Widgets , and Chat plus three additional Windows-provided links: File Explorer , Edge , and Store . These pins cannot be removed or replaced.

OEMs can pin up to three additional items to the taskbar.

For left-to-right languages, the taskbar icons are ordered from left to right, and for right-to-left languages the taskbar icons are in the opposite order, with the right-most element being Start .

Author a TaskbarLayoutModification.xml file

Below is an basic example of a TaskbarLayoutModification.xml file:

The above example defines a default layout that has three pinned items: Notepad, the Calculator UWP app, and Command Prompt.

Adding pins to your layout

Pin Classic Windows applications or Universal Windows Apps to your Taskbar by adding up to three elements under the <taskbar:TaskbarPinList> element:

To add a Classic Windows application , add a <taskbar:DesktopApp> element with a DesktopApplicationLinkPath attribute that specifies the path to a shortcut (.lnk) file. We recommend using the same shortcut .lnk files in the All Users Start menu. Example:

Some classic Windows applications are now packaged differently than they were in previous versions of Windows. See Notepad and Paint to learn more.

For Universal Windows apps , add a <Taskbar:UWA> element with a AppUserModelID attribute that specifies the a Universal Windows app's user model ID (AUMID). Example:

See Find the Application User Model ID of an installed app to learn how to find the AUMID of an installed app.

Links to .url files are not supported.

Use different layouts for different regions

You can also define different layouts for different regions within the same TaskbarLayoutModification.xml file. To additional layouts for different regions, configure additional <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout> elements that include a Region attribute to define the applicable region. You can use multiple region tags separated by a pipe ( | ) character.

Here is an example of adding pins to the Chinese (PRC) and Chinese (Taiwan) regions:

These regions use the second half of the language/region tags listed in Available Language Packs for Windows .

The example below shows a TaskbarLayoutModification.xml file with a default configuration, and two configurations for specific regions:

Add TaskbarLayoutModification.XML to an image

If you're using a TaskbarLayoutModification.xml files to customize your taskbar, you'll:

  • Configure a registry key in your Windows image to set the default path of your TaskBarLayoutModification.xml file.
  • Add the TaskBarLayoutModification.xml file to your image.
  • Generalize and recapture your image.

Set a default path

To use a Taskbar Layout Modification XML file, you'll need to add a registry key (LayoutXMLPath) to the image, then generalize and recapture the image. The registry key is processed before the specialize configuration pass, so you can't add the registry key using Synchronous Commands/FirstLogonCommands unless you're planning to generalize the image afterwards.

Once the registry key is configured in your image, the other shortcut files, apps, and the Taskbar Layout Modification file itself can be changed at any time through regular imaging techniques. You can add this registry key to all your images, even if you intend to add taskbar links using the Classic Unattend method.

To set the path:

Install the Windows image to a technician computer.

After the image boots, go into audit mode by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+F3.

Add the following registry key to define a default location for the Taskbar Layout Modification file:

cmd /c reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ /v LayoutXMLPath /d C:\Windows\OEM\TaskbarLayoutModification.xml

We recommend using the file location C:\Windows\OEM\TaskbarLayoutModification.xml because this is the default path used for Push-button reset auto-apply folders .

Add taskbarlayoutmodification.xml to your image

Now that Windows knows where to look for the file, copy your TaskbarLayoutModification.xml file into the configured location.

While still in Audit mode:

  • Add a Taskbar Layout Modification file (TaskbarLayoutModification.xml) in the location you configured in the previous step, for example: C:\Windows\OEM\TaskbarLayoutModification.xml .
  • (Optional) You can also place a backup copy of your file at C:\Recovery\AutoApply\TaskbarLayoutModification.xml so it will be restored during a push-button reset .

Generalize and recapture your image

Generalize the Windows image using Sysprep :

Boot to Windows PE.

Recapture the image. For example:

Your image is now configured to use your TaskBarLayoutModification.xml.

How Windows parses the setting for Unattend and Taskbar Layout Modification XML

While you’re transitioning to the new method to customize the taskbar, you may end up using existing images that still include your old Unattend TaskbarLinks settings. When that happens:

  • If Windows finds a valid Taskbar Layout Modification XML file, it uses the XML file, and ignores any of the Unattend taskbar settings.
  • If the Taskbar Layout Modification XML file isn't found, or is invalid, Windows looks for the old Unattend TaskbarLinks settings. If it finds them, it uses them.
  • If Windows can't find either a valid Taskbar Layout Modification XML file, or Unattend TaskbarLink settings, then only the Windows-provided pins and Start , Search (Glyph) , Task View , Widgets , Chat , and Taskbar corner icons are shown.

Additional resources

  • How to customize your Windows 11 taskbar

You can tweak your new taskbar — somewhat

By Barbara Krasnoff , a reviews editor who manages how-tos. She’s worked as an editor and writer for almost 40 years. Previously, she was a senior reviews editor for Computerworld.

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pictures of taskbar

If you’ve updated your computer from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you may find that your taskbar isn’t quite as configurable — and perhaps not quite as useful — as it was before. For example, the old, familiar Start menu with its configurable Live Tiles is now gone. The search box is no longer within the taskbar but is accessed by first clicking on the Start menu — an extra step. (Although the fact that Cortana is no longer automatically part of that search box can be considered, by many at least, as a plus.)

Another thing: the taskbar is now permanently affixed to the bottom of the screen — so if you were more comfortable having it on top of the screen, or on either side, you’re out of luck.

As you might imagine, Windows users are already posting fixes for at least some of these issues — as long as you’re comfortable tweaking your Windows Registry. For example, there’s one that purportedly lets you move the taskbar to the top of the screen , and another that lets you change the size of the taskbar .

  • These apps let you customize Windows 11 to bring the taskbar back to life

It’s possible that Microsoft will bring back some of these abilities in future updates of the new OS. For now, let’s concentrate on how you can adjust the current Windows 11 taskbar.

Pin an app to the taskbar

Pinning an app to the taskbar at the bottom can be a little — well, weird. There are several ways to handle it:

  • If an app is running, its icon will appear in the taskbar with a line underneath to indicate that it is active. If you want its icon to remain in the taskbar even after you’ve closed it, then right-click on the icon and select “Pin to taskbar.”

Right click on an active icon and select “Pin to taskbar”

  • If an app isn’t running, but its icon is on your desktop, you can pin it to the Taskbar as well. Right-click on the desktop icon and click on “Show more options.” A longer menu will open up; about two-thirds down, you’ll see “Pin to taskbar.”
  • You can also click on the Start icon, select the “All apps” button, and then right-click on the app you want. If you don’t see “Pin to taskbar” in the menu that pops up, then select “More” and you’ll see “Pin to taskbar.”

You can also pin an app to your tasks from the “All apps” menu.

Remove an app from the taskbar

Most apps are simple to remove: just right-click on the icon and select “Unpin from taskbar.”

A few of the icons take a little more effort to remove. The Start menu icon is, as might be expected, unremovable. But there are four other icons that can’t be removed but can be hidden. The easiest way to do that is:

  • Right click on the taskbar.
  • Select “Taskbar settings.” (You can also get there by going to “Settings” > “Personalization” > “Taskbar.”)
  • Toggle off any of the four icons — “Search,” “Task view,” “Widgets,” or “Chat” — that you want to hide.

You can hide four of the standard taskbar icons.

Move your icons to the left

Those of us who having been using Windows 10 (or 7 or earlier iterations) are used to accessing the Start menu from the lower left-hand corner of the screen. If your muscle memory keeps your hand drifting to that corner, you can move the center app icons so they are to your left instead:

  • Right-click on the taskbar and click on “Taskbar settings.”
  • Select “Taskbar behaviors.”
  • Look for “Taskbar alignment” and click on the button on the right where it says “Center.” Select “Left” instead.
  • Close the settings window, and you’ll see that the app icons in the taskbar have moved to the left, with the Start menu icon in the corner.

You can move the icons from the center to the left of the taskbar.

Incidentally, the “Taskbar behaviors” section of the settings lets you do more than move your icons to the left. It also lets you automatically hide the taskbar (something that’s been a taskbar behavior for a very long time); show a badge on taskbar apps to let you know if, say, you have any unread messages; handle how the taskbar works on multiple displays; and show a clean desktop by clicking on the far right corner of the taskbar.

Taskbar behaviors include hiding the taskbar and showing unread messages.

Taskbar corner icons and overflow

While the taskbar corner icons and the overflow window aren’t new, I never actually knew what they were called before. To tell you the truth, when I first saw the phrase “Taskbar corner overflow,” I pictured a bunch of app icons flowing out of the display like Niagara Falls. Turns out the corner icons are the icons in the right corner of the taskbar — the ones that show the time and date, your battery status, your volume level, and your Wi-Fi status, among other things. The overflow is the little pop-up menu that appears when you select the arrow to the left of those corner icons.

For the most part, the icons in the overflow window are meant to notify you when there is something that needs to be done — messages that have arrived or an update that is needed. This is also handy for apps, like Discord, that tend to run in the background; you can shut them down easily from the overflow by right-clicking on the icon and looking for the “quit” selection.

While most of the corner icons that come with Windows are permanent, some — specifically, the Pen menu, the Touch keyboard, and the Virtual touchpad — can be hidden. They can be found on the same taskbar settings menu that let us move the icons to the left; just click on “Taskbar corner overflow” and toggle off the ones you don’t want to see.

The overflow menu lets you handle apps that run in the background.

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Windows 10 tips and tricks

How to Customize Your Windows 10 Taskbar to Be More Productive

On your computer desktop, you can use the taskbar to help you monitor applications, check battery life, and more.

Being able to customize what your task bar can do is crucial for boosting your productivity. And there's more to it than just monitoring applications.

In this guide, I will show you several ways you can customize the taskbar to fire up your productivity.

How to Pin Apps to the Taskbar in Windows

Just like you can create shortcuts on the desktop, you can pin apps to the taskbar to easily launch them. With this approach, you will be able to launch your pinned apps in one click.

ss-1-10

How to Peek at Your Desktop with the Taskbar

You can take a look at what’s happening on your desktop by hovering on the far right-hand side of the taskbar.

Follow the steps below to do it:

ss-3-9

How to Automatically Hide the Taskbar

You can hide the taskbar until you need it and move your cursor towards it. This will give what's on your screen a wider display.

To automatically hide the taskbar:

ss-5-8

How to Hide the Search box or Display a Search Icon Instead on the Taskbar

You can hide the search box on the taskbar to make more space available for pinned apps.

Just keep in mind that if you want to search your computer directly without clicking anything, you should leave it to the default – “Show search box”.

Step 1 : Right-click on an empty portion on the taskbar and hover on “Search”.

ss-6-9

How to Change the Location of the Taskbar

Your taskbar doesn't always have to be at the bottom of your screen. You can move it around if you want.

ss-7-5

In this article, you learned some ways to customize your taskbar to help you ramp up your productivity.

Thank you for reading. If you found this article useful, please share it with your friends and family.

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Computer Hope

The taskbar is an element of an operating system located at the bottom of the screen. It lets you locate and launch programs through Start and the Start menu or view any currently open program. On the right side of the taskbar is the Notification Area that lets you check the date and time, items running in the background. The taskbar was introduced with Microsoft Windows 95 and is found in all subsequent versions of Windows.

Users familiar with Apple Macintosh computers can think of the taskbar as the Dock . On a Chromebook , the app shelf is the equivalent of a taskbar.

Windows taskbars

The picture above shows the Windows taskbar throughout Windows history. Except for the Quick Launch feature, the taskbar in Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0 resembled the Windows 98 taskbar. Windows Vista and 7, Microsoft removed the Quick Launch, added the Start Orb , and allowed icons in the Windows Notification Area to be hidden. With Windows 8, Microsoft removed the Start button but later added it back in Windows 8.1. Windows 10 resembles Windows 8.1, but with a new Cortana search box. Windows 11 changes the look of the taskbar, centering the Start, Search , and Widget icons, and the pinned program icons.

Below is an overview of the Microsoft Windows 10 taskbar with its major elements listed.

Windows taskbar

Use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + 1 through Windows key + 0 to open the first to tenth icon on the Windows taskbar.

Should I use "taskbar" or "task bar" in my writing?

Always write "taskbar" as one word and in lowercase.

Related information

  • Issues and questions related to the Windows taskbar.
  • How to toggle the autohide feature for the Windows taskbar.
  • Windows taskbar tips.

Live taskbar previews , Operating system terms , Quick Launch , Shelf , Task

How-To Geek

Why your windows taskbar should always be on the left side.

The Windows taskbar has been on the bottom since the beginning, but it doesn't belong there. Allow me to explain.

Quick Links

The origins of the horizontal taskbar, side taskbars use less screen space: the math, screen space aside, vertical taskbars are just better, why the left side, not just for windows, give it a try.

Windows has featured a taskbar at the bottom of the screen since the beginning. That position made sense back in the day, but on modern computers, it doesn't. I'm here to tell you the taskbar should be on the left.

To understand why the taskbar should be on the left side---or right side---we should first take a look at where it started. Windows 1.0 included a taskbar at the bottom of the screen, but it was only for showing minimized applications. The taskbar we know today first showed up in Windows 95 .

Related: Windows 95 Turns 25: When Windows Went Mainstream

Windows 95 was actually the first version that supported moving the taskbar as well, but it wasn't really needed at that time. Up until around 2003, computer monitors primarily used a 4:3 aspect ratio, which meant that there was almost as much vertical space as horizontal space.

Since the vertical and horizontal sizes were similar, the taskbar spanning across the bottom didn't cut into screen real estate very much, so it was fine back then. But what does all of this have to do with modern Windows 10 PCs?

Related: 5 Ways Windows 11's Taskbar Is Worse Than Windows 10's

There are a couple of different trends happening with monitors and computer displays today. 16:9 was the standard for a while---and it still is the most popular---but things are evolving. Desktop monitors are getting wider, with 21:9 "ultra-wide" becoming more common. In laptop computers, 3:2 is slowly starting to appear more often.

The question of why you should put the taskbar on the side can be answered in two ways: mathematically and practically.

If we look at this from a mathematical standpoint, the question is really this: How can we get the most screen space minus the taskbar?

Common sense suggests that any display wider than the standard 16:9 aspect ratio is better suited for a side (vertical) taskbar. However, 3:2 displays, which are similar to the 4:3 displays we talked about earlier, may work best with bottom (horizontal) taskbars.

Let's take a look at how much of the total screen area is taken up by the taskbar in both positions. First, the popular combo of 1080p and 16:9; here's how many pixels the taskbar takes up in each orientation, and how much of a percentage of the screen that is.

  • Side Taskbar : 1,080 x 62 = 66,960 (3.2%)
  • Bottom Taskbar : 1,920 x 40 = 76,800 (3.7%)

By a slim margin, the side taskbar wins out. It uses less of your screen than a bottom taskbar.

That means that any wider of a display will be even more of an advantage for the side taskbar. Here's an ultra-wide 21:9 display.

  • Side Taskbar: 1,080 x 62 = 66,960 (2.4%)
  • Bottom Taskbar: 2,560 x 40 = 102,400 (3.7%)

Since the taskbar is spanning all the way across the 2,556 pixels horizontally, it's taking up more of the total screen area. Now, let's take a look at the same thing on a 3:2 display.

  • Side Taskbar : 1,440 x 77 = 110,880 (3.6%)
  • Bottom Taskbar : 2,160 x 32 = 69,120 (2.2%)

In this case, we can see that the taskbar on the bottom is the best choice to maximize screen real estate.

So the numbers clearly back up the fact that putting the taskbar on the side will give you the most screen area on widescreen displays. But here's where I don't think the math tells the whole story. I believe you should use a side taskbar on 3:2 displays, too.

The numbers above show that on a 3:2 display, putting the taskbar on the bottom takes up the least amount of screen space. However, the numbers aren't taking into account how people actually use their computers.

What's the thing that most of us do on our computers every day? Browse the web. How are most websites formatted? For vertical scrolling. Allow me to explain.

The How-To Geek homepage is formatted like many websites on the internet. There's blank space on both sides, and the content runs down the middle of the page. You can cut into that horizontal width and not affect much, but if you cut into the vertical space, you're blocking some of the content.

As you can see, the side taskbar shows the most content vertically. The page can span from the top of the browser tab to the very bottom of the screen. On the other hand, having the taskbar at the bottom limits that vertical space and gives you no extra content on the side.

The same thing will be true if you're using a 3:2 display. The only difference is that you'll see even more content vertically and less blank space on the sides. That's a win/win in my book. If you're looking for the best web browsing experience, the side taskbar is the obvious choice.

Okay, I think I've laid out a pretty good argument for why you should put the taskbar on the side, but why the left side specifically? Admittedly, this doesn't matter as much. The important thing is to put it on any side. I do think the left makes the most sense, though.

A lot of the things that you might do on a computer are left-aligned. An Excel spreadsheet starts in the upper left, for example. It's common for websites to have their logos and toolbars left-aligned as well. Stepping away from computers, smartphone apps almost always have their sidebar menus on the left.

We seem to naturally be drawn to the left side as a starting point. English is written left-to-right, after all. It just feels right to have the taskbar on that side, too. My mouse is naturally drawn to that side when I need to launch an app or open the Start Menu.

sidebar dock on Mac

I've been talking a lot about Windows and have shown the Windows taskbar in examples (It is in the title, after all.), but you should know that every major desktop operating system can do this.

The Mac OS "dock" can be moved to the left or right side. Chromebooks can also put the "shelf" on the left or right side. The Ubuntu Linux distribution already has its "dock" on the left side by default.

So give a vertical taskbar a chance. I think you'll like it. Even if it seems a little strange at first, you might find that you prefer it over that traditional bottom taskbar.

To move your taskbar around on Windows 10, all you have to do is right-click the taskbar and uncheck "Lock the taskbar." You can then click and drag any empty area on your taskbar to move it around on your screen.

Related: How to Get a Vertical Taskbar on Windows 10

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How to Always Show the Taskbar in Windows 10

Last Updated: September 14, 2023

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA . Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. This article has been viewed 29,676 times. Learn more...

Since the taskbar in Windows 10 may be set to automatically hide when it's not the main focus, you might want to change that. This wikiHow will teach you how to set the taskbar to always show in Windows 10. If you need to access the Start menu, but don't know how to find it without the taskbar, press the Windows key and you'll see the same menu as well as your taskbar.

Step 1 Open Settings.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

Turn Off Windows Defender in Windows 10

  • ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-the-taskbar-in-windows-10-0657a50f-0cc7-dbfd-ae6b-05020b195b07

About This Article

Darlene Antonelli, MA

1. Open Settings. 2. Click Personalization . 3. Click Taskbar . 4. Click the switch next to "Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode" to turn it off. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Windows 11 with no taskbar? A crucial part of Microsoft’s OS has gone missing for some thanks to new update

Taskbar MIA with no real workaround – though there’s an interesting theory here…

Angry business man screaming on laptop

Windows 11 ’s latest cumulative update comes with an odd bug, it seems, one that reportedly causes the taskbar to disappear – or rather, to become blank space.

The February patch (KB5034765) for Windows 11 23H2 (and 22H2) has seen a number of complaints from users who have witnessed their desktop being affected by this apparent glitch, which as you can imagine is pretty frustrating.

As Neowin flagged up, there are reports on Microsoft ’s Feedback Hub and the Reddit mega-thread on said patch from folks who have been hit by this problem.

One Redditor wrote: “Yay, both my Win11 23h2 workstations have no taskbar after updates and a reboot... have to kill explorer and relaunch.”

Somebody replied to that: “This is happening to me as well I thought something broke, but removing KB5034765 resolved it for me. I don’t even see explorer.exe in my running tasks when that happened, though.”

There are a number of other reports, as mentioned, with those affected not able to launch their taskbar pinned apps (as the icons aren’t there, of course), or see the system tray, access Quick Settings and so on. The basic ability to see your running apps and switch between them on the bar is obviously missing in action, too.

Analysis: Have a little patience?

We should note that in the interest of balance, a lot of folks on that Reddit thread are saying they had no issues with KB5034765. It’s not clear how widespread the vanishing taskbar gremlin might be, and Microsoft has not acknowledged the problem yet in its known issues – but we get the feeling it has a limited impact, looking at the overall feedback on this patch.

As noted above, the only solution seems to be uninstalling the February cumulative update, which certainly works to return the taskbar to its normal state.

The slight twist here is that this problem has been seen before, and another Redditor offers up a theory as follows: “The taskbar missing thing is part of the EU policy updates. Taskbar is not showing for up to 10 minutes, it’s normal and has been in the Release Preview Channel for 2-3 months.”

This makes some sense, as there’s some heavy duty work on the taskbar going on with those EU regulation-related changes, like unhooking Bing from the search box on the bar.

So, in theory the taskbar may reappear soon after applying the update – maybe. But we presume given the number of affected folks, with no one else observing said reappearance that we can see, there could be more to this issue than merely this. Unless everyone hitting the snag is uninstalling KB5034765 pretty sharpish, which seems unlikely across the board.

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Releasing Windows 11 Builds 22621.3227 and 22631.3227 to the Release Preview Channel

  • Windows Insider Program Team

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 11 Builds 22621.3227 and 22631.3227 ( KB5034848 ) to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 22H2 (Build 22621) and version 23H2 (Build 22631).

Along with this update, we are also releasing a February Windows Configuration Update (KB5035349) for both Windows 11, version 22H2 and 23H2 that introduces a few new features and improvements such as:

  • Voice access is available in additional languages: French (France, Canada), German, and Spanish (Spain, Mexico).
  • You can now use all voice access features on multiple displays.
  • Voice shortcuts or custom commands in voice access .
  • You can now listen to a preview of the ten natural voices in Narrator before you download them.
  • You can now use voice access to open applications, dictate text, and interact with elements on the screen. You can also use your voice to command Narrator .
  • The Windows share window will use the account you use to sign in for apps that are in “Share using.” For example, if you use a Microsoft account (MSA) to sign in, you will see Microsoft Teams (free). When you use a Microsoft Entra ID account (formerly Azure Active Directory) to sign in, your Microsoft Teams (work or school) contacts show instead.
  • The Windows share window now supports sharing with WhatsApp in the “Share using” section. If you do not have WhatsApp installed, you can install it from the Windows share window.
  • You can use quick settings or the Settings app to turn on Nearby Share. If you do and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are off, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth will turn on to make Nearby Share work as you expect. If you turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, Nearby Share turns off as well.
  • You can now give your device a more friendly name to identify it when sharing. Go to Settings > System > Nearby sharing. There, you can rename your device.
  • We have improved Nearby Share transfer speed for users on the same network. Before, users had to be on the same private network. Now, users must be on the same public or private network.
  • The Cast flyout menu in quick settings gives you more help to find nearby displays, fix connections, and more.
  • We are adding suggestions to Snap Layouts . They help you to instantly snap multiple app windows together.
  • Improvements for Windows 365 Boot and Windows 365 Switch .

Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.

If you have the toggle to get the latest updates as soon as they are available turned ON via Settings > Windows Update BEFORE installing KB5034848 , you will also get the February Windows Configuration Update (KB5035349) installed at the same time you install KB5034848 in a single reboot. Note only KB5034848 will show during install on the Settings > Windows Update page. But after restarting, the February Windows Configuration Update (KB5035349) will be shown in your Update History. This Windows Configuration Update is how we’re enabling new features via Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) technology .

Should you install KB5034848 without turning on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available before, you can simply turn it on, and the February Windows Configuration Update will be downloaded on your PC where you will be asked to reboot. Should you install KB5034848 and keep the toggle off, the new features will be gradually rolled out to your device over time.

KB5034848 includes the following improvements:

  • New! The Copilot in Windows icon now appears on the right side of the system tray on the taskbar. Also, the display of Show desktop at the rightmost corner of the taskbar will be off by default. To turn it on, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar . You can also right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings .
  • New! The Phone Link settings page has a new name: Mobile devices. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices .
  • New! You can now use the Snipping Tool on your PC to edit the most recent photos and screenshots from your Android device. You will get an instant notification on your PC when your Android device captures a new photo or screenshot. To turn this on, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices . Choose Manage devices and allow your PC to access your Android device.
  • This update affects games you install on a secondary drive. Now, they remain installed on the drive.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Notepad. It does not open for the standard user account. This occurs when you use Command Prompt to open it based on file type association.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects 8 Zip archives. It stops you from opening them by double-clicking them in File Explorer.
  • [UPDATED 2/20] This update addresses an issue that affects a machine that is used as a remote desktop session host. You get stop error RDR_FILE_SYSTEM (0x27). Because of this, all users are signed out from the machine.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge. The UI is wrong for Internet Options Data Settings.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Steps Recorder. Some of the UI and steps are not localized to Chinese.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects long-edge fed printers. The alignment of stapling or hole punch locations is wrong.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects an embedded SIM (eSIM) profile. When you delete it, you do not get a notification.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the Windows Settings Home page. It randomly stops responding when you go to the page.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects networking. A device fails to make the automatic switch from cellular to Wi-Fi when it can use Wi-Fi.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Remote Desktop Web Authentication. You might not be able to connect to sovereign cloud endpoints.
  • This update addresses an issue that makes the troubleshooting process fail. This occurs when you use the Get Help app.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the Certificate Authority snap-in. You cannot select the “Delta CRL” option. This stops you from using the GUI to publish Delta CRLs.
  • This update addresses an issue that stops a system from going to sleep. This occurs when you connect an external device to the system.

Thanks, Windows Insider Program Team

XDA Developers

Windows 11's taskbar can go missing with the latest update

  • Windows update has bugs causing missing taskbar and app loading issues for users.
  • Known fixes are not working, so users are urged to either roll back the update or wait for a fix.
  • Microsoft is aware of the bug and is hopefully working on a resolution to avoid reinstallation.

Have you noticed that your computer has been acting strangely ever since you updated Windows? If so, you may have been hit by the wide range of bugs that the February 2024 update has introduced onto people's PCs. One of the most prominent bugs is a disappearing taskbar, but it isn't the only issue by far.

Windows 11: Everything you need to know

The february 2024 update's known issues for windows 10 and 11 machines.

As reported by Windows Latest , both Windows 10 and 11 users are finding that their taskbar has gone missing. Some people have noticed that the taskbar has stuck around, but specific icons that usually reside on it have suddenly disappeared. That's not all of their woes, however:

Additionally, pinned apps are not loading, which is expected when the taskbar is missing. In a Feedback Hub, users have flagged similar problems, with one stating the taskbar does not show app icons like Wi-Fi and sound, forcing them to rely on shortcuts like Alt+Tab to navigate between apps. Others have mentioned delays in loading the taskbar and entering their PIN at the login screen.

So far, all the well-known fixes for fixing a misbehaving taskbar have come up short. The only way to fix it is to either roll back to a previous Windows update or reinstall the update in its entirety. If you haven't updated Windows yet, you can stop receiving updates on Windows until a fix comes out. Sources do state that Microsoft is aware of the bug, so hopefully, a fix is on the way that will remedy this annoying issue without the need to reinstall everything.

Windows 11's taskbar can go missing with the latest update

Windows 11 'Show Desktop' button missing? Here's how to fix it

Microsoft's meddling is easily solved!

Windows 11 'Show Desktop' button missing? Here's how to fix it

Has your Windows 11 'Show Desktop' button gone AWOL? You're not alone! A recent update from Microsoft has shifted its AI assistant Copilot to the right of your taskbar, causing your trusty shortcut switch to get lost in the process.

However, there's no need to panic! It's easy to fix and won't take more than a minute of your time. While some may have assumed that turning off Copilot for Windows would do the job, it's actually not Copilot's fault ( this time ). Instead, we'll need to look at your Taskbar Behaviors menu to resolve this oversight.

So, if your Windows 11 'Show Desktop' button is gone, here's how to bring it back.

How to enable 'Show Desktop' in Windows 11 Taskbar

Step 1: Move your mouse cursor to an empty area of the Windows 11 Taskbar and Right-click or Two-finger tap .

Step 2: Select "Taskbar settings."

Step 3: In the window that opens, scroll down until you see "Taskbar behaviors." Tap it to expand.

Step 4: Make sure that the checkbox next to "Select the far corner of the taskbar to show desktop" is ticked .

Step 5: Close the Taskbar settings window, and you're done!

You should now find that your 'Show Desktop' button has returned to where you usually find it. Though, now it'll be positioned to the right of the Copilot for Windows icon, as opposed to next to the Notifications Center.

More from Laptop Mag

  • How to turn off Copilot in Windows 11
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How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps

Copilot is available in the Home ribbon tab of Word, Excel (Preview), PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote if you are a Copilot Pro subscriber who also has a subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family.

If you have those subscriptions and are not seeing Copilot in these Microsoft 365 apps, follow these steps:

Important:  Copilot in Outlook only supports work or school accounts, and Microsoft accounts using outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com, and msn.com email addresses at this time. Any Microsoft account using an account from a third-party email provider, such as a Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud, can still use Outlook, but won’t have access to the Copilot features in Outlook.

Step 1 - Ensure you're using the correct account

Make sure you're signed into your Microsoft 365 apps with an account that has a Copilot license.

For home users ...this means you should have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription, and Copilot Pro.

For business users ...this means you should have a Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, or E5 subscription, and Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Step 2 - Make sure that the current file is saved in that account

If you have multiple file locations available to you - such as your business OneDrive and your personal OneDrive - Copilot will only appear if the file you have open is saved to the location associated to your Copilot subscription.

For example, if you have Copilot through your work account, but not through your personal account, and you open a file from your personal OneDrive, Copilot won't work with that file.

For new, unsaved files, or files on your local hard drive, the current primary account shown at the top of the Microsoft 365 window must be licensed for Copilot.

A picture with a red arrow pointing to the current primary user name which is on the app title bar towards the top right of the window.

Important:  Copilot in Excel requires AutoSave to be turned on, which means the file has to be saved to OneDrive. It currently doesn't work with unsaved files.

Step 3 - Refresh your license

Force a refresh of the license.

Note:  These steps must be done by the account administrator.

 In any Microsoft 365 app, go to File > Account .

Locating the Update License button in Microsoft Word on Windows.

Close and restart all Microsoft 365 apps you might have open so that the license refresh can take effect.

  In any Microsoft 365 app, select the app name at the top of your screen.

Locating the Update License button in Microsoft Word on MacOS.

Close any open documents and restart all Microsoft 365 apps you may have open so the license refresh can take effect.

Ensure your apps are updated to their latest versions via your device's app store.

Close your app completely, and then re-launch it.

Refresh the page

Select the Refresh icon in your browser to see if the Copilot features appear.

The Refresh icon in Microsoft Edge.

You may have third-party cookies blocked in your browser, which currently causes Copilot to be unable to validate your license. If Copilot still isn't working for you try enabling third-party cookies. For more information see:  I am getting license validation errors with Copilot.

Microsoft Copilot help & learning

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Top Contributors in Windows 10: Ramesh Srinivasan  -  neilpzz  -  Horace Wiggins  -  franco d'esaro  -  _AW_   ✅

February 14, 2024

Top Contributors in Windows 10:

Ramesh Srinivasan  -  neilpzz  -  Horace Wiggins  -  franco d'esaro  -  _AW_   ✅

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You need to right click the Taskbar> Search > Search Highlights to off.

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    Key Takeaways Customize the taskbar by pinning apps and shortcuts for easy access. Right-click an app's icon to pin it or drag the app icon to the taskbar. Utilize jump lists for quick access to folders and files on the taskbar. Right-click an icon to view the jump list and pin items to it.

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    If you want to see labels for icons on the taskbar: Step 1: Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by right-clicking on the empty area on the taskbar and then clicking Properties. Step 2: Under Taskbar tab, next to Taskbar buttons, select Combine when taskbar is full option. Click Apply. 11.

  10. How to Customize Your Windows 10 Taskbar to Be More Productive

    Follow the steps below to do it: Step 1: Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar and select "Taskbar settings". Step 2: Turn on "Use Peek to preview the desktop when you move your mouse to the 'Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar'". Any time you hover on the far right end of your taskbar now, you'll see the desktop:

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    Customize your desktop icons on Windows 11 by opening the Settings app, navigating to Personalization > Themes > Desktop Icon Settings > Change Icon, and selecting a new icon. To change the icon of a folder or shortcut, right-click it, select Properties, and then click on the Customize or Shortcut tab. You must use a third-party program like ...

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  16. Why Your Windows Taskbar Should Always Be on the Left Side

    Side Taskbar: 1,080 x 62 = 66,960 (3.2%) Bottom Taskbar: 1,920 x 40 = 76,800 (3.7%) By a slim margin, the side taskbar wins out. It uses less of your screen than a bottom taskbar. That means that any wider of a display will be even more of an advantage for the side taskbar. Here's an ultra-wide 21:9 display.

  17. How to Always Show the Taskbar in Windows 10

    1 Open Settings. Press Win + I or go to the Start menu and click the gear icon. You can also skip the next two steps by right-clicking on your taskbar and clicking Taskbar settings . 2 Click Personalization. It's next to an icon of a paintbrush and monitor. 3 Click Taskbar. You'll see this at the bottom of the menu in the panel on the left. 4

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  20. Windows 11 with no taskbar? A crucial part of Microsoft's ...

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  28. Image in my search box! How to remove it?

    SD Sumit D - VM Volunteer Moderator Replied on April 27, 2022 Report abuse In reply to Name1MK's post on April 27, 2022 You need to right click the Taskbar> Search > Search Highlights to off. How to turn off Search Highlights in Windows 10 - Microsoft Community Mark Yes below the post if it helped or resolved your problem