How to Move the Task Bar

Posted on August 24th, 2009 by Marck

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You can think of the task bar in Microsoft Windows as your all-in-one tool to access just about every component that runs applications and software. The task bar is typically docked at the bottom of the screen, but this can be inconvenient for some users’ preferences or the requirements of a program. Here’s how you can move your task bar in Microsoft Windows.

Moving the Task Bar

The task bar was an innovation introduced by Microsoft in Windows 95, and came as a standard feature of Windows ever since. Moving the task bar is quick, easy, and anything that goes wrong can always be reversed. Here’s how to do it:

Right-click the task bar and uncheck the “Lock the Taskbar” option. In either Windows Vista or Windows XP, the dividers on the task bar will appear, and the taskbar itself will expand.
Drag the task bar to any side of your monitor. You may increase the width of the task bar at this point, or adjust the dimensions of the Quick Launch area.
You may lock the task bar again by right-clicking the task bar and clicking the “Lock the Taskbar” option.

Where to Move the Task Bar

The location of the task bar can be moved to your own preferences, but some tasks and programs may make it convenient for you to move the task bar to certain portions of the screen:

Bottom. The task bar is usually docked at the bottom of the screen, and is useful for all purposes. Most people are used to this layout.
Top. Placing the task bar at the top of the screen is useful for people used to Linux or to Macintosh operating systems.
Side. For people who work a lot with documents, the side of the screen may be a convenient place to put your task bar.
Autohide. If you want to have your whole screen as a workspace for a particular program, you may want to turn on the Autohide function of the task bar by right-clicking on it, selecting “Properties,” and clicking the Autohide option.

Moving the task bar is just one of the many customizations that you can use to tweak Windows to your liking. It’s easy, simple, and can make computing much more comfortable. If you’re interested in reading this article, you’ll surely be delighted in learning how to make Windows XP look like Vista without the maddening bugs.