Taskbar for Windows 10: Essential Customization

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Taskbar for Windows 10: Essential Customization for a Smoother Workflow

Quick Summary: Customizing your Windows 10 taskbar makes your computer easier and faster to use. Learn how to adjust its size, position, icons, and behavior with simple steps to create a personalized and efficient workspace.

Hey everyone, Mike Bentley here! Ever feel like your Windows 10 computer could be just a little bit easier to navigate? Maybe you’re tired of the same old look, or perhaps certain programs are always a pain to find. If your taskbar, that handy strip at the bottom (or side!) of your screen, feels a bit cluttered or isn’t working quite right for you, you’re not alone. Many Windows 10 users find the default taskbar setup doesn’t truly suit their needs. But don’t worry, a few simple tweaks can make a world of difference! In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to customize your Windows 10 taskbar, step-by-step, so it works better for you. Get ready to unlock a more efficient and personalized computing experience!

Why Your Taskbar Matters

Think of your taskbar as your command center. It’s where you launch your favorite apps, see what’s currently running, and quickly switch between them. It also houses important system icons like the clock, volume, and network status. A well-configured taskbar can significantly speed up your workflow, reduce frustration, and even make your computer feel more personal. When it’s cluttered with icons you never use, or when it’s tucked away and hard to find, it can slow you down. We want it to be a tool that helps you, not hinders you.

Getting Started: Accessing Taskbar Settings

Before we dive into all the cool customizations, let’s make sure you know how to get to the taskbar settings. It’s super straightforward!

  1. Right-click anywhere on an empty space on your taskbar.
  2. In the menu that pops up, click on “Taskbar settings”.

This will open up a dedicated settings page where all the magic happens. Easy, right? Go ahead and click on that now. You’ll see a bunch of options ready to be tinkered with!

Essential Taskbar Customizations for Windows 10

Let’s go through some of the most useful ways you can tailor your taskbar. We’ll cover everything from its position and size to what icons show up.

1. Adjusting Taskbar Size and Position

Do you prefer your taskbar to be small and unobtrusive, or a bit larger so you can see icons clearly? Or maybe you like it on the side or top of your screen instead of the bottom? Windows 10 gives you that flexibility.

Changing Taskbar Position

By default, your taskbar is usually at the bottom of the screen. If you find this gets in the way of full-screen applications or you just prefer a different layout, you can move it.

  1. Open Taskbar settings (right-click on the taskbar, select “Taskbar settings”).
  2. Look for the option that says “Taskbar location on screen”.
  3. Click the dropdown menu next to it.
  4. You’ll see options like “Bottom”, “Top”, “Left”, and “Right”.
  5. Select the position you prefer.

Important Note: To move the taskbar, you first need to make sure the option “Lock the taskbar” is turned OFF. You’ll find this option near the top of the Taskbar settings window. If it’s locked, you won’t be able to move it!

Resizing the Taskbar

Sometimes, the taskbar icons are too small, or you want more space for pinned applications. You can easily change the size.

  1. Make sure “Lock the taskbar” is turned OFF in Taskbar settings.
  2. Move your mouse cursor to the edge of the taskbar (the top edge if it’s at the bottom, or the side edge if it’s on the left/right).
  3. Your cursor should change into a double-headed arrow (pointing up/down, or left/right depending on the taskbar’s position).
  4. Click and hold the left mouse button.
  5. Drag the edge of the taskbar to make it larger or smaller.
  6. Release the mouse button when you’re happy with the size.
  7. Once you’re done resizing, it’s a good idea to turn “Lock the taskbar” back ON to prevent accidental changes.

Pro Tip: A smaller taskbar can give you more screen real estate for your apps, while a larger one can make icons easier to click, especially if you have a high-resolution display.

2. Managing Taskbar Icons

The icons on your taskbar are crucial for quick access. Windows 10 provides options to control which icons appear and how they behave.

System Icons (Clock, Volume, Network, etc.)

These are the useful icons that usually live on the far right side of your taskbar. You can choose which ones are visible.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Scroll down to the section called “Notification area”.
  3. Click on “Turn system icons on or off”.
  4. Here, you can use the toggles (On/Off switches) to show or hide icons like Clock, Volume, Network, Power, and Input Indicator.

Tip: If you find yourself constantly looking for the clock or having trouble with network connections, keeping those icons visible can save you time and hassle.

Choosing Which Apps Appear on the Taskbar

You have a lot of control over which icons appear in the main part of your taskbar, beyond just the pinned ones.

  1. In Taskbar settings, scroll down to the “Notification area” section again.
  2. Click on “Select which icons appear on the taskbar”.
  3. You can toggle individual app icons ON or OFF. This is useful for apps that run in the background but might show their own icons here (like cloud storage services or antivirus programs).

Turning Taskbar Buttons On or Off

This setting controls how open applications are displayed.

  1. In Taskbar settings, find the option “Combine taskbar buttons”.
  2. Click the dropdown menu. You’ll see a few options:
    • Always, hide labels: Shows icons for all open windows, but they are grouped if you open multiple windows of the same app. You won’t see the application name next to the icon.
    • When taskbar is full: This is the default. Buttons are combined and labels are hidden only when there isn’t enough space on the taskbar.
    • Never: Each open window gets its own button on the taskbar, each with its label. This can take up a lot of space!

Which is best? If you often have many windows open for the same program (like lots of Word documents), “Always, hide labels” can save space. If you prefer a clear view of exactly what’s open, “Never” might be your choice, but be prepared for a potentially crowded taskbar.

3. Using and Managing Pinned Apps

Pinning apps to your taskbar is one of the quickest ways to launch your most frequently used programs. You can personalize this list to your heart’s content.

Pinning an App to the Taskbar

  1. Find the app you want to pin:

    • In the Start Menu: Right-click on the app icon and select “Pin to taskbar”.
    • If the app is already open: Right-click on its icon on the taskbar and select “Pin to taskbar”.

Unpinning an App from the Taskbar

  1. Right-click on the app’s icon on the taskbar.
  2. Select “Unpin from taskbar”.

Rearranging Pinned Apps

Want your most important apps on the left side of your pinned items? Easy!

  1. Make sure “Lock the taskbar” is turned OFF in Taskbar settings.
  2. Click and hold the icon of the app you want to move.
  3. Drag it to the left or right to its desired position among the other pinned apps.
  4. Release the mouse button.
  5. Turn “Lock the taskbar” back ON.

4. Enabling and Disabling the Search Bar/Icon

Windows 10 includes a search function right on the taskbar. Some people love it for quick access to files and apps, others find it takes up too much space. You can choose how it appears.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Find the option “Search”.
  3. Click the dropdown menu. You have three choices:
    • Hidden: The search icon and bar are completely gone.
    • Show search icon: A small magnifying glass icon appears on the taskbar. Click it to open the search box.
    • Show search box: A larger search box is visible on the taskbar, ready for you to type.

My Recommendation: If you use Search often, the “Show search box” is fastest. If you’re tight on space, the “Show search icon” is a good compromise. If you rarely use it, “Hidden” frees up valuable taskbar real estate.

5. Using Cortana on the Taskbar

Cortana is Microsoft’s virtual assistant. You can choose whether to have her icon visible on your taskbar to access her features easily.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Find the option “Use a desktop label for people: “. (Yes, the label is a bit misleading, but this is where the Cortana toggle is!)
  3. Look for “Show Cortana button”.
  4. Toggle it ON or OFF based on your preference.

Note: Cortana’s functionality and integration have changed over time, and its prominence might vary. You might also need to ensure Cortana is enabled in your Windows Search settings.

6. Taskbar Auto-hide Feature

This is a fantastic feature if you want your taskbar to disappear when you’re not actively using it, giving you more screen space. It reappears when you move your mouse to the edge where it’s located.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Find the option “Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode” (and also potentially “in tablet mode” if applicable).
  3. Toggle these options to ON.

Tip: This is especially useful for smaller screens or when working with applications that benefit from maximum screen real estate.

7. Small Taskbar Buttons

If you want to fit more icons onto your taskbar or just prefer a more compact look, you can enable smaller buttons.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Find the option “Use small taskbar buttons”.
  3. Toggle this to ON.

Keep in mind that this will make all icons, including pinned ones and system tray icons, smaller. You might also find it harder to click on them accurately if you have larger fingers or prefer bigger targets!

8. Task View Button

The Task View button (which looks like two overlapping squares) lets you see all your open windows and virtual desktops at a glance. You can choose whether to show it.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Find the option “Show the Task View button”.
  3. Toggle it ON or OFF.

Pro Tip: If you use multiple monitors or virtual desktops heavily, keeping the Task View button visible is incredibly handy.

9. People Bar (Taskbar)

Windows 10 had a feature called “People bar” that allowed you to pin contacts and communicate directly from the taskbar. This feature is largely deprecated now and might not be visible or functional in recent updates, but if you see it, here’s how to manage it:

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Look for an option related to “People” or “Show the People bar”.
  3. Toggle it ON or OFF.

Note: Microsoft has shifted away from this feature, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it. Focus on the other customizations that are currently robust and useful.

Troubleshooting Common Taskbar Issues

Sometimes, the taskbar can misbehave. Here are a few common problems and how to fix them.

Taskbar Not Responding

This is a frustrating one! You click, but nothing happens. The most common fix is to restart the Windows Explorer process.

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
  2. In the Task Manager, look for “Windows Explorer” under the “Processes” tab.
  3. Right-click on “Windows Explorer”.
  4. Select “Restart”.

Your screen might flash briefly as Windows Explorer reloads. This often resolves unresponsiveness issues.

Taskbar Icons Are Disappeared or Missing

Several things can cause this:

  • Check Taskbar Settings: As we covered, ensure the icons aren’t accidentally turned off in the notification area or system icons settings.
  • Check for “Lock the Taskbar”: If it’s locked, some context menu options might be unavailable. Unlock it to check.
  • Restart Windows Explorer: Use the method above. Sometimes icons can get stuck in a hidden state.
  • Corrupted User Profile: In rare cases, your user profile might be corrupted, affecting taskbar functionality. Creating a new user account can help diagnose if this is the issue.

Can’t Pin or Unpin Apps

This is usually related to the “Lock the taskbar” setting.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Ensure “Lock the taskbar” is toggled OFF.
  3. Try pinning or unpinning again.
  4. Once done, you can turn “Lock the taskbar” back on for security.

Taskbar is Stuck on Top/Side/Bottom and Won’t Move

Again, the culprit is almost always the “Lock the taskbar” setting.

  1. Go to Taskbar settings.
  2. Toggle “Lock the taskbar” to OFF.
  3. Now try dragging the taskbar to your desired location.
  4. Lock it again when you’re happy with its position.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Want to take your taskbar customization a step further?

Using Third-Party Tools (With Caution)

While Windows 10 offers a lot, some users crave even more control. Tools like Start11 (from Stardock) or ExplorerPatcher (a free, open-source option) can provide a Windows 11-like taskbar experience on Windows 10 or offer features not found in native settings. Always download software from reputable sources, preferably the developer’s official website, and be aware that third-party modifications can sometimes cause system instability if not used correctly.

For ExplorerPatcher, you can find it on GitHub: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher

Creating Custom Pinned Folders

You can’t directly pin folders as icons to the taskbar like you can apps, but you can

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