Use and tweak the Windows Taskbar

The Taskbar is a fundamental part of Windows. It runs along the bottom of the screen and provides a way to launch applications or access those programs already running. The Taskbar is also home to the Start button, as well as the Notification Area, where Windows displays a clock and various status and control icons.

Despite its importance, the Taskbar straddles a fine line between being available and inconspicuous. It doesn’t always get this balance right, of course, but is possible to customise it in various ways.

In this article we’ll look at the essentials of Taskbar use and ways it can be tailored for your personal use.

Getting started
We’ll be focusing on the Taskbar as it appears in Windows Vista and XP. In Windows 7 aspects of the Taskbar have changed radically, so the one-size-fits-all instructions are not practical. However, the differences are detailed in the section headed ‘The Windows 7 Taskbar’ at the end of this article.

The geography of the Taskbar in Windows XP and Vista is essentially the same, with perhaps the most important feature sitting at the far left – the Start button. In XP this is green and specifically labelled ‘Start’. With Vista, though, Microsoft turned the Start button into an orb decorated with the Windows flag.

However, both provide access to the Start menu, which is the path to almost every part of Windows. To launch a program, click Start with the left mouse button, point to All Programs and then look for the relevant program entry in the submenu that appears.

The Start menu is also a springboard to other important Windows features, such as Control Panel and Windows Explorer (click My Computer in XP or Computer in Vista). Just left-click items to explore.

The task area
By default, the space directly to the right of the Start button is the task area. This displays a button for each application launched. So, launch Microsoft Word and a Word button will appear in the task area.

To switch between running applications, left-click the relevant Taskbar button; a second click, incidentally, minimises the application window (handy for freeing up space on the Windows Desktop).

While there’s no limit on how many of these task buttons can appear on the Taskbar, practical constraints, such as physical space, do exist. With more than half-a-dozen buttons displayed on the standard-issue Taskbar, things can get difficult. However, as we’ll explain later, it’s easy to increase Taskbar space.

It’s worth knowing, too, that a right-click on a task button will pop up a menu with options to minimise, maximise or move or close the application window.