Moving and Resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1- Tutorial

Moving and Resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Moving and Resizing the Taskbar,” shows ways of moving and resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1. This video lesson on moving and resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1 is from our complete Introductory Windows 8.1 training, titled “Mastering Windows Made Easy v.8.1.”

Moving and Resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1: Overview

            This tutorial discusses moving and resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1 You can move the Taskbar to any side of the Desktop that you want. It appears at the bottom of the screen by default, but you can easily move it or resize it, if needed. To do this, right-click anywhere within the Taskbar and look for the “Lock the taskbar” command within the pop-up menu that appears. If there is a check in front of “Lock the taskbar” command, the Taskbar is locked in place and cannot be moved until the check is removed. Click the “Lock the taskbar” command to remove the check.

            Once the Taskbar is unlocked, you can click and drag the Taskbar from its current location and drop it at any one of the sides of the screen. You may resize it by placing your mouse pointer over the edge of the Taskbar until you see a double-pointed arrow appear. You can then click and drag to make the Taskbar taller or shorter. Note that in Windows 8.1, you cannot make the Taskbar any shorter than the buttons that appear within the Taskbar.

            After you have made any modifications you want to keep when moving and resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1, right-click the blank area in the Taskbar again and select the “Lock the taskbar” command to lock the Taskbar back into place. This will prevent anyone from moving or resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1, unless they first unlock the Taskbar.

            You can also make the entire Taskbar smaller or choose to hide the display of the Taskbar entirely. To do this, right-click the empty area within the Taskbar and then choose the “Properties” command in the pop-up menu that appears to open the “Taskbar and Navigation Properties” dialog box.

Moving and Resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1- Tutorial: A picture of the Taskbar and Navigation Properties” dialog box in Windows 8.1.

            On the “Taskbar” tab, you can check the “Use small taskbar buttons” checkbox to use small buttons within the Taskbar and decrease its height onscreen. You can check the “Auto-hide the taskbar” checkbox to have Windows automatically hide the Taskbar onscreen. You can make it appear onscreen when hidden by rolling your mouse pointer to the bottom of the Desktop screen. It will hide itself again once you move your mouse pointer away from the bottom of the screen.

            After checking the options that you want the Taskbar to possess, click the “OK” button to apply them. Note that you can also open this dialog box and uncheck either of those checkboxes, if checked, to make the Taskbar appear at its normal size or to stop hiding the display of the Taskbar onscreen. Once again, just click the “OK” button within the “Taskbar and Navigation Properties” dialog box when finished to apply the new settings.

Moving and Resizing the Taskbar in Windows 8.1: Instructions

1. Right-click anywhere within the Taskbar and look for the “Lock the taskbar” command within the pop-up menu that appears. If there is a check in front of “Lock the taskbar” command, the Taskbar is locked in place and cannot be moved until the check is removed. Click the “Lock the taskbar” command to remove the check.
2. To move the Taskbar once it is unlocked, click and drag the Taskbar from its current location and drop it at any of the sides of the screen.
3. To resize the Taskbar, place your mouse pointer over the edge of the Taskbar until you see a double-pointed arrow appear and then click and drag to make the Taskbar taller or shorter.
4. To lock the Taskbar to prevent modifications, right-click the blank area in the Taskbar and select the “Lock the taskbar” command.
5. To make the entire Taskbar smaller or choose to hide the display of the Taskbar entirely, right-click the empty area within the Taskbar and then choose the “Properties” command in the pop-up menu that appears to open the “Taskbar and Navigation Properties” dialog box.
6. To use small buttons within the Taskbar and decrease its height onscreen, check the “Use small taskbar buttons” checkbox on the “Taskbar” tab.
7. To have Windows automatically hide the Taskbar onscreen, check the “Auto-hide the taskbar” checkbox. When hidden, you can make it appear onscreen by rolling your mouse pointer to the bottom of the Desktop screen. It will hide itself again once you move your mouse pointer away from the bottom of the screen.
8. After checking the options you want the Taskbar to possess, click the “OK” button to apply them.
9. To make the Taskbar appear at its normal size or to stop hiding the display of the Taskbar onscreen, open this dialog box again and uncheck either of those checkboxes, if checked.
10. Click the “OK” button within the “Taskbar and Navigation Properties” dialog box when finished to apply the new settings.