The Task Bar

The Windows Taskbar runs across the bottom of your screen; it includes

• your System Tray,
• Icons for your open programs
• and a Quick Launch bar with shortcuts to commonly used applications.

NOTE: the features of the taskbar may vary according to which computer you are using.

The TASKBAR at the bottom of your screen indicates your minimised program - programs you have opened but not closed, and which are still active. If you don't like the location of your taskbar, move it to another location; you can also hide it and resize it.

To MOVE your taskbar, grab it with your cursor on a blank area and drag it to another side of your screen.
To RESIZE it, place your cursor along its border, wait until the mouse arrow turns into a double headed arrow, and drag it outward to the size you want.

NOTE: If these instructions don't work, the task bar might be locked. To see whether the task bar is locked, right click your mouse on an empty area of your task bar. If there is a tick next to "lock the taskbar", this means it is locked. To unlock it, move the mouse over the words "Lock the Taskbar" and let go.

Read on, and we'll tell you how to customise the Taskbar. You can make the Taskbar an even more convenient feature by customising it to suit your computing needs. Here are a few simple ways to do that.

• To create a shortcut on the Taskbar to a favourite folder or application, drag its icon onto the Quick Launch bar (the section that contains the launch buttons).

• If you're having trouble distinguishing all those Taskbar shortcuts, you can change the icons on the Taskbar toolbar. To change an icon, right-click the item, select Properties from the pop-up menu, and click the Change Icon button. Pick one of the icons displayed, or select Browse for more choices.

• If you'd like to move an item off the Taskbar toolbar, drag it off the toolbar onto the desktop, where it will become a standard Windows shortcut.

• Want to move your Quick Launch bar to a different place on your desktop? First, point your mouse at the vertical bar on the left edge of the Quick Launch bar. When your cursor turns into a double-headed arrow, drag it to any location on the desktop. You can anchor it to the top, left, or right edge of the desktop.

To create a new Taskbar toolbar
If you find that you don't have enough room for all those shortcuts on your Quick Launch bar, you can create your own custom toolbars to use in its place.

Here's how to do it.

1. Drag all the shortcuts into a new folder (you can even drag items like Show Desktop from the Quick Launch bar if you like).
2. When you have the new folder together, right-click a blank area on the Taskbar, and select Toolbars from the pop-up menu.
3. Select New Toolbar, and then browse your system for the folder you just created. Click OK. The new toolbar will appear.
4. If you want to remove the text labels from your icons, right-click the new toolbar, then select Show Text from the pop-up menu to turn the text off.