You can change many aspects of the taskbar. A space-saving feature groups similar windows in one menulike taskbar button rather than crowding the taskbar with one truncated button for each open window.
To configure the taskbar:
1. Right-click an empty area on the taskbar; then choose Properties (Figure 2.27 ).
2. Check Lock the Taskbar to keep the taskbar at its current size and position. Uncheck it if you want to resize or move the taskbar or any of its toolbars.
3. Check Auto-Hide the Taskbar to hide the taskbar when you don't need it.
The taskbar disappears until you point to the edge of the screen where it's located.
4. Check Keep the Taskbar on Top of Other Windows to prevent other windowseven maximized windowsfrom covering the taskbar.
5. Check Group Similar Taskbar Buttons to reduce taskbar clutter.
Windows rearranges taskbar buttons for each program so that all of them are adjacent. If the taskbar becomes so crowded that button text is truncated, buttons for the same program are consolidated into one button displaying the number of program sessions or documents (Figure 2.28 ).
6. Check Show Quick Launch to display the Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar.
Quick Launch lets you show the desktop or open a program with a single click. See "Adding Toolbars to the Taskbar" later in this chapter.
7. Click OK (or Apply).
Using the Start Menu" earlier in this chapter.
As the uniform command center for all your running programs, the taskbar is one of the most powerful features of Windows and among the ones that you'll use most often. Efficient taskbar settings can make using your computer more pleasant. Here are my recommendations for taskbar Properties settings:
Lock the Taskbar: On.
Auto-Hide the Taskbar: Off, unless you're working with a small screen or want to devote every pixel to a particular window.
Keep the Taskbar on Top of Other Windows: On.
Group Similar Taskbar Buttons: On, unless you work regularly with few open windows.
Show Quick Launch: On.
To move the taskbar:
1. If the taskbar is locked, unlock it (right-click an empty area on the taskbar; then uncheck Lock the Taskbar).
2. Point to an empty area on the taskbar; then drag to any edge of your screen (Figure 2.31 ).
Try docking the taskbar to the screen's left or right edge. It may feel awkward at first, but it reduces the amount of mousing needed for routine tasks.
To resize the taskbar:
1. If the taskbar is locked, unlock it (right-click an empty area on the taskbar; then uncheck Lock the Taskbar).
2. Point to the inside edge of the taskbar (the pointer becomes a double-headed arrow); then drag toward the desktop for a larger taskbar or toward the screen edge for a smaller one (Figure 2.32 ).
If you make your taskbar more than one line deep, truncated buttons and toolbars will expand.
If you shrink the taskbar until it disappears off an edge, drag the thin blue line at that edge to get it back. If you can't grab the blue line: Press Ctrl+Esc, Esc, Alt+spacebar, and S; press an arrow key repeatedly to resize the taskbar toward the middle of the screen; then press Enter.