During development of Windows 11, Microsoft decided to rebuild the taskbar from scratch. Because of this, you can no longer move it from the bottom to the top, left, or right side of the screen by simply dragging it over with your mouse or toggling a switch.
Windows 11 might not officially allow you to move the taskbar to your preferred spot, but there is a workaround.
Of course, it’s an imperfect solution, and requires using the registry editor
But if you’re unhappy with the taskbar being anchored to the bottom of the screen, then you can take the risk and try it yourself.
How to Move the Taskbar in Windows 11
First, open up the Registry Editor by opening up the Run box. To do this, press the Windows key + R. Then, type in regedit and press OK.
Depending on your setup, you’ll need to search for one of two keys. If you’re on a single-monitor setup, then navigate to the following registry key:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3
If you’re on a system with multiple monitors, then you’ll instead need to navigate to the following registry key instead:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MMStuckRects3
Before proceeding, you should back up your current registry key, just in case. It isn’t necessary, but it can save you a bunch of time if you decide you don’t like your taskbar’s new spot. To do that, right-click on the highlighted key on the left side, then click Export and save the registry key to your desired location.
Now find the registry key on the right side named Settings and double-click on it to edit the binary value.
You’ll need to edit the fifth value from the left on the second row from the top. Click on the number and press the right arrow key so that the caret is on the right side of it, then hit Backspace once.
Now you’ll add your own value based on the position you want the taskbar set to. The following values correspond with the placement of the taskbar:
- 00: Place the taskbar on the left side of the screen
- 01: Place the taskbar at the top of the screen
- 02: Place the taskbar on the right side of the screen
- 03: Place the taskbar at the bottom of the screen (default)
Once you’ve changed the value to the corresponding taskbar orientation, press OK. You can close the registry editor, or choose to keep it open if you want to experiment with different placements.
Once you’ve changed the value, you need to restart Windows Explorer. This step is crucial, since simply restarting your computer won’t work.
To restart Windows Explorer, start by opening the Task Manager and clicking on More details to see the detailed view.
You should be on the Processes tab, but if not, then switch over to that tab. Now scroll down until you find Windows Explorer. Highlight it and then click on the Restart button.
Once Windows Explorer restarts, your taskbar should be in the spot that you set it to.
Of course, this workaround isn’t without flaws. Particularly, if you set the taskbar to the left or the right side of the screen, you should note that the tray icons may appear garbled. You may also notice that any windows, buttons, shortcuts, and the clock on the taskbar are missing.
Unfortunately, this is normal behavior for this workaround, and there doesn’t seem to be a fix for this. However, if you press the Windows key to bring up the Start menu, it’ll still work as normal. Also, if you place the taskbar at the top of the screen, it will also still work as normal and everything still appears as it should. The issue seems to be limited only to the left and right orientations.
