Windows 11 has been a complete revamp, and you will find a lot of changes from the previous OS. One of the changes that struck users the most was the inability to move the taskbar to the top or sides.
Edit the taskbar’s binary values to change its position
You cannot move the taskbar in Windows 11 from the Settings app.
However, there’s a known Registry hack that allows you to achieve this goal.
By simply modifying some values, you can move the taskbar to the top, left, or right.
The taskbar becomes inaccessible if you move it to the left or right, hence it’s not recommended that you make these changes.
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The jury is still out on whether these changes have been welcomed by the users, and we will come to know only after Windows 11 is rolled out for all.
With the option to move the taskbar missing from the Settings app, users were confused as to whether it was at all possible. But, there’s a registry hack that comes to our aid. Here’s how you can move the Windows 11 taskbar.
How can I move the Windows 11 taskbar?
1. Move Windows 11’s taskbar to the top
By tweaking the registry using built-in Registry Editor, users can easily move their taskbars to the top of their screens. The taskbar’s location is set by binary values, and editing them helps move the taskbar wherever the user wants.
1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run command.
Type or paste regedit in the text field and either click on OK or hit Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
Click Yes on the UAC prompt that appears.
Paste the following path in the address bar at the top and hit Enter, or navigate to it via the pane on the left: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3
Double-click on the Settings key.
Locate the value under the fifth column from the right and the second row from the top. It would be the one under entry FE.
Click on the value to place the cursor before it.
Now hit Del to remove the existing value (03). After you delete the value, 00, the next value in line would appear in the concerned entry and the last at the bottom will now be empty.
There are three different values that can be entered here to move the taskbar across various locations on the desktop. Identify the position you want to move it to and enter the corresponding value.
To move the Windows 11 taskbar to the top, enter 01.
Click on OK to save the changes.
Close the Registry Editor.
Now you need to restart the File Explorer. This can be done either by restarting the Windows itself or merely the program. We will go with the latter.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch Task Manager.
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Locate the Windows Explorer entry, right-click on it, and select Restart from the context menu.
The taskbar will now be moved according to the value you entered earlier.
2. Move the taskbar to the side
The steps to move your taskbar to the left or the right sides are mostly identical to the ones for moving it to the top. However, when editing the FE values in Registry Editor in step 10, you need to do the following:
- To move the Windows 11 taskbar to the left side, enter 00.
- To move the Windows 11 taskbar to the right side, enter 02.
After you edit the values, you just need to restart File Explorer, and that’s it.
This solution might not be as simple as the Settings method that we used to have, but it’s still quick and effective.
You now know how to move the taskbar in Windows 11 easily. But how about moving it back to its original position, i.e., the bottom? Simply revert the changes that you made earlier, save them, and restart Windows Explorer.
Should I move the taskbar to the sides in Windows 11?
Although you can move the taskbar to the left and right sides of the desktop in Windows 11, the icons are no more accessible, and it’s just the taskbar that’s visible. So, it’s not recommended that you make the change.
Let’s understand it with an example. When you move the taskbar to the right, here’s how it appears:
You will notice that the icons are not visible, and it makes executing tasks simply impossible. Hence, for now, you can drop the idea of moving Windows 11’s taskbar to the sides.
If and when it becomes possible to make changes, we will update the article. Keep checking this page to stay up-to-date.
Can I move the Start menu and other taskbar icons to the left?
Yes, you can move easily move the Start menu along with other taskbar icons to the left by modifying the taskbar’s alignment in the Personalization settings.
With the icons aligned to the left instead of the default center position, it gives us a Windows 10 vibe. So, if you have recently upgraded to the latest iteration and are still not completely acquainted with the changes, moving the icons may be a good idea.
That’s all there’s to know on the topic. You can now move the taskbar across the desktop in Windows 11 with a few minor changes in the Registry.
If you have just upgraded, check out our comparison of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Also, if you are not comfortable with the latest OS and want to revert to the previous one, here’s how you can roll back to Windows 10.
Let’s know your experience in the comments section below and your thoughts on the inability to the taskbar via Settings.
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