Unlock Taskbar !link! -

In Windows 11, the taskbar is of the screen by default. You cannot natively "unlock" it to drag it to the sides or top like you could in previous versions. However, you can still customize its behavior: Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings . Click on Taskbar behaviors .

Hover your mouse over the edge of the taskbar until your cursor turns into a to resize it, or simply click and drag the entire bar to a new side of the monitor. Troubleshooting: What if it Won't Unlock?

If the "Lock the taskbar" option is greyed out or won't stay unchecked, a few things might be happening: unlock taskbar

Unlocking the taskbar is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

Unlocking your taskbar is the first step toward making your workspace feel like your own. Whether you want a vertical bar to save vertical screen space or just need a larger bar for your many open apps, a simple right-click is all it takes to get started. In Windows 11, the taskbar is of the screen by default

: Right-click any empty space on the taskbar. If there is a checkmark next to Lock the taskbar , click it to uncheck and unlock the bar.

| Action | How to Perform | |--------|----------------| | Move taskbar to top/left/right | Click empty area and drag to desired edge. | | Resize height (bottom/top) | Hover over top border → double-headed arrow → drag up/down. | | Resize width (left/right) | Drag left or right border when taskbar is vertical. | | Rearrange toolbars | Drag the dotted handle (e.g., “Address,” “Links,” “Desktop”) left/right. | | Add custom toolbar | Right-click taskbar → Toolbars → New toolbar → select any folder. | | Enable Quick Launch (legacy) | Create folder %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch → add as new toolbar. | Click on Taskbar behaviors

| Action | Command / Gesture | |--------|------------------| | Unlock | Right-click taskbar → uncheck “Lock the taskbar” | | Move | Drag empty area to top/bottom/left/right | | Resize | Drag border when unlocked | | Registry unlock | TaskbarLock DWORD = 0 in ...\Explorer\Advanced | | Restart Explorer | taskkill /f /im explorer.exe & start explorer |

| Feature | Win7 | Win8 | Win10 | Win11 (stock) | Win11 + ExplorerPatcher | |---------|------|------|-------|---------------|--------------------------| | Unlock via right-click | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (Settings) | Yes | | Move to top/left/right | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | Resize height/width | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | Add custom toolbars | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |

Now that the taskbar is unlocked, you can customize it to your heart's content. Here are some examples:

Caution: If the policy is Enabled, the unlock option is removed entirely.