Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
The task bar can appear hidden if it's configured to auto-hide, or if the size has been configured to be too small.
The task bar on my windows XP machine has become hidden, how do I get it back?
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The taskbar is very configurable as I discussed in a previous article: My TaskBar is too small to be useful, what can I do?, and the accompanying video out at Lockergnome. You might want to review that to see if perhaps it got configured to auto-hide or have zero size.
CTRL+ESC will always bring up the start menu. On that you might also check Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu, and make sure that Auto-hide is turned off and the taskbar is unlocked.
Then if the size did in fact get set to zero height then you may see a small, thin bar where your task bar used to be. You should be able to click, hold, and drag that up to make it bigger.
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Article C1977 - June 2, 2004
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
my taskbar is seen on the main screen but it becomes invisible when i open 2 - 3 windows together. whereas it shud be visible at the bottom when i m working either online or offline.........Why???????
Posted by: kavita at October 19, 2010 11:35 PMmy task bar has never appeared since I purchased it.
Posted by: Glen Gordley at January 11, 2011 3:33 PMThanks for the tip about the line ...it work i have posted a question to you about admin logon if you have the time to answer such a newbie question // and I am the newest of the newest newbie with the oldest of oldest computers.....lol thanks Yoyo
Posted by: Yoyo Nice at January 14, 2011 11:42 PMIt's still hidden. Neither Ctrl+Esc or the Windows button do anything. I can get to task manager and run Explorer, etc. It looks like it may be slowly assuming the crash position...
Posted by: Roger King at May 16, 2011 6:51 AMI don't have XP but I have Vista. Not a single site I looked at for help of my missing task bar ever mentioned a function key. I didn't have the locked or auto hide task bar option selected. I had hit the "F11" function key some how! Any way, the "F11" key brought back my task bar so you might add that in your answer. Thanks :o)
Posted by: Lisa at October 17, 2011 8:20 AM