Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
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The task bar is a busy place, and there are lots of things on it; the start button and menu, the quick launch bar (if you have that enabled) and on the far right, the notification area. Most all of those are configurable to some degree, but the area where buttons representing your "currently running programs" is not. It's always supposed to be there, there's no way to turn it off.
As a result, no way to turn it on should it disappear.
Well, no obvious way.
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Unfortunately, I have gotten reports of the "running programs" area going away. I have no real idea of how it happens, but, clearly, it does.
Restoring, while not obvious, is not hard. It appears to only need a registry change and a restart of Windows Explorer.
Kelly Theriot, a Microsoft MVP, has a set of tweaks available at Kelly's Korner. They're fairly light on documentation, and perhaps even a bit techie if you want to understand them. On the tweaks page scroll down to item #240, and click on "Programs Aren't Minimized in the Taskbar". That will run, or download, a "vbs" (VBScript) program which will, after confirming, reset the Taskbar's properties. Note that several other aspects of the Taskbar will also be reset to their default states, but you should get your "running programs" area back.
Article C2376 - June 21, 2005 « »
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.
November 4, 2011 12:44 AM
thanks a lot.
this advice solved my problem.
December 20, 2011 3:45 AM
Hi Leo....Thanks for the useful post. I was going crazy to fins a solution for this...Thanks
December 20, 2011 9:11 PM
Thank you!
I really did want to see my running programs. >.
December 29, 2011 9:16 AM
Wow! Worked! Thank you so much!
October 10, 2012 9:34 PM
I am glad that I came over your posting. Item #240. That fixed my problem. I tried for days repairing my profile, but #240 vbs fixed it in seconds : )