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WilliamHuang's avatar
WilliamHuang
Iron Contributor
Nov 03, 2026

Is there any way to move the taskbar to the top or side in Windows 11?

I've been using Windows 11 for a while now, but the fact that I can't move my taskbar to the top or side of the screen is still driving me crazy. I have an ultrawide monitor, and having everything pi...
Application Management
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LauraBennett's avatar
LauraBennett
Iron Contributor
Nov 03, 2026

Windows 11’s standard taskbar settings don’t offer top or side placement. Taskbar alignment > Left only moves the icons within the bottom taskbar.

ExplorerPatcher and StartAllBack can provide more layout options on compatible builds, but neither is guaranteed to survive every Windows update unchanged. Old registry tricks aren’t a reliable alternative on current builds.

If you try either tool, check that its latest release explicitly supports your Windows build, use only one taskbar customisation tool at a time, and keep its uninstall instructions handy. After a major Windows upgrade, wait for confirmed compatibility before enabling it again.

If avoiding shell modifications is your priority, automatically hiding the taskbar is the built-in way to reclaim screen space. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give you the side placement you’re looking for.