Forum Discussion
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 pinned to the bottom just feels like a massive waste of screen real estate. I know Microsoft removed this feature to rebuild the taskbar from scratch, but it's been years—how is this still not back?
I've looked into third-party tools like ExplorerPatcher and StartAllBack, but I'm worried they'll break with the next big update or cause stability issues. Has anyone found a reliable, safe way to reposition the taskbar in the current build? I'd love to hear what's actually working for people without turning the OS into a buggy mess.
1 Reply
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.
