Forum Discussion
Windows 11 - Can't Change The Order Of Taskbar Icons
This is by design in Windows 11, not a system issue.
Microsoft removed the “Lock taskbar” option and also removed drag-and-drop reordering of taskbar icons. That’s why you can’t find the setting and why DISM/SFC report no problems. Nothing is missing or broken.
How icon order works now
The only supported way to control icon order is:
- Unpin taskbar apps
- Re-pin them in the order you want
Windows 11 keeps icons in the order they were pinned.
Important notes
- This affects both upgrades and clean installs
- System Restore or reinstalling Windows will not change this
- Microsoft has not restored manual reordering so far
If you need Windows 10–style behavior, a third-party taskbar tool is currently the only workaround.
I have just finished a windows 11 pro 64 bit clean installation (20 July 2026) and there is not an issue with 'drag-and-drop' icons on my taskbar. So your information about that is obviously wrong.
I am going to check the taskbar after every software re-install to see if that has affected the taskbar dra-and-drop. This is why I re-installed windows - to try and find out what (nasty) piece of software is causing that issue. And if i discover it, I'll post an update on here.
Regards.
Hi WolfGang - I have just done a clean re-install of Windows 11 pro 64bit (20 July 2026) and the taskbar icons are moveable left and right - drag and drop etc. So I don't know where you got your 'removed drag-and-drop reordering of taksbar icons' information from otherwise I wouldn't be able to drag-and-drop mine on a new install!
This is frustrating I know - I did the re-install in order to try and fix this issue, and as I re-install various software back onto my PC, I'll be checking after every re-install to see if it has affected the taskbar issue again. All windows updates have been done, so I know it's nothing to do with those. It has to be non-Microsoft software that is the culprit.
Regards.
Thorneylad.
Per JimmyLaw's 10/15/2025 response below, and this worked for me as well:
1) Press Windows + T to place focus on the task bar.
2) Press Arrow Left or Arrow Right to select the icon you want to move.
3) Use Alt + Shift + Arrow Left or Alt + Shift + Arrow Right to move it spot by spotI am confused about this. I have my own question in this forum somewhere which illustrates the same issue. I built my own computer in 2020. I also built my wife's computer in 2020. I upgraded hers to Windows 11 earlier this year and she has had no issue with it at all. I did not even know there was a taskbar problem at this point. I then upgraded my own computer to the exact same version, and it did not work. The taskbar was locked all the time and I found it horribly frustrating. I uninstalled W11 on my machine. My job upgraded our computers to W11 earlier this year (August I think) and I have a video of my taskbar working exactly as intended. The only computer I have seen that issue happen is my own. My stepson bought a new computer in July. He has no problem shuffling his task bar icons, either. I ended up enrolling in extended W10 support for another year to see if this can be addressed in that time. I have not been able to find any documentation from Microsoft stating that this did this on purpose. If you have any I would love to read it just for the sheer dumb logic behind. it. Otherwise, if you can suggest a reliable 3rd party tool, it would be appreciated.
