How to reduce the size of the taskbar

[HNLGAL]

For some reason my taskbar just doubled in (vertical) size. I tried the two suggestions by other posters (make sure Lock Taskbar is not checked, drag top of taskbar down with up/down arrow and drag veritcal line between quick launch and taskbar to the left) and neither of them work.

And yes, Lock Taskbar is not checked.

Any other suggestions please?
Thanks

 

[tigsounds]

Drag items in the lower portion of the taskbar to the upper half, then shrink it. It won't shrink if it is populated.

 

[HNLGAL]

Won't let me do that either... any other ideas???

 

[hang-the-9]

Won't let me do that either... any other ideas???

You have the toolbar sections on top of each other. Look for the little dividers on the bar. I'm betting you have one all the way to the left of the bottom one. Grab it with the mouse and drag it up to the upper part of the bar. Happens to me all the time, and it can take some fiddling around with dragging the right parts over. Once you have all of the sections on one level, you can drag the whole bar back down.

 

[faizanshakyboy]

Which operating system you are using ?

 

[hang-the-9]

Which operating system you are using ?

He posted in the XP section... so by deduction...

 

[HNLGAL]

You have the toolbar sections on top of each other. Look for the little dividers on the bar. I'm betting you have one all the way to the left of the bottom one. Grab it with the mouse and drag it up to the upper part of the bar. Happens to me all the time, and it can take some fiddling around with dragging the right parts over. Once you have all of the sections on one level, you can drag the whole bar back down.

Nope, tried that one first.... I notice that if I delete (uncheck) the Quick Launch I no longer have the double/thick taskbar, but all these years I have had the IE and Outlook in my Quick Launch with no issues. Why all of a sudden?

FYI I have an XP.

Any other suggestions?

 

[HNLGAL]

He posted in the XP section... so by deduction...

XP

 

[HNLGAL]

He posted in the XP section... so by deduction...

Yup, it is an XP. And I'm a she BTW. Any suggestions?

 

[HNLGAL]

I still am unable to move all the icons in my lower right side of the bottom taskbar. I know hang-the-9 wrote there are little bars between the icons but in the right corner there are not. And it won't let me pull/drag any of the icons anywhere. It really is a pain as this has increased the depth of my task bar to at least 1", thus taking up part of the working screen that I need. Any other ideas out there please?

 

[tigsounds]

I see I wasn't real clear in my first response... sorry.
Let's try this again..

Don't try to move shortcuts or open program buttons, they won't be dragged.

There are a total of only 2 bars enclosing the quick launch.

One is directly next to the Start button, the other at the far right of the last quick launch icons, normally.

One bar is assigned by Windows to be on the left side of the quicklaunch icons the other is the right side. If they get reversed, the quicklaunch icons will be on the wrong side and the open program buttons will be next to the start button.

If the quick launch is not set wide enough, there will be a type of chevron symbol there to indicate some are not exposed, and this is not usually a problem as it can be slid over to the right a bit more after it is located on the same taskbar as the start button (single height), again, this is when it is normal.

Now, to adjust....

If the right side vertical bar is misplaced, the taskbar remains double thick. Sometimes it will be at the far left under the left vertical quick-launch bar near the Start button, they are one over the other. Grab just the lower bar and drag it to the upper bar and be dragging it to the right a bit.

The open program buttons may suddenly be on the wrong side of the quicklaunch shortcuts, but, all quicklaunch icons and open program buttons are on the same plane. If this happens, grab the top, left bar and drag it to the right and down to the bottom of the double-high taskbar to flip.

Let go of the mouse button when they switch places so the quicklaunch icons are on the left of the open program buttons.

This whole process is about getting the quicklaunch bars on the same plane and in the right order. Sometimes a bar may be double-high, but originated on the bottom while the other bar is also double-high but originated on the top. If you play with it a bit you'll find out who is who and where they really are from dragging top to bottom and vice-versa.

When everything is on the same plane, if the taskbar is still double-high (or an inch high), it can be grabbed and dragged down to normal.... so we hope.

 

[HNLGAL]

Hi Veteran...
Your reply sounds like it would be the best but I am having trouble following you. I am in the middle of exams until the 21st (taking a web design course), but will try again after it is done. If you would give me your email address, I can close this board and just communicate with you directly... If you don't mind.
Thanks again.
Catherine

I see I wasn't real clear in my first response... sorry.
Let's try this again..

Don't try to move shortcuts or open program buttons, they won't be dragged.

There are a total of only 2 bars enclosing the quick launch.

One is directly next to the Start button, the other at the far right of the last quick launch icons, normally.

One bar is assigned by Windows to be on the left side of the quicklaunch icons the other is the right side. If they get reversed, the quicklaunch icons will be on the wrong side and the open program buttons will be next to the start button.

If the quick launch is not set wide enough, there will be a type of chevron symbol there to indicate some are not exposed, and this is not usually a problem as it can be slid over to the right a bit more after it is located on the same taskbar as the start button (single height), again, this is when it is normal.

Now, to adjust....

If the right side vertical bar is misplaced, the taskbar remains double thick. Sometimes it will be at the far left under the left vertical quick-launch bar near the Start button, they are one over the other. Grab just the lower bar and drag it to the upper bar and be dragging it to the right a bit.

The open program buttons may suddenly be on the wrong side of the quicklaunch shortcuts, but, all quicklaunch icons and open program buttons are on the same plane. If this happens, grab the top, left bar and drag it to the right and down to the bottom of the double-high taskbar to flip.

Let go of the mouse button when they switch places so the quicklaunch icons are on the left of the open program buttons.

This whole process is about getting the quicklaunch bars on the same plane and in the right order. Sometimes a bar may be double-high, but originated on the bottom while the other bar is also double-high but originated on the top. If you play with it a bit you'll find out who is who and where they really are from dragging top to bottom and vice-versa.

When everything is on the same plane, if the taskbar is still double-high (or an inch high), it can be grabbed and dragged down to normal.... so we hope.

 

[tigsounds]

Hi Veteran...
Your reply sounds like it would be the best but I am having trouble following you. I am in the middle of exams until the 21st (taking a web design course), but will try again after it is done. If you would give me your email address, I can close this board and just communicate with you directly... If you don't mind.
Thanks again.
Catherine

Veteran..? That's just my cumulative point-rank position here at Tom's.

Ummm... There is a way similar to email, it's the PM (Private message) system here at Tom's.

To send a private message to someone here, just click their "Nic" and in my case you would click the larger word "Tigsounds" on the left side of the screen, right above the picture of my drunk cat (he smokes and drinks, carries on all night, it's a tough life being a cat). You will be taken to another screen that shows many statistics about the person and in the very center of the screen in red letters it says "Contact Tigsounds" and it will not allow email, but it does have a link to send a private message to me. When you click that little link you will be taken to another screen that looks very much like a regular message post screen except it will have my identity filled in and will go to me and nobody else.

I get your message and respond back to you from the message you send me.

You can turn on the notification area of Tom's by clicking the little link in the upper right side of the screen that says "Show the Right Column." You will get a new information box with 3 tabs as well as a few interesting? articles. One tab will show your messages, and when you get a message, it will show as such. Click that tab, and then click the message to read it.

This is a lot of instructions, but it is really quite simple. Give it a try. When you click to "Show the right Column" you will have at least one message already there waiting for you.

 

[HNLGAL]

Veteran..? That's just my cumulative point-rank position here at Tom's.

Ummm... There is a way similar to email, it's the PM (Private message) system here at Tom's.

To send a private message to someone here, just click their "Nic" and in my case you would click the larger word "Tigsounds" on the left side of the screen, right above the picture of my drunk cat (he smokes and drinks, carries on all night, it's a tough life being a cat). You will be taken to another screen that shows many statistics about the person and in the very center of the screen in red letters it says "Contact Tigsounds" and it will not allow email, but it does have a link to send a private message to me. When you click that little link you will be taken to another screen that looks very much like a regular message post screen except it will have my identity filled in and will go to me and nobody else.

I get your message and respond back to you from the message you send me.

You can turn on the notification area of Tom's by clicking the little link in the upper right side of the screen that says "Show the Right Column." You will get a new information box with 3 tabs as well as a few interesting? articles. One tab will show your messages, and when you get a message, it will show as such. Click that tab, and then click the message to read it.

This is a lot of instructions, but it is really quite simple. Give it a try. When you click to "Show the right Column" you will have at least one message already there waiting for you.

Thank you Tigsounds (sorry I misinterpreted your screen name)... I will get back to you next week if I may... right after my exams are done... Thanks so much for your patience and your tutelage!
HNLGAL