Customizing The Taskbar on Windows Vista

Taskbar is one of the desktop components, which has a form of  bar/stick/beam located at bottom of the screen. Not like the other desktop components such as icons or wallpaper, taskbar is hardly ever closed by other program windows except programs that run full screen like several certain games.

Here is the picture of taskbar on Windows Vista:

Taskbar can be customized via Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window. In order to open that window, right-click on empty area of taskbar, then click Properties. There you'll find tabs relating to taskbar:

Taskbar Tab

Please have a look this picture below:

Explanations:
Point 1 : Display the preview of taskbar when you change every settings on this tab.
Point 2 : Mark this check box so that the taskbar can not be moved.
Point 3 : Marking this check box makes the taskbar disappears automatically when mouse pointer is not hovering on it. To show it back, just move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen.
Point 4 : Marking this check box, makes the taskbar is always on the top of other program windows.
Point 5 : By marking this check box, Windows will group buttons of similar programs on taskbar when several/many programs are running.
Point 6 : By marking this check box, Windows will show the Quick Launch toolbar on taskbar.
Point 7 : Marking this check box makes Windows shows preview of program window when pointer points to a program button on taskbar.


Start Menu Tab

This tab functions to customize Start menu. The explanation to this tab will be discussed on another page.


Notification Area Tab

Notification area is area on the right of the taskbar. There you will find icons such as sound volume icon, power icon, time icon, and so on.

Here the picture of Notification Area tab:

Explanations:
Point 1 : The preview of notification area if you change its settings.
Point 2 : If thic check box is marked, so inactive icons are not visible.
Point 3 : Click this button to decide which icons to be deactivated or activated.
Point 4 : Mark this check box to show the clock.
Point 5 : Mark this check box to show the volume icon.
Point 6 : Mark this check box to show the network icon.
Point 7 : Mark this check box to show the power status (For portable computers only).

Toolbars Tab

In this tab, we can set which toolbar will appear on taskbar. Please have a look the picture below:

At the picture above, it looks that there are six kinds of toolbar, namely Address, Windows Media Player, Links, PowerDVD, Desktop, and QuickLaunch.  Marking the check box makes the toolbar appears on taskbar.

If you have changed the settings, don't forget to click OK or Apply button to get the result. Or click Cancel button to annul.