taskbar changed size -- too big -- and i can't change it back

OMG Thank you so much, my taskbar took up half the screen & I could not get it back to normal until I read your post on moving the arrow to the edge of the taskbar until 2 arrows displayed, then dragging it to resize, it worked!

Yaaaaaaaaay

I think I stumbled across the reason as to why, for some people, the task bar automatically resizes and cannot be permanently reduced (even when using small icons)...

The set of three vertical dots to the left of the quicklaunch toolbar is the toolbar sizing handle.  There is a similar sizing handle for the taskbar buttons (they show what programs, files or documents are open).  Note that the resizing buttons only appear when the taskbar is unlocked.

Normal resizing of the taskbar results in it expanding to two lines.  The toolbar and the taskbar buttons occupy separate columns of these two lines, with the dots of their resizing handles spanning both lines.   (At the same time the icons in the utility area (right-hand corner) occupy three lines and the clock, if displayed, will show the day of the week and the date on separate lines underneath it.)  This expansion is easily and permanently reversed by using the resizing arrow (the two-headed arrow that shows when you click on the top border of the taskbar). 

Problems can arise because it is also possible to position the quicklaunch toolbar on a fixed separate line to the taskbar - by clicking and dragging either resizing handle downwards. This appears similar to normal resizing because it also expands the taskbar to two lines.  However, you can readily distinguish if this has been done, because the toolbar and the taskbar buttons sit directly above each other (not in separate columns) and dots of the resizing handles extend down only one line. 

When this has been done, the taskbar can only be reduced back to one line if the quicklaunch toolbar is closed.  This toolbar can then be reinstalled on the single line if nothing else is open. However, as soon as you open something, or even click the start button, it automatically opens the second line.

To reverse this effect, make sure the quicklaunch toolbar is active and both lines are open (i.e. taskbar expanded).  Then click and drag one of the resizing handles so that the toolbar and the task bar tabs are positioned alongside each other on the one line.  Using the resizing arrow, reduce the taskbar and then lock it to ensure this does not happen again.

I altered mine inadvertently.  Sooooo frustrating and annoying until I finally worked out what had happened!

my taskbar changed from bottom to right side of my screen.  when i moved it back down, the task bar went from a single row of start up icons with open application windows in the same row on the right side to basically two rows -- top row has start up icons, 2nd row has the beneath the first row, even though there is plenty of room in the top row for them.

  the top sizing arrow doesn't do anything at all and the only sizing handle i can see is located on the right side of the start button and won't move.  (and yes, the taskbar is unlocked)  the task bar is about an inch high and even when i change the size of my icons to the smallest i STILL can't get the blasted thing to shrink down to it's former 1/2" or so. 

i wouldn't care except that i don't have access to the bottom portion of some open applications -- mostly games -- and there are buttons there that i have to click on to continue working.