Taskbar does not Auto-hide all the time Windows 7

Anonymous

**Original Title**Windows 7 taskbar won't consistantly autohide. After changing the properties to Autohide and clicking 'OK', it hides for a brief second then reappears. Other times it autohides as desired.

My taskbar autohide behaves in an erratic pattern. When I have an alert, it autohides after resolving the alert, but other times it refuses to go away, even if I, once again, open the properties, uncheck autohide, recheck autohide, then click 'apply' and/or 'OK'. As I type this, the taskbar stubbornly remains!

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous

In the "good old days" applicaitons would often un-hide the Taskbar so their notification icons could show an updated status and they could ensure it would be seen. I think this method has fallen out of favor, but older applications that haven't been updated could still be sending the commands to the system to show the Taskbar. Is it possible that you have an older app in the notification area that's affecting the Taskbar as described?

What notification area icons do you have (and what versions)?

For what it's worth, I just tried disabling Avast Pro 5.0 and it still allowed the Taskbar to auto-hide.

-Noel

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Anonymous

Hi Lamargene,

Welcome to Microsoft Answers.

See that “Lock the Taskbar” is not enabled. If it is, you may disable it by right-clicking on taskbar and unchecking it.

Still the same behavior?

If such is the case, I’d recommend you to download Microsoft Security Essentials on your computer. This will make sure that any virus, spyware or other malicious software on the computer is wiped out completely. Also if the weird behavior is due to any one of those, running the essentials will fix it.

Download it from

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Do you see any changes after running the essentials? Post back and let us know.

Regards,

Shinmila H - Microsoft Support

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forumand let us know what you think

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437 additional answers

Anonymous

2012-05-14T00:06:43+00:00

Microsoft,

Please listen to me very carefully. You are responsible for maintaining a solid and effective environment for Windows users. Do you allow programs to crash the machine? Do you allow them to trample on other programs? You are responsible for taskbar behavior. You provided the functionality to auto hide the taskbar. If the task bar won't hide and I can't find any visible reason why it won't (and therefore address it) then it seems to me you can, with code, determine that there is no user controllable reason that the taskbar has to stay visible and hide it. Just because some rogue program is doing something stupid that is beyond my ability to control doesn't mean you have to follow along and be stupid too. Solve the problem. Look at the situation and do the right thing for the user.

Kevin

You are an MVP, or at least your tag says so, and you think Microsoft is listening to complaints in these forums? There is a Win7 Feedback Site which may well go ignored by MSFT, but a better suggestion than a rant here.
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Kevin Jones 7,265 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2012-05-13T22:56:30+00:00

Microsoft,

You are responsible for maintaining a solid and effective environment for Windows users. Do you allow programs to crash the machine? Do you allow them to trample on other programs? You are responsible for taskbar behavior. You provided the functionality to auto hide the taskbar. If the task bar won't hide and I can't find any visible reason why it won't (and therefore address it) then it seems to me you can, with code, determine that there is no user controllable reason that the taskbar has to stay visible and hide it. Just because some rogue program is doing something stupid that is beyond my ability to control doesn't mean you can't help me solve the problem. Look at the situation and do the right thing for the user.

Kevin
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Anonymous

2012-05-13T21:41:06+00:00

Excellent reply to the errant Task bar. Every answer given sounds good and perhaps works on the senders machine. I have had the Task bar appear and disappear. All I can say is that it is up to MS to figure out the cause, which t hey would have done, if the answer was clear cut. Maybe the cure will come in the nest updtate..

Over and out,

Wen>
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