Taskbar does not Auto-hide all the time Windows 7

Anonymous
2009-11-21T17:32:06+00:00

**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!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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
2010-03-29T18:26:16+00:00

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
2009-11-22T15:00:10+00:00

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

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-06-05T22:57:14+00:00

    The-Ceej....thank you.  great answer.  Does anyone know if the same situation occurs with Win8 or 10?  I was just trying a Win10 computer but forgot to try it.  I want absolutely no mouse activation of the taskbar.  

    I wouldn't know about Windows 8, as I've never had the unfortunate pleasure of using it for longer than an hour, but I suspect it's still an issue for the same reason it is with Windows 10. Also, Windows 10 comes with many of its own problems, so as bad as Windows 7 is, it's the best thing to use right now, unless you want to try an unofficial version of Windows, but it would be illegal for me to recommend one of those.

    As far as forcing the task bar back in, sometimes you can crash and reopen explorer and that works. Otherwise, you'll have to restart.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-07-28T15:39:24+00:00

    Why do the people from Microsoft Support consistently offer the most brain dead solutions imaginable?  As if 1 in 100 people here don't know about the Lock the Taskbar option.  Do you type for finger exercise?  How about we check to see if the mouse cursor is hovering over the Taskbar?  That may be the problem as well. 

    Or....how about really having the courage to speak out about a problem that the OS might actually have?  And admit it and look for a solution to it.  Instead of cowering like timid kittens beneath the Microsoft Goliath.   Think well and you help your employer Microsoft.  Its not perfect.  Nobody expects it to be perfect.  But it gets closer to perfection the more errors are ironed out.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-07-31T21:11:50+00:00

    The-Ceej....thank you.  great answer.  Does anyone know if the same situation occurs with Win8 or 10?  I was just trying a Win10 computer but forgot to try it.  I want absolutely no mouse activation of the taskbar.  

    I wouldn't know about Windows 8, as I've never had the unfortunate pleasure of using it for longer than an hour, but I suspect it's still an issue for the same reason it is with Windows 10. Also, Windows 10 comes with many of its own problems, so as bad as Windows 7 is, it's the best thing to use right now, unless you want to try an unofficial version of Windows, but it would be illegal for me to recommend one of those.

    As far as forcing the task bar back in, sometimes you can crash and reopen explorer and that works. Otherwise, you'll have to restart.

    It does occur in Windows 10

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