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

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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

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

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-12-11T00:05:13+00:00

    So, yeah. I am here because I too ran into the same problem. Interesting conversation. And Yes, I had already tried all of the permutations on the "Auto-hide the taskbar" and "Lock the taskbar" on the bottom, left side, top, and right side of the screen.

    After reading everything down to here, it seems to me that there is more than one cause for this problem. So all that one person can say is, "Here is how I solved the problem. Your mileage may vary."

    tman_40's comment in May triggered me to check all of the icons in my System Tray. And as in tman_40's case, MS's little flag for the Action Center was the culprit. I right clicked on it and found an Alert that had been sitting there silently keeping the Taskbar from hiding. I had never set up Win 7's Backup. D'oh! How lame. So yeah, it might have been nice if a balloon opened occasionally instead of holding the whole Taskbar open so mysteriously.

    Thanks everyone. And yeah, your mileage may vary.

    JACG

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-12-12T17:04:44+00:00

    Thanks Josh...this worked for me very nicely.  Unfortunately, it took most of  an entire work day to find this solution...a fairly common scenario when working with Windows.  This little issue and several others seem to be a way of life with every version of Windows that comes along.  I left the Apple world about a decade ago because I thought it would be easier to have workplace and home computers speaking the same language.  I've been more than patient (10 years is less time than I've given a couple of wives).  But now that Apple OS can run Office applications, I think I've finally had enough.  I'm looking forward to re-joining a computer community where the machine works for me and not vice-versa.

    RGC

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-12-19T14:37:58+00:00

    I'm sure this bug has been fixed by MS by now but I've still been having this problem when using Firefox.

    I've found that when it's finished downloading, the download pane keeps the taskbar unhidden because it wants you to do something with the said download. Unfortunately it doesn't alert you to this or even flash the taskbar button. To fix open download pane and clear finished downloads.

    Hope this helps someone. :)

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