# Simple computer question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164 "2009-01-07T00:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/1 "2009-01-07T00:50:43Z")
Yesterday, for reasons unknown to me, my PC running XP decided that my toolbar should be vertical on the right side of the screen rather than horizontal on the bottom. I hate this and can’t see how to put it back at the bottom. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/2 "2009-01-07T00:52:10Z")
I’m pretty sure that you can click and hold on it and drag it to the bottom of the screen. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/3 "2009-01-07T00:52:42Z")
You should be able to click and hold with the left mouse button on the task bar. You can then drag it to any edge of the screen you choose. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/4 "2009-01-07T00:53:59Z")
You can move it around by grabbing it somewhere in the “dead” space (e.g. where there would be a button if a program was running, but you don’t have that many programs open) and dragging it to a different edge of the screen. It’s possible to do this accidentally if it’s not “locked.” You might also need to unlock it by right-clicking in the dead space and unchecking “lock the taskbar” on the little popup menu. Once you’ve got it where you want it, you can prevent accidentally dragging it again by locking it. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/5 "2009-01-07T01:15:45Z")
Thank you! What a relief–it was like wearing underwear backward: It worked, but it just felt weird. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/6 "2009-01-07T02:02:47Z")
Now if you right click on the taskbar and check “Lock Taskbar” that won’t happen again. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/7 "2009-01-07T02:07:15Z")
Done. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/8 "2009-01-07T02:42:56Z")
Or you could put it on the top where it belongs. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/9 "2009-01-07T04:37:47Z")
Unclean! Unclean! ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/10 "2009-01-07T05:37:57Z")
Now that it’s asked, answered and confirmed fixed, I’ll throw in my opinion: it actually belongs on the side, with auto-hide turned on, on any computer where I regularly work with more than about 10 windows. If it’s on the top or bottom, those little buttons with the window titles get so narrow they’re useless, but when it’s on the side, each button is the width of the bar, so I am in control of how much of the title I can see, and the icon is always visible. Naturally, this sends strangers who sit down at my computer into convulsions, but I like it. You just have to get used to not hitting that edge of the screen with your mouse unless you want the taskbar lunging out at you. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-computer-question/480164/11 "2009-01-07T05:47:59Z")
**Ntucker** , I agree with you! I had my task bar on the right when I was a windows user, because on the bottom, it became useless with multiple windows open. I kept it just wide enough to show each button as an icon only. No auto-hide, though, that annoys me. As a mac user, I toyed with having the Dock on the side, but since it only displays icons, It works better at the bottom.