How do I get my taskbar to revert back to a horizontal dis..

[jmcdrummer]

My open windows when minimized all stack up with vertical arrows to access....I used to have the active windows open along the horizontal bar at the bottom of the page...more convenient to see and access....this change occurred with no obvious request from my end..or my doing a reconfiguration. I want to return to the former format as described (horizontal with each open task observable)

 

[tigsounds]

Right-click on that horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen as you call it.

Select Properties.

Uncheck "Lock the Taskbar"

Uncheck "Group similar taskbar buttons"

Uncheck "Hide inactive icons"

 

[jmcdrummer]

all those items were already unchecked....checked and unchecked..no changes result

 

[me 1]

Ok, go to Start>Run. Type gpedit.msc and press enter .
Go to User configuration>Administrative tools>Start menu.
See if Prevent grouping of taskbar items (on the right) is enabled.
If so, disable it. You might have some reg entries messed up, so disable it anyway...
There might be another releated setting in the User configuration , but I don't remember where now...
Then try again what you upstairs neighbour, tigsounds said...
Did it worked?

 

[jmcdrummer]

performing neither of these operations worked...tasks are still piled up i n tiles that have to be ac cessed bu up and down arrows

 

[tigsounds]

performing neither of these operations worked...tasks are still piled up i n tiles that have to be ac cessed bu up and down arrows

Your "Group similar taskbar icons" is stuck on 'group' Repair it in the registry:

Start>Run>regedit>OK and then navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\TaskbarGlomming

The value should be zero. If it is not zero, double-click on that key in the right pane and change the "Value Data" to zero, click OK and close regedit. This affect won't change until you restart windows.