I recently installed Windows 10 on my PC. To my surprise, the taskbar on Windows 10 fully displayed. It bothered me because I like my desktop area tidy. I needed to hide the Windows 10 taskbar; therefore, I learned a few tricks to do that.
Aaah… Don’t worry. Below I have a more detailed procedure on hiding the taskbar on Windows 10 PC.
So, let’s get started.
1. Restarting Explorer to Hide Taskbar
Hiding the taskbar is possible by restarting the explorer through the Task Manager. Here, you do not need to know the reason why the taskbar displays.
I will show you how to know the cause of the display as we proceed.
So how did I go about the quick fix?
1. Used the keyboard shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+ESC (This opens the task manager)-
On other PCs, a small window might open. Click on More Details
2. On the left hand, look for Window Explorer, and Right Click it
3. Select Restart.
The taskbar should be gone. There is another way to do it through the explorer via a command line.
Here’s how.
1. Use keyboard shortcut Windows+R (This opens the run box)
2. In the box type cmd (in mine cmd was already there), Click OK
3. Then type taskkill /im explorer.exe /f
4. Type explorer
5. Type exit and press Enter
The taskbar should hide. If not, then the next step, “troubleshooting the issue,” could do it for you.
2. Troubleshooting Taskbar Display
This one was simple. The taskbar was visible because the PC was inactive. I just clicked on my desktop area, and the taskbar disappeared.
Pro Tip: As you click the desktop area, ensure that the cursor is away from the taskbar.
Alternative Option: Check preferences to see whether the Windows Taskbar is set to “hide taskbar automatically.”
I have a more detailed step by step procedure for changing your taskbar preferences below.
1. Right-click your desktop area
2. Select Personalize
3. On the page that opens, click Taskbar and Navigation (On your left bottom)
4. Check the Autohide Taskbar Button.
If this simple process does not work, move on to the next one, a background applications check.
3. Hide Taskbar By Checking Background Applications
I realized that sometimes the taskbar could display due to an app running in the background. Could be the app needs an action such as an update.
The solution is easy, open the app and solve the issue.
Alternative option:
- Right-click taskbar and select Preferences…
- On Settings Panel, look for the notification area.
- Click taskbar and select application icons you want to appear on your taskbar
Personal Tip: I removed the app that persisted in preventing it from making the taskbar visible.
Note: On “Settings,” you can turn off the notifications to prevent icons appearing on your taskbar. This action makes the taskbar invisible.
My background applications had nothing to do with the taskbar showing.
I did some in-depth research and learned there is repair software that can fix Windows 10 PC issues.
I will share the name and details of the advanced repair software below.
4. Using a Software to Hide Taskbar
After a few tests, I arrived at a software known as Restoro. This tool was magical. All it did was to scan my PC for issues and fix the problem. For my Windows 10, the issue that was making the taskbar invisible.
The first step was to download Restoro. (Restoro is free of charge.) I use a Chrome Browser. The process of installation is pretty simple.
Once the download was complete. I went to my downloads and installed the file. The installation starts with you accepting the terms by checking the ” I Accept the EULA and Privacy Policy” box.
Once the installation process completes, click on SCAN. The scan should highlight the reason the taskbar displays.
Apply fix by pressing the Clean Now green button. If the taskbar does not hide, then you might need the full version to enjoy this benefit.
The good bit about this is, is that you can retain Restoro to solve future PC issues.
Once the fixing is complete, restart your PC. The taskbar will hide.
This trick worked for my Windows 10 PC. By then, I had learned another trick about hiding the taskbar. The solution involved changing the Group Policy Settings.
5. Hiding Taskbar By Changing Group Policy Settings
The taskbar may show because a system administrator changed your group settings. Fixing your settings could help hide the taskbar.
I learned that the process is simple. I just did it for fun. Here’s how.
1. I used the keyboard shortcut Windows+R (The Run Box Opened)
2. I typed gpedit.msc on the box. Click OK
You will land page, slowly navigate to User Configuration, then to Administrative Tools, then scroll to Start Menu and Taskbar click it.
A window will open, double-click on Lock all Taskbar Settings.
You will get three options, Non-configured, Enabled, and Disabled. Change the ing from Non-configured to Enabled.
This unlocks the taskbar settings. Any change made on your desktop area applies automatically, including hiding the taskbar.
Conclusion
A clean desktop area makes you appear more tidy and professional. One way to do that is to hide the taskbar on your Windows 10 PC. The above solutions can help.