Tech Tip: New Windows Taskbar in Windows 10

screen capture showing black web background with white Windows logo, magnifying glass search, and task view graphics

 

The Windows taskbar (shown above) has changed a bit in Windows 10.

In Windows 8, Microsoft removed the Start button from the taskbar and you only saw icons for your programs here. In Windows 10, the Start button isn’t just back — there’s a “Search the web and Windows” field that launches Microsoft’s Cortana assistant and a Task View button that provides an overview of all your open windows and virtual desktop features.

Both of these features are enabled by default. If you’d like to disable them, you can just right-click the taskbar and choose to hide the Search and Task View options.

In Windows 10, the Search bar not only looks for folders, apps, and files on your PC, but is also linked to the Windows Store (You will need a Microsoft account to use the Windows Store) and your browser so it can search the web right from your desktop.

Finally, in the new settings app we discussed in last week’s tech tip, you can change your taskbar settings; see the graphic for options available:

screen capture showing windows 10 settings box with white background, personalization menu in left column and Taskbar options in right column of screen