Introduction

Windows 11 does not allow you to move your taskbar to the top of the screen with an official setting as of October 2021. (unlike Windows 10). But we’ve worked out a method to accomplish it by altering the Registry, and it’ll just take a few clicks. Here’s how to do it.

You Can Make Your Own Registry Changes

You may either edit your Windows Registry manually or download our one-click hack in the area below to relocate your Windows 11 taskbar to the top of the screen. We’ll start by showing you how to do it yourself.

• The Registry Editor is a powerful tool, so use it with caution. Misusing it can make your system unstable, if not completely unusable. Still, this is a straightforward hack, and as long as you follow the instructions to the letter, you should be OK. Before you begin, learn about how to use the Registry Editor if you haven’t done so previously. Before making any changes, we also recommend backing up the Registry (and your PC).

First, launch Registry Editor to manually move the taskbar to the top of the screen. To do so, go to Start, type “regedit,” and then pick “Registry Editor” from the list of options.

Navigate to this key using the sidebar or put it in the address line towards the top of the window when Registry Editor opens:

• Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3

Double-click the “Settings” key within the “StuckRects3” key after you’ve found it.

You’ll see a table of values when the “Edit Binary Value” box appears. This is a bit of a challenge. Count to the fifth value from the left after finding the second row of values from the top. This value is set to “03” by default. Place the cursor to the right of the “03” (click with the mouse, then hit the right arrow key if required), then press Backspace once, then write 01.

To summarize, you’ve changed the “03” value (which refers to the bottom taskbar) to “01.” (which means taskbar on the top). Click “OK” when you’re finished.

Restart Windows Explorer after closing Registry Editor.

To restart Explorer, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc, then pick the “Processes” tab. If required, click “More Details” to see the complete interface. Right-click on “Windows Explorer” in the list and choose “Restart.”

• Note that unless you restart Explorer, your update will not take effect. Unlike many other Windows settings, merely restarting your computer or signing out and back in would most likely not solve the problem.

The taskbar will then appear at the top of the screen. When you click Start with your taskbar icons centered, you’ll notice that the Start menu appears on the left side of the screen rather than in the middle.

Open Settings (click Windows+i) and go to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors, then adjust “Taskbar Alignment” to “Left” to make your Start button match the placement of the Start menu at the top of the screen.

If you change your mind and want your taskbar to be at the bottom of the screen again, update the “Settings” key in the previous step and replace the “01” value with “03.” You may also use the “win11 taskbar bottom.reg” file found in the next section.

Is it feasible to relocate the Windows 11 taskbar to the left or right side of the screen, for example? Yes, simply setting the value of the “Settings” key to “00” (for left) or “02” (for right) (for right). Unfortunately, the taskbar is no longer useful (as of October 2021) since the taskbar icons do not appear correctly.

Our One-Click Registry Hack is available for download

You can download our one-click registry hack files if you don’t want to risk manually altering your Registry. Two files are included in the ZIP file listed below that will move your Windows 11 taskbar to the top or bottom of the screen (after you reboot).

Download the Windows 11 Taskbar Location Hack Files

Unzip the file to any directory after downloading it, and you’ll have two files:

• win11_taskbar_top.reg: This changes the position of the taskbar on the screen to the top.
• win11_taskbar_bottom.reg: This changes the position of the taskbar on the screen to the bottom.

Normally, you shouldn’t trust registry files downloaded from the internet, but they have been produced and checked by us. If you want to double-check their contents, you can use Notepad. (To edit a REG file, right-click it, select “Show More Options,” then “Edit.”)

To utilize the REG files, double-click the one you wish to use, and a warning about modifying the Registry will appear. “Yes” should be selected.

Then, in the confirmation pop-up, click “OK” and restart Windows Explorer.

To restart Explorer, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc, then pick the “Processes” tab. If required, click “More Details” to see the complete interface. Right-click “Windows Explorer” in the list of running processes and choose “Restart.”

• Note: Restart Explorer instead of restarting your computer or logging out and back in.

Depending on the REG file you used, your taskbar will now be at the top or bottom of the screen.

• Keep in mind that Microsoft does not officially approve this Registry hack. It might break in a future Windows 11 update, or it could not operate correctly on every PC.

While we’re now obliged to adjust the taskbar placement through Registry hacks, we’re expecting that Microsoft will ultimately make the option official in the Settings app. Until then, good luck with your tasks!