Pcworld iconPcworldSep 17, 2026 ~1 min source read

The real reason your Windows 11 taskbar couldn’t move for 5 years

Windows 11 as their operating system of focus, it wasn't just the look that changed. A number of useful features were also removed, like the freely repositionable taskbar and the customizable Start menu.

The real reason your Windows 11 taskbar couldn’t move for 5 years

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Windows 11 as their operating system of focus, it wasn't just the look that changed.

A number of useful features were also removed, like the freely repositionable taskbar and the customizable Start menu.

Only recently did Microsoft finally backtrack, bringing back the ability to move the taskbar to any edge and allowing users to resize the Start menu again.

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The useful part

Windows 11 as their operating system of focus, it wasn't just the look that changed. A number of useful features were also removed, like the freely repositionable taskbar and the customizable Start menu. Only recently did Microsoft finally backtrack, bringing back the ability to move the taskbar to any edge and allowing users to resize the Start menu again.

How it works

  • Windows Latest did some digging and found an explanation in an April 2022 Windows Insider AMA, given by Tali Roth who managed the Windows core user experience at the time.
  • The biggest issue was that Windows 11 didn't carry over large parts of the old Win32 code, which included the ability to move and customize the taskbar.

Details worth keeping

Why were such features cut in the first place? Why did it take five years to bring them back?

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