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Our users connect to a Windows Server 2008 box using Terminal Services, and one user appears to have triggered a bug that moved their Task Bar to the top of the screen, even though Active Directory settings don't allow users to manipulate their task bar.

I can't click and drag the task bar, and can't access it's Properties via the right-click menu.

Is there a way to put the task bar back on the bottom of the screen using the registry or a batch script?

I know I could just have him re-create his profile, or I could temporarily disable the AD policy, however neither of those options are ideal.

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The registry key to allow them to unlock their task bar and manipulate it is

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

There's a value named LockTaskbar and it needs to be changed from 1 (Locked) to 0 (Unlocked).

This will give the user the "Lock Taskbar" option in their taskbar menu, and allow them to uncheck it. Once unchecked, they can click and drag their taskbar back to it's normal position.

Edit

As jscott pointed out below, the actual Task Bar position can be found in the 13th byte of

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects2

The values are: 00 left, 01 top, 02 right, 03 bottom.

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    Potentially of interest, the 13th byte of HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects2 contains the taskbar position: 00 left, 01 top, 02 right, 03 bottom.
    – jscott
    May 17, 2013 at 13:15
  • @jscott Thank you very much for that, I probably never would have figured out what StuckRects2 was on my own :)
    – Rachel
    May 17, 2013 at 13:22
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  1. It's not called AD policy, it's called Group Policy.

  2. You don't have to temporarily disable the Group Policy itself. Just disable that setting in the Group Policy. Then have the user move their taskbar and re-enable the setting in the Group Policy.

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    I specifically didn't want to touch our Group Policy if I didn't have to because I'm a programmer, not the network admin, which is why I was looking for something like a registry key that I could modify instead. :)
    – Rachel
    May 17, 2013 at 14:00
  • Temporarily modifying the GPO is less work and less likely to break something than modifying the registry. If you're not the network admin then why are you dealing with this issue in the first place, out of curiosity?
    – joeqwerty
    May 17, 2013 at 14:03
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    I get roped into helping with tech support fairly frequently... "person who fixes my software" = "person who fixes my computer" to many people, particularly when our network admin is unavailable. I'm more comfortable in the registry than I am in Group Policy, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind for the future.
    – Rachel
    May 17, 2013 at 14:06
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Had the same problem. Click on the start button,right click on all programs and open properties,click on taskbar unlock "lock the taskbar" and apply

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