Taskbar Hides Behind Maximized Programs – How to Fix 

Quick Tips

• A hidden taskbar could be a sign of auto-hiding in taskbar settings.
• Try quick fixes like toggling full-screen mode for apps (F11) and pressing the Windows key.
• Windows Explorer might be behaving erratically, and you should restart Explorer or your PC.
• NVIDIA In-Game Overlay might also be responsible. Disable it.

Has your Windows Taskbar suddenly become hard to find and is usually found lurking behind other open windows on your desktop? Well, this “shyness” is a pretty common problem for many users. Thankfully, it can be easily fixed with a number of solutions, which this article will cover.

Let’s get your Taskbar back out of hiding.

What to Do When the Taskbar Hides Behind Programs

There are a few causes behind a taskbar hiding, from system settings to system errors. We’ll start with some simple solutions and build up from there:

Restart

This probably goes without saying, but a PC that’s been running for a while can run into more errors. Restart your machine before trying any other fixes to see if the problem is resolved.

Check Your Taskbar Settings

Your first stop should be the Taskbar Settings. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Right-click your Taskbar and select “Taskbar Settings” from the context menu.

Step 2. In the Taskbar submenu, ensure that all the options to automatically hide the taskbar are set to off, primarily “Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode.”

Toggle Fullscreen

Another super-easy fix is to toggle the Fullscreen mode of the app that’s causing your Taskbar to disappear. Doing this is as easy as pressing the F11 key. In fact, you might have hit the F11 key by mistake that caused the Taskbar to be hidden in the first place. If it doesn’t work the first time, press the F11 key a few more times to be sure.

Press the Windows Key

This isn’t a full solution, but if you need to call up the Taskbar to fix the problem, simply press the Win key to do so. At the very least, the Taskbar will pop up while you use other applications.

Pin a New Item to the Taskbar

Some users report success in keeping the Taskbar visible by adding a new shortcut to it. Doing this is very easy:

Step 1. Right-click any “.exe” file in File Explorer or on your Desktop.

Step 2. Select “Pin to taskbar” in the context menu that pops up.

Step 3. See if this addition solves the problem.

Disable NVIDIA In-Game Overlay

Some NVIDIA users report that it’s the In-Game Overlay feature that allows capture of footage and screenshots in-game, which is also the culprit behind a hidden taskbar. Thankfully, this is pretty easily disabled:

Step 1. Open the NVIDIA app and click on the “Settings” option in the sidebar.

Step 2. Under the “Features” tab, you’ll see the “NVIDIA overlay” option. Drag the slider to “Off” and see if this resolves the issue.

Restart Explorer

If the problem persists, ending the Windows Explorer process and restarting it via Task Manager can prove useful. Here’s how to do this:

Step 1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and navigate to the “Windows Explorer” process.

Step 2. Click the process and then the “Restart” button at the bottom of the window.

Step 3. File Explorer will then restart. Check to see if the problem is resolved.