{"id":5350,"date":"2026-02-14T19:57:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/?p=5350"},"modified":"2026-02-14T19:57:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:57:28","slug":"how-to-adjust-the-size-of-the-windows-11-taskbar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/how-to-adjust-the-size-of-the-windows-11-taskbar\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Adjust the Size of the Windows 11 Taskbar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Windows 11\u2019s taskbar and Start menu have definitely changed things up \u2014 less customizable, more locked down. One of those annoyances? The fact that you can\u2019t just drag to resize the taskbar like in Windows 10. Yeah, it\u2019s kind of weird, but you\u2019re not totally stuck. Sure, the default size is a little larger than in Windows 10, but if you liked a smaller, more compact taskbar, there\u2019s a workaround. It involves some Registry edits, which sounds scarier than it is. Just make sure to create a restore point first, because Windows Registry can be a beast if you mess up. But honestly, it’s pretty safe if you’re careful. This guide will show how to tweak the Registry to make the taskbar a bit smaller or bigger than the default medium size. When done right, your taskbar icons will resize accordingly, and you\u2019ll get something that feels more natural. Expect a more tailored look \u2014 no more unnecessarily huge or tiny icons. Just someone who\u2019s seen this issue a thousand times, trying to make Windows look just right without waiting for some official update or hack that may or may not ever come. If you want more control than what Windows gives you out of the box, this is probably your best bet. Let\u2019s dive into how to get there without breaking anything.<\/p>\n

How to change the taskbar size in Windows 11<\/h2>\n

Make a backup or create a system restore point first<\/h3>\n

Before diving into registry edits, it\u2019s always good to create a restore point. Just in case something goes sideways, you can roll back. To do that, type System Restore<\/strong> in the search bar, hit Create a restore point<\/strong>, and follow the prompts. It\u2019s a quick safety net, especially when poking around the registry.<\/p>\n

Open the Registry Editor<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Press Win + R<\/kbd>, type regedit<\/code> and hit Enter. This opens the Registry Editor.<\/li>\n
  • If you see a UAC prompt, click Yes<\/strong>. No need to panic \u2014 just be cautious when editing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This is where the magic happens, but also where you can break things if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\n

    Navigate to the right registry path<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • In the Registry Editor, go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Trust me, this is where Windows stores a lot of the display tweaks. If you don\u2019t see the Advanced<\/strong> key, double-check the path. Sometimes, Windows 11 is weird about things, but this path usually works.<\/p>\n

      Create or modify the TaskbarSi<\/code> DWORD value<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Right-click on an empty space on the right side of the window, choose New<\/strong>, then DWORD (32-bit) Value<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      • Name it TaskbarSi<\/strong>. If it already exists, just skip this step.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Why? Because this tiny registry key controls the taskbar size in three levels: small, medium, and large. It\u2019s kind of weird that Windows doesn\u2019t make this easier, but hey, here we are.<\/p>\n

        Set the size value<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • Double-click on TaskbarSi<\/strong>. You\u2019ll see a box to enter a value.<\/li>\n
        • Set the value data to:\n
            \n
          • 0<\/strong> to make the taskbar smaller (icons smaller, more space-efficient).<\/li>\n
          • 1<\/strong> for the default medium size (the normal size you see now).<\/li>\n
          • 2<\/strong> if you want a larger taskbar with bigger icons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            After changing it, hit OK<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

            Refresh or restart Explorer to see changes<\/h3>\n
              \n
            • Close the Registry Editor.<\/li>\n
            • Now, you need to restart Explorer to apply the changes. You can do that via Task Manager:\n
                \n
              • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc<\/kbd> to open Task Manager.<\/li>\n
              • Find Windows Explorer<\/strong> in the list.<\/li>\n
              • Right-click it and choose Restart<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Sometimes, if you notice it didn\u2019t work right away, a reboot can help. On some setups, Explorer might need a full restart or sign out\/in to fully refresh the taskbar size.<\/p>\n

                And that\u2019s it\u2014kind of hacky, but hey, it works. On some machines, the changes take immediately, on others, a quick reboot is needed. Also, keep in mind this tweak is kinda fragile if Microsoft sneaks in an update that resets or blocks registry changes\u2014so, save the restore point before you mess with stuff.<\/p>\n

                Summary<\/h2>\n
                  \n
                • Backup your registry first, for safety.<\/li>\n
                • Use regedit<\/code> to navigate to HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                • Create or edit the TaskbarSi<\/code> DWORD value.<\/li>\n
                • Set the value to 0 (small), 1 (default), or 2 (large).<\/li>\n
                • Restart Explorer or reboot to see the changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  Wrap-up<\/h2>\n

                  This isn\u2019t the prettiest workaround, but it\u2019s been reliable enough to customize the taskbar size without waiting on Microsoft to add a UI tweak. Just know, Windows 11\u2019s locked-down nature means you\u2019re kind of fighting a bit with it. If it doesn\u2019t work on your machine, maybe try rebooting, or check if any updates changed stuff. Fingers crossed this helps someone get a tiny bit closer to that perfect setup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  Windows 11\u2019s taskbar and Start menu have definitely changed things up \u2014 less customizable, more locked down. One of those annoyances? The fact that you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aide"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5350\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.peacedoorball.blog\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}