Personalization Change Taskbar Alignment in Windows 11


  • Staff
taskbar.png

This tutorial will show you how to change the taskbar alignment to left or center for your account in Windows 11.

Icons on the taskbar are center aligned by default in Windows 11 instead of to the left like in previous Windows.


Contents

  • Option One: Change Taskbar Alignment to Left or Center in Settings
  • Option Two: Change Taskbar Alignment to Left or Center using a REG file




Option One

Change Taskbar Alignment to Left or Center in Settings


1 Open Settings (WIn+I).

2 Click/tap on Personalization on the left side, and click/tap on Taskbar on the right side. (see screenshot below)


Taskbar_alignment-1.png

3 Click/tap on Taskbar behaviors on the right side to expand it open. (see screenshot below step 4)

4 Select Left or Center (default) for what you want in the Taskbar alignment drop menu on the right side under Taskbar behaviors. (see screenshot below)

Taskbar_alignment-2.png

5 You can now close Settings if you like.




Option Two

Change Taskbar Alignment to Left or Center using a REG file


1 Do step 2 (left) or step 3 (center) below for what you would like to do.

2 To Change Taskbar Alignment to Left

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Left_taskbar_alignment.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"TaskbarAl"=dword:00000000

3 To Change Taskbar Alignment to Center

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Center_taskbar_alignment.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"TaskbarAl"=dword:00000001

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

  • Taskbar_settings.png
    Taskbar_settings.png
    12.2 KB · Views: 169
  • Center_taskbar_alignment.reg
    600 bytes · Views: 395
  • Left_taskbar_alignment.reg
    600 bytes · Views: 480
Last edited:
Thank you for this Brink! It's good to know they haven't removed the option to move the taskbar items back to where they were pre-Windows 11 yet.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Mac OS Monterey & Windows 10 Pro (Via Parallels Desktop)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple Macbook Air M2
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    Apple M2
    Memory
    8GB DDR5
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    2560x1664
    Browser
    Google Chrome
Kool, thanks Brink!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro (x64)(v23H2)(Build 22631.3374)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    [Self-built](custom-build)(June 2020)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-Core
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME X570-PRO (BIOS_r5003 [10/07/2023])
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    32GB, 2x G.Skill 16GB (PC3200)(DDR4-2137)
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    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB XC3 model by EVGA
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    Realtek® ALC1220A 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
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    24" DELL Gaming Monitor - G2422HS - DisplayPort used
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p at 165Hz (16:9 Aspect Ratio)
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 980 Pro (NVMe)(SSD)
    2TB Samsung 980 Pro (NVMe)(SSD)
    2TB Samsung 870 EVO (SSD)

    NVMe 1TB
    -- OS(Win11 Pro x64),
    -- programs,
    -- programming(MS Visual Studios 2022 Community Ed.),
    -- music

    NVMe 2TB
    video game installs.

    #3 FILE Server!
    PSU
    Thermaltake TOUGHPOWER DPS G RGB Titanium Certified 1250Watt
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    Corsair Graphite Series 780T Full Tower PC Case
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    AMD Wraith cooler (stock) & 3x Corsair case fans
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    Alienware Low Profile RGB Mechanical USB Gaming Keyboard - AW510K - Lunar Light
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    Redragon M602 RGB Wired USB Gaming mouse
    Internet Speed
    1000Mbps Download, 20Mbps Upload
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    Firefox & Waterfox Classic
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    n/a aka "ABOVE TOP SECRET!" lol ;)
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    My System is the ULTIMATE GAMING RIG ^_^
    TP-Link AX6600 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Gigabit Router,
    Model No. Archer AX90 (v1.26)
    Arris SB8200 Cable Modem
    Nvidia GFX Drivers: (v551.86)
    Realtek UAD Drivers: (v6.0.9648.1)
    Intel LAN Drivers: (v14.00.02.00)(2023-12-20)
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DELL G15 Ryzen edition, model 5515
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
    Motherboard
    DELL G15 Ryzen edition
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    16GB DDR4
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    Ryzen 7 5800H integrated AMD Radeon Graphics and Nvidia GeForce 3060 6GB
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    Realtek ALC3254 with Nahimic 3D Audio for Gamers
    Monitor(s) Displays
    built-in
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
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    512GB NVMe SSD
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    unkown
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    laptop
    Mouse
    Logitech B100 USB
    Keyboard
    built-in
    Internet Speed
    800Mbps download, 10Mbps upload
    Browser
    Firefox & Waterfox Classic
So simple! Sadly I couldn't get Open Shell to work using mouse hover but it does work if I assign the Win key. This might be beacuse I'm using Hyper V.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Core i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Plus WiFi Z790
    Memory
    64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1200A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VP2770
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 2TB NVME SSD & SATA HDDs & SSD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
    Case
    Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Digital Media Pro
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    15 Mb / s
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender
Thanks Shaw
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home(Beta) - 23H2 - 22635.3350
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Banana Junior 5600- G Series
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix B550-F
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viotek 32", 28" ASUS VP28U
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
    PSU
    EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
    Case
    Zalman i3 NEO
    Cooling
    ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
    Keyboard
    Corsair
    Mouse
    Amazon Generic with Cord
    Internet Speed
    Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
    Browser
    Firefox and Edge
    Antivirus
    MS - Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
Curious how/if ClassicStart will address this.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Home 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Aurora R7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8700K
    Motherboard
    Z370
    Memory
    32GB 2666MHz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidea GeForce GTX 1080Ti
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP 27es / ACER 27
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (boot)
    Toshiba 1TB DT01ACA100 SATA (storage)
    Seagate Backup 4TB (Macrium)
Curious how/if ClassicStart will address this.
Hey mate, :-)

The classic Start menu will open aligned to the left by default, but doesn't affect the taskbar icons default center alignment unless changed.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Nice 2clicks :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WINDOWS11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i9 10900X 5GHZ uncore 3.2ghz
    Motherboard
    ASUS RAMPAGE VI EXTREME X299
    Memory
    CORSAIR DOMINATOR PLATINUM 3000MHZ QUAD CHANNEL 32GB O.C 3600MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF RTX 3090
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEMESIS NC27QGH
    Screen Resolution
    2560X1440
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS 500GB-RAID 0 HDD 8TB
    PSU
    THERMALTAKE GRAND TOUCHPOWER 1250W GOLD
    Case
    CM HAF 932 LIMITED EDITION
    Cooling
    BE QUIET PURE LOOP 360MM
    Mouse
    GLORIOUS MODEL O
    Internet Speed
    FIBER 100/10
They added this natively, Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviours > Alignment.

I actually like my taskbar buttons in the middle. I had it like that on 10 by adding an empty bar between them and the start button.

I want to move only the start button back to the left now :(
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-14900K Raptor Lake Refreshed 6.0 GHZ
    Motherboard
    MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) GSKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP 3.0) DDR5 RAM 6700MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 12GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek® ALC4080 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor #1 Samsung Odyssey G50A WQHD G-Sync HDR10 Monitor #2 HP LA1911
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 and 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (150GB System / 850GB More Games)
    Crucial CT2000MX500SSD1 2TB (Games)
    Western Digital Green WD40EZRX 4TB (Data/Backup)
    Western Digital Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Storage)
    Western Digital Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Media)
    PSU
    Rosewill Hive-750S
    Case
    Cooler Master Elite 430 Mid Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro Series H60 Liquid CPU Cooler + 3x120mm out + 2x120mm in + Isolated PSU
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Elite White PS/2 (with usb adapter)
    Mouse
    Microsoft D67-00001 Trackball Optical Mouse (rebuilt with ceramic bearings)
    Internet Speed
    350Mb/s hard wired
    Browser
    Edge, FF, Tor
    Antivirus
    Win Def
    Other Info
    Razer Tartarus V2 Gaming Keypad
    Logitech Z-5500 5.1 THX 505w (Orignal 10" Sub with (Fr, Rr, Ctr) Polk Audio satellites
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-14900K Raptor Lake Refreshed 6.0 GHz FCLGA1700 (Gen 14)
    Motherboard
    MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) GSKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP 3.0) DDR5 RAM 6700MT/s
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060Ti 8GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek® ALC4080 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor #1 Samsung Odyssey G50A WQHD G-Sync HDR10 Monitor #2 Samsung TU7000 55" TV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 and 3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (System)
    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 (Games)
    Crucial CT1000MX500SSD1 1TB (More Games)
    WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB (Data/Backup)
    WD Blue WD60EZAZ 6TB (Media)
    PSU
    Rosewill Hive-750S
    Case
    Cooler Master N400 NSE-400-KKN2 Mid-Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair H60x RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler + 4x120mm in + 2x120mm out (Exhausts out the front) + Isolated PSU
    Mouse
    MSI G20 Elite and Logitech MK345 Wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK345 Wireless
    Internet Speed
    350Mb/s hard wired
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Win Def
    Other Info
    Razer Tartarus Gaming Keypad
    MSI GC30 Gaming Controller (Xbox style)

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