Windows 11 taskbar goes behind windows

Since upgrading from windows 10 my taskbar seems to disapear. but its just behind windows. I have to hit the windows key to see the taskbar or minimize everything.
restarting explorer fixes it for a bit. Though sometimes if i "fix it" now the task bar covers the bottom of windows. So in excel for example you can't see any tabs.
I have been manually sizing my windows to deal with it, its so stupid> i just figured i ignore it for 6mo waiting for a patch but nothing has come.

Its a HP omen desktop (AMD) graphics Radeon RX 5700
any help apprecitated.
Thanks

The key is to not run windows maximized. Set properties of your apps to run as normal window. Then open an app, drag it's edges until it almost fills the screen. When you close the window and reopen the app, Windows remembers the size of the window you enlarged and the taskbar always appears.