Giving the Taskbar a Makeover

The more you use Windows, the more you appreciate the taskbar. As originally conceived in the Windows 95 era, the taskbar was a basic task-switching tool. In Windows Me, it's a fully customizable control center for starting programs, switching between open windows, and monitoring the status of programs and utilities. You can make Windows much easier to manage by tweaking the Quick Launch bar and by increasing the height of the taskbar, for example.

Making Taskbar Buttons Easier to Read

In its default configuration, the Windows taskbar is a good idea with one serious flaw: After you open five or six windows, trying to figure out which window goes with which taskbar button is pointless because the label shows only a few letters. If you keep opening windows, eventually you run out of room for any text at all; the only thing left is a program icon for each button, with additional buttons scrolling off the taskbar completely.