Do you occasionally find yourself needing more room on the taskbar in order to view your applications running on Windows XP? While the Group Similar Taskbar Buttons option allows you to consolidate the amount of space that applications use on the taskbar, you still might need more space.

For instance, the clock and the Quick Launch toolbar are extremely useful features, but you may want to temporarily disable them to free up some room on the taskbar. Here’s how:

1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select Properties.
2. In the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box, select the Taskbar tab.
3. In the Taskbar Appearance section, clear the Show Quick Launch check box.
4. In the Notification area, clear the Show The Clock check box.
5. Click OK to close the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box.

This will expand the available space on the taskbar and give you more room to spread out. When you’re done, you can simply reverse the procedure to get the clock and the Quick Launch toolbar back.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Professional editions.