How to completely disable the Windows taskbar?

Solution 1:

The only way to do this would be to completely and entirely stop using Windows Explorer, and use a custom shell to replace explorer completely. This means you would no longer have the usual start menu, explorer windows, etc, and would have to rely entirely on some other piece of software for browsing your file system. Some people do this, and there are replacements available, so if you really want to completely eliminate the windows taskbar, find and use one of these of your choice. There is already a SuperUser question discussing the various options.

In order to completely replace explorer, and have your replacement be the default shell which opens up when you log in, create a REG_SZ value called Shell in [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon] using the registry editor. This will completely replace explorer for your account, making it unnecessary to use any taskbar hiding/killing techniques.

Solution 2:

"Taskbar Magic" is the answer to ALL of your problems.

I had the exact opposite issue as you, my taskbar was gone (it's an embedded version for a hosted kiosk, but I was also using the machine for alternate reasons so I needed the taskbar back) and realized that Taskbar Magic is why I couldn't get my taskbar. Start menu still works if you hit the Windows key, and everything else still works fine, the taskbar is just perma-disabled.

I believe this is the main download site: http://rocketdock.com/addon/misc/3425

It also contains instructions on how to download and install it.

Solution 3:

Try Taskbar Hider. You can put it in your startup folder and use a shortcut key to show/hide the taskbar. It works on Windows 7 64-bit.

You can still access the Start menu with the Win key, even when the taskbar is hidden.

Solution 4:

If anyone needs to know, there is a way to remove the taskbar with a simple command tool:
Download NirCmd from their website.

To hide the taskbar, just run this command:

nircmd.exe win trans class Shell_TrayWnd 256

To show the taskbar, just run this command:

nircmd.exe win trans class Shell_TrayWnd 255

I use buttons on my desktop via Rainmeter to turn it on and off, but if you want it off the entire time, just create a batch script and auto start it with windows. No more taskbar!

Solution 5:

Here be my solution (it hides rather than replaces or removes the native taskbar - this allows it work with programs that have a dependency on the native taskbar, such as display fusions taskbar). http://www.eightforums.com/software-apps/11066-disable-taskbar-always-top.html#post275120

Still to solve: [HALF SOLVED]

Eliminate the stupid line that auto-hide leaves with some maximised applications, such as Google Chrome

HALF SOLUTION -

If you move the taskbar to the left or right edge prior to doing the above steps, you don't get the stupid auto-hide line at the top or bottom of Goggle Chrome. Since the native taskbar is not mouse sensitive anymore, it won't impact your use of hot corners, or multi monitors (for instance i have the native taskbar on the left of my middle monitor, and it does not popup when moving between monitors using the steps in this post).

Okay, I think I have finally - finally - got a workaround that:

Keeps the native Windows 7/8 taskbar hidden for your session (you do have a couple of steps you need to do on start-up each time, or if you manually un-hide the taskbar).

Prevents the native Windows 7/8 taskbar from opening with popups or programs seeking attention (flashing taskbar thing).

Prevents the native taskbar from being mouse sensitive (i.e. despite auto-hide, it will not appear when you mouse over the hidden taskbar anymore).

Allows you to use the screen area that is occupied by the native taskbar (this is the problem of not combining Taskbar-Hide with the autohide setting; you can't use that screen real-estate).

Allows you to run alternative taskbars that are dependent on keeping the native taskbar functional (for instance Display Fusion's Multi-Monitor Taskbar + Settings > Advanced Settings > Show On All Montiors)

One Time Steps:

Download and run this registry edit to prevent balloon notification popups from the native taskbar/system tray:
Notifications - Enable or Disable Message Balloons - Windows 7 Help Forums
(You can open this in notepad to see what changes it will make prior to installing it, if you want).

Download and run Taskbar-Hide from here:
Hide Taskbar : Hide Taskbar in Windows 8 | 7 with a hotkey

Set the taskbar to auto-hide
Optional:

Add a shortcut to Taskbar-Hide.exe in your startup folder, to have it launch automatically with windows on startup (you still need to use the Ctrl+Esc hotkeys to activate the functions of taskbar-hide - though you could also script this if you were really keen).
Startup Folder:
C:\Users{User Name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Steps to hide taskbar after each start-up or manually un-hiding using Taskbar-Hide

Make sure Taskbar-Hide is running.

Make sure the taskbar is in it's auto-hide state (i.e. you'll have to look at any programs that are currently seeking attention).

Once the taskbar is 'auto-hidden', press the hotkeys for Taskbar-Hide (Ctrl+Esc)
[This should mean that the native taskbar area is no longer sensitive to mouse activity]