Moved Task Pane, now can't get it docked back in normal position

[dderolph]

I can't figure out how to get the Task Pane back to it's standard
position in Word 2003. I had never moved it out of it's normal
position until recently, when I read about moving it in a book on MS
Office. But, the book didn't say exactly how to get it back to normal
position.

I would think it would resume it's standard docking position if I move
it to the right place, but I tried and tried moving it around and I
can't get it back to normal.

Here's a screen print to show you what I have now:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/farmpond/forums/Word-1.jpg

 

[BoniM]

drag it all the way to the right... it will look like you're dragging off the
screen, but when your mouse pointer hits the right edge, you'll see the task
pane pop back to the docked position.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You have to really "slam" it into the side. And be careful not to get it too
high, or it will dock at the top of the screen instead of the side, making
matters worse.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

drag it all the way to the right... it will look like you're dragging off
the
screen, but when your mouse pointer hits the right edge, you'll see the
task
pane pop back to the docked position.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

As I mentioned, you have to be careful not to drag it too close to the top
of the screen. It takes practice, and every time I try to do it (to prove to
myself that it's still possible), I become very frustrated, but if you keep
trying, sooner or later you'll hit the "sweet spot."

 

[dderolph]

Thanks for the replies. I'm still having trouble with this. I can get
it to dock on the left side, as shown at
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/farmpond/forums/Word1.jpg. But,
when I try to dock it on the right side, it does dock but it spreads
horizontally across the entire Word window, as shown at
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/farmpond/forums/Word2.jpg.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi dderolph,

To make it a bit easier, (assuming that the add-in you're running doesn't interfere), set Word to full screen from the icon in the
top right then grab the bottom right corner of the task pane and move it up and left to make the task pane smaller, then push it
into the side of the screen to see if it sticks.

==============

Thanks for the replies. I'm still having trouble with this. I can get
it to dock on the left side, as shown at
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/farmpond/forums/Word1.jpg. But,
when I try to dock it on the right side, it does dock but it spreads
horizontally across the entire Word window, as shown at
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/farmpond/forums/Word2.jpg.

dderolph >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[dderolph]

Well, I finally got it back to normal, after tremendous frustration.
think Microsoft dropped the ball here. This should not be s
difficult. Toolbars can usually be docked, undocked, then re-docke
without major difficulty. But, the Task Pane being so difficult i
absurd. I even tried renaming normal.dot and letting Word create a ne
normal.dot to see whether that would restore the Task Pane to it'
normal state. It did not.

I intend to never move Task Pane again. I had never moved it befor
this incident. The only reason I moved it in this instance was that
read in a book on MS Office that said the Task Pane could be moved.
So, I thought I'd try it. Big mistake

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I feel your pain. The only reason I ever tried moving it was that someone
said I could. I experienced similar frustration, which is why I haven't
tried it again. <g>

 

[StrictlyBoston51]

You have to really "slam" it into the side. And be careful not to get it too
high, or it will dock at the top of the screen instead of the side, making
matters worse.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

good answer, actually useful, but...

too bad Word is such a crappy product. Why do I say that? Well, I
wanted to move the task pane from the right side to the left side of
the screen. It would not stay where I wanted

I tried Word help. Used search string: keep task pane on one side of
screen

As so many many many many times before, it was toally useless.

I got 30 hits. all SUCKED... none had ANYTHING to do with moving the
task pane.

I could

Compare documents side by side , or do

Moving around in task panes

Display or hide the Styles and Formatting task pane

Turn off the task pane on startup

Flow text side-by-side with linked text boxes

thoise are the first 5 - do ANY of them have ANYHTING to do with
moving the actual task pane & keeping it where i want? I think not,
children.

So, rather than have a useful search logorithm within Word, MS has
employees and others lurking online to help people that are
considering smashing their monitors...

that's a good use of manpower. for the able volunteers, I thank you.
too bad you have to pick up the slack that MS throws at us all. To MS,
I say "YOU SUCK"

and don't get me started on what a pain in the ass Excel is. Hasn't MS
ever heard orf user friendly software???

I'm sure the Microserfs will say - well, it's so easy to use when you
know how to use it... BULLSHIT.

IT SUCKS AND HAS FOR YEARS AND YEARS. there is no visible light at the
end of the MS tunnel.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi dderolph,

You're right, it shouldnt' be that hard, and if my memory worked better, it wouldn't have been quite so. When the Task Pane is
'loose' on the top left hand corner is a line of four vertical indentations. If you hover over those indentations (or above the
Title of the taskbar) you should get the four headed movement cursor. When you do, double click and the Task Pane should redock
itself.

(In Word 2007, which no longer has the indentations or a dropdown list of taskbars contained in the Task Pane, just point at the top
of the Task Pane and double click on the title).

=============

Well, I finally got it back to normal, after tremendous frustration. I
think Microsoft dropped the ball here. This should not be so
difficult. Toolbars can usually be docked, undocked, then re-docked
without major difficulty. But, the Task Pane being so difficult is
absurd. I even tried renaming normal.dot and letting Word create a new
normal.dot to see whether that would restore the Task Pane to it's
normal state. It did not.

I intend to never move Task Pane again. I had never moved it before
this incident. The only reason I moved it in this instance was that I
read in a book on MS Office that said the Task Pane could be moved.
So, I thought I'd try it. Big mistake! >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Oh, right. Wish I'd remembered that shortcut!

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Suzanne,

I did remember it - when I was younger.

Bob ?
=========Oh, right. Wish I'd remembered that shortcut!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*