taskbar stops hiding

Question

Hi. Could it be that the taskbar stops hiding as soon as i activate Fortect VPN? Seems like that is the trigger. Is this a know issue?

Answer 1

Hi Gerben Clements,

Since the issue appears only when Fortect VPN is active, it may indicate an interaction between the VPN application and the Windows taskbar auto-hide feature. While I couldn't find a confirmed Windows known issue for Fortect VPN specifically, some background applications can keep the taskbar visible when they continuously display status updates or tray activity.

As a quick test, please try the following steps:

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
• Under the Startup tab, temporarily disable non-essential startup applications except Fortect VPN.
• Restart the PC and check whether the taskbar behaves normally when the VPN is connected.

If the behavior persists only while Fortect VPN is running, it may be worth checking with the VPN provider to see whether they are aware of similar reports involving their taskbar or notification components.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

Hi Gerben,

I could not find this listed as a confirmed known issue between Fortect VPN and Windows taskbar auto-hide. However, it is possible that Fortect VPN is triggering the taskbar through its tray icon, notification, or background window.

Please try exiting Fortect VPN completely, then restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager. Also go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors, turn auto-hide off and back on, and temporarily disable Show flashing on taskbar apps.

Answer 3

The provided information does not list Fortect VPN or describe a known issue where a specific VPN causes the Windows taskbar to stop auto-hiding.

However, Windows does have known behaviors where applications or app bars can interfere with the taskbar’s visibility or auto-hide behavior, for example when an app bar is docked near the taskbar or obscures taskbar items. In such cases, Windows updates or hotfixes are sometimes required to correct taskbar behavior.

For this scenario, recommended checks are:

1. Verify that Automatically hide the taskbar is still enabled in Settings.
2. Temporarily close or exit Fortect VPN and any related UI components to see if the taskbar resumes normal auto-hide behavior.
3. Ensure Windows is fully updated, as taskbar issues are sometimes resolved by cumulative updates.
4. If the issue only occurs when Fortect VPN is running, contact the VPN vendor’s support, as it may be specific to that application’s interaction with the taskbar.

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References:

• The Taskbar
• An app bar may unintentionally obscure items on the Windows task bar in Windows
• Make it easier to focus on tasks