I am totally baffled...

[hhomebrewer]

I launched Google Earth as I do any other day and somehow during its start-up, I got my taskbar going vertically up and down the right side. I show it here pulled halfway across the screen to illustrate. I hate the thing on the right side of the screen. I want it back along the bottom. I have tried and tried to "unlock the taskbar" and get it back, but no dice. I have Acronis True Image to rescue me from this type of thing, but I can't figure out how to make it put yesterday back onto the C: drive. Anybody have any ideas as to how I can fix it or make Acronis do what I paid $50 to have it do? I am so mad I can hardly type. I have until 1000 hrs. PDT tomorrow to get it done...

[hhomebrewer]

I got it. I did a search for "vertical taskbar in windows" and found a page with several answers. Only one worked. I read in one answer that this phenomenon is undocumented. Here's what you do if it ever happens to you: You first unlock the task bar by right-clicking in a wide open area of it, then LEFT-CLICK on the time display and drag what pops up there down to the bottom of the screen. Your taskbar will shoot down to the bottom where it is supposed to be for 99% of the world. Then lock the taskbar again by right-clicking and put a check there to lock it. I am not so mad now. I lost my Saturday drive image in trying to go back to it, but I don't need it now. I'm slowly cooling off from this mess...

The actual answer that worked: "Left click on the time display in your system tray and drag the taskbar back to where you want it. Then right click on the same spot and click Lock the Taskbar."