Wednesday, September 9, 2026

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Windows 11 Adds Long-Requested Taskbar and Start Controls

Windows 11 Adds Long-Requested Taskbar and Start Controls

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 preview update gives users more control over the taskbar, Start menu, Search, and File Explorer. The improvements are practical, but known issues mean you may want to wait before installing the update on an essential PC.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
September 9, 2026


Windows 11 Toolbar Location
One of the most common complaints about Windows 11 has been its limited customization. Microsoft’s August 2026 preview update addresses several of those frustrations by restoring flexible taskbar positioning and adding more control over the Start menu.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Wait for the wider rollout unless you need the new controls now.

The optional KB5120998 update applies to Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. 

It advances those systems to OS builds 26100.9278 and 26200.9278, respectively. 

Microsoft released the update on August 27, 2026, and identifies it as a non-security preview containing quality improvements.

The main attractions are a taskbar that can move to any edge of the screen, a smaller taskbar option, adjustable Start menu sizes, clearer Search results, and a more responsive File Explorer Home. 

Some features are being released gradually, so two eligible PCs may not receive every change at the same time.

Move Your Taskbar in Windows 11

Feature Explanation

The biggest change is the return of flexible taskbar positioning. 

Users can place the Windows 11 taskbar at the top, bottom, left, or right side of the display. 

Most customization options continue to work in each position, including the option to keep taskbar buttons from combining. 

Search and the smaller taskbar setting currently work only when the taskbar is at the top or bottom.

A new small taskbar size reduces the height of the bar and its icons. 

That can provide extra working space on compact laptops or any display where vertical room is limited. 

The Start button, Search, and system tray remain available in the smaller layout.

The Start menu also receives more useful controls. 

Users can select Small, Large, or Automatic sizing, hide their account name and profile image, and manage the visibility of the Pinned, Recent, and All sections independently. 

Microsoft is also renaming the Recommended section to Recent.

Windows Search receives a cleaner home screen and clearer source labels. 

Results can identify whether an item is an app, setting, file, web result, or Microsoft Store suggestion. 

A privacy option can hide web and Store suggestions, while another setting allows Windows to find and index additional commonly used locations automatically.

File Explorer Home should open faster and respond more quickly after the update. 

Its Recommended carousel also supports touch scrolling on compatible devices.

What You’ll Gain
  • Reclaim screen space with a smaller taskbar.
  • Position the taskbar to suit your monitor and workflow.
  • Reduce Start menu clutter by hiding sections you do not use.
  • Understand Search results faster through clearer source labels.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's how to do it.

Windows

Install the Optional Preview Update
  1. Open Start and select Settings.
  2. Go to Windows Update.
  3. Select Advanced options.
  4. Choose Optional updates.
  5. Look for KB5120998 under Optional updates available.
  6. Select the available download and installation option.
  7. Restart the PC if Windows requests it.

Microsoft also provides KB5120998 through the Microsoft Update Catalog for users and administrators who need a standalone installation package. 

Choose the package that matches the PC’s Windows version and x64 or Arm64 architecture.


Move the Taskbar
  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Personalization.
  3. Choose Taskbar.
  4. Expand Taskbar behaviors.
  5. Open Taskbar position.
  6. Select Top, Bottom, Left, or Right.

Select a Taskbar Location
fig. 1 - Select a Taskbar Location

Change the Taskbar Size
  1. Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
  2. Expand Taskbar behaviors.
  3. Select Taskbar size.
  4. Choose the available size that fits your display.

What you should see: Selecting the smaller option reduces the taskbar height and icon size.

Customize the Start Menu
  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Personalization.
  3. Choose Start.
  4. Open Start menu size.
  5. Select Small, Large, or Automatic.
  6. Review the controls for the Pinned, Recent, and All sections.
  7. Adjust the option for displaying your account name and profile picture.

Adjust Windows Search
  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & security.
  3. Select Search.
  4. Review the setting for web and Microsoft Store suggestions.
  5. Review Automatically find additional relevant locations and choose whether Windows may index more frequently used folders.

Cool Example: 

An employee searching for a quarterly spreadsheet can identify local file results more easily instead of confusing them with web pages or Microsoft Store suggestions.


Pros and Cons

Pros:
  • Restores taskbar placement options that many Windows users missed.
  • Provides more working room on smaller laptop displays.
  • Makes the Start menu easier to simplify and personalize.
  • Adds clearer labels to Windows Search results.
  • Improves the responsiveness of File Explorer Home.

Cons:
  • KB5120998 is an optional preview, not a security update.
  • Some features use a gradual rollout and may not appear immediately.
  • Search and small taskbar options have placement limitations.
  • Microsoft lists known issues involving mouse customization, desktop settings, and some Arm-based devices.

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Feature Access
  • KB5120998 applies to Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 and produces OS builds 26100.9278 and 26200.9278. 
  • Microsoft released it on August 27, 2026, as an optional, non-security preview update.
  • Some improvements use a gradual rollout, which means availability varies by device. 
  • Platform: Windows 11.
  • Supported Versions: 24H2 and 25H2.
  • Subscription: No separate subscription specified.
  • Release Status: Optional preview.
  • Rollout: Combination of gradual and normal rollout.
  • Business Access: May be managed or restricted by organizational update policies.

Score

Criterion  |  Score (0–10)  |  Justification

Value  |  8
Taskbar placement and Start menu controls solve genuine usability frustrations. The smaller taskbar can also make a meaningful difference on compact displays.

Usability  |  8
The controls use familiar Windows Settings paths, although gradual availability may confuse users who do not see them immediately.

Wow Factor  |  6
These changes are welcome and overdue, but they refine Windows rather than transform it.

Total: 22/30  |  👍 Good
KB5120998 adds useful customization, but the known issues make waiting the sensible choice for many users.

Compared with earlier Windows 11 releases, this update restores some of the interface flexibility that users previously had in Windows 10.

Key Takeaways

KB5120998 gives Windows 11 users more control over the taskbar, Start menu, Search, and File Explorer. 

The changes are useful, especially for people with small or ultrawide displays, but the current known issues make this preview better suited to nonessential PCs.

Cool Tip Snapshot
  • Feature Name: Windows 11 KB5120998 Preview Update.
  • Platform(s): Windows 11.
  • Quick Benefit: More taskbar, Start menu, and Search control.
  • Best For: Power users, business users, students, and multitaskers.
  • Access Type: Preview, Rolling Out.
  • Difficulty: Easy.

Try It Yourself

If you have a nonessential Windows 11 PC, try the new taskbar and Start menu controls and tell us which layout works best for you. 

Subscribe to the One Cool Tip newsletter, leave a comment, and share this article with family, friends, and coworkers.


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Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Build and Publish a Website With ChatGPT Sites

Build and Publish a Website With ChatGPT Sites

ChatGPT Sites can turn a written description into a hosted website, dashboard, web app, or game without requiring a separate deployment service. You can preview the result, request changes in plain language, control who can see it, and publish it from ChatGPT.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
September 8, 2026


ChatGPT Sites icon
Building a website often requires several services. 

You may need a design tool, code editor, hosting provider, database, analytics platform, and domain manager before anyone can visit what you created.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Turn your next website idea into a working, shareable Site with one detailed ChatGPT prompt.

ChatGPT Sites brings much of that process into ChatGPT. 

Describe the website or app you want, review what ChatGPT builds, request changes, and publish the finished project to a hosted address.

Sites can handle more than basic landing pages. 

The service can create websites, dashboards, internal tools, web apps, and games. 

It can also support persistent storage, file uploads, visitor authentication, access controls, analytics, and custom domains when those capabilities are available for your account.

The feature is currently in public beta for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans.

Usage limits, workspace policies, regional availability, and individual account rollout may affect access.  

ChatGPT Sites

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Monday, September 7, 2026

Stop Paying for Forgotten Streaming Subscriptions

Stop Paying for Forgotten Streaming Subscriptions

Summer may be ending, but streaming services added for vacation or binge-watching can keep billing well into fall. A quick subscription audit can expose forgotten trials, duplicate services, and premium add-ons before the next renewal.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
September 7, 2026


Subscription Audit
You subscribed to one service for a summer blockbuster, another for a limited series, and perhaps a sports package for a single event. The shows ended, but the monthly charges did not.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Audit every subscription billing source before the next renewal.

Labor Day is a useful reminder to review those subscriptions before fall schedules get busy. 

Apple and Google both provide centralized subscription screens, but there is an important catch: each screen generally shows only subscriptions billed through that company and the account currently signed in. 

A service billed directly, through Amazon or Roku, or as part of a wireless or cable package may be somewhere else.

Audit Your Subscriptions

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Sunday, September 6, 2026

Turn Complex Research Into Visual Summaries With Gemini Notebook Infographics

Turn Complex Research Into Visual Summaries With Gemini Notebook Infographics

Gemini Notebook now converts pages of dry research notes into structured, visual graphics in a couple of clicks. Here is how you can use the built-in Studio tools to customize, generate, and share presentation-ready visual summaries.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
September 6, 2026


Gemini NotebookLM Inforgraphics
Sifting through multi-page research reports, project briefs, and technical PDFs often leaves you with pages of text that team members or clients simply skim past. 

While summary bullet points help, visual information captures attention faster and helps ideas stick.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Use the customization pencil in Gemini Notebook’s Studio panel to set your orientation and visual style before generating your visual summary.

Google has added an automated visual generation engine directly inside Gemini Notebook. 

Instead of manually copying data points into graphic design templates, you can turn your uploaded research sources into a complete visual poster with customized layouts, styles, and color schemes.

Gemini NotebookLM Infographics

Saturday, September 5, 2026

Edit and Refine Workspace Images with Precision Using Google Pics

Edit and Refine Workspace Images with Precision Using Google Pics

Google Pics eliminates the frustration of starting over with AI image prompts by letting you modify specific objects, text, and regions directly inside your documents. Here is how to access this visual editor at pics.new or right inside Google Docs and Slides.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
September 5, 2026


Google Pics
Most AI image generators force you into an exhausting cycle: you type a prompt, get an image that is almost perfect, spot one odd detail, and press regenerate only to lose everything you liked about the original. 

Swapping between a web generator, an external graphics suite, and your presentation slide deck just to fix a single misplaced prop or misspelled word drains your focus.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Use Google Pics to isolate and edit single objects in your visuals without regenerating the entire scene.

Google tackled this workflow bottleneck on September 1, 2026, by launching Google Pics. 

Built on the company's Imagen 3 and Gemini foundation models, Pics is a dedicated creative canvas that integrates directly into Google Docs and Google Slides. 

Instead of treating images as flat, unchangeable blocks, it gives you precision control over individual elements, background regions, and even in-image text without altering the rest of your composition.

Meet Google Pics

This Week in Scams - September 5, 2026

 
🚨Your Driver's License Data May Be Worth More Than You Think🚨


A recent security report highlights concerns about online services that allegedly sell access to large databases of driver's license information, underscoring how valuable personal data has become to criminals.


Information from a driver's license can be used for identity theft, financial fraud, account takeovers, and other scams.


Even if you have never lost your license, your information may have been exposed through a data breach or third-party service.


To protect yourself, monitor your credit reports regularly, be cautious about sharing photos of your license online, and watch for unexpected financial accounts or verification requests in your name.


Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit file if you believe your personal information may have been compromised.


The more valuable your personal data becomes, the more important it is to treat it like cash and guard it carefully.


🚨Before You Scan That QR Code, Take a Closer Look🚨


QR codes make it easy to pay for parking, access menus, and complete purchases, but scammers are using them too.


The FTC warns that criminals have been placing fake QR code stickers over legitimate ones, especially on parking meters, to send people to fraudulent websites designed to steal money and personal information.


Before scanning any QR code, check for signs that a sticker may have been placed over an original code and review the web address before opening it.


Be alert for misspellings, unusual website names, or anything that seems out of place.


Keep your phone and apps updated, use strong passwords, and enable multi-factor authentication to help protect your accounts.


If you think you scanned a fake QR code, change any affected passwords immediately and review your bank and credit card transactions for suspicious activity.



🚨The Car Dealership Website Might Be Fake🚨


Shopping for a car online?


The FTC warns that scammers are creating convincing fake dealership websites designed to steal money from buyers.


These sites may copy real dealer logos, vehicle photos, customer reviews, and even detailed purchase policies to appear legitimate.


Some scammers lure buyers with hard-to-find vehicles or deals that seem too good to pass up.


Before sending money, research the dealership, search for complaints, and verify that the vehicle and business are real.


If possible, see the car in person or arrange for an independent inspection.


Most importantly, walk away if the seller insists on payment by wire transfer only.



⚠️ This Phishing Scam Can Bypass Your Password⚠️


The FBI is warning consumers about a growing threat called consent phishing, a scam that tricks people into granting access to their accounts instead of stealing their passwords.


These attacks often arrive through email, text messages, or messaging apps and may appear to come from trusted organizations, event planners, media contacts, or government officials.


When users click the link and approve access, they can unknowingly give scammers permission to read emails, access sensitive data, and even send messages on their behalf.


What makes this scam especially dangerous is that changing your password may not immediately remove the access you granted.


Before approving any request to connect an app to your account, verify who sent it and only authorize applications you trust.


If something feels suspicious, stop and investigate before clicking "Allow."



🚨Don't Get Fooled by a Fake Health Portal Alert🚨


Cybercriminals are sending convincing text messages and emails that appear to come from popular healthcare portals such as MyChart, claiming you have new test results, billing issues, appointment updates, or even free health benefits waiting for you.


The goal is to trick you into clicking a link and entering passwords, personal information, insurance details, or payment information.


These messages often use familiar logos and healthcare language to create a sense of urgency and trust.


If you receive an unexpected healthcare notification, do not click the link.


Instead, open your provider's official app or type the healthcare organization's website address directly into your browser.


Remember that legitimate healthcare providers will not ask for your password or verification codes through email or text messages.


Taking a moment to verify a message could help protect both your personal information and your medical records.



⚠️ Before You Donate After a Disaster, Read This⚠️


When hurricanes, wildfires, floods, or other tragedies make headlines, scammers often see an opportunity.


The FBI warns that fake charities, fraudulent crowdfunding campaigns, and imposters posing as relief organizations frequently appear after major disasters.


These scams can arrive through social media, text messages, emails, phone calls, or even fake websites that look legitimate.


Before donating, stick with established organizations you know and trust, and take a few minutes to research any unfamiliar charity.


Be wary of groups with names that closely resemble well-known charities.


The FBI also advises against donating with cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, since those payment methods are favorites among scammers.


When you give thoughtfully, your generosity is far more likely to reach the people who truly need help.


🚨Don't Fall for the Scams That Follow Breaking News🚨


Scammers move fast, and major news events often create new opportunities for fraud.


Following reports about Dolly Parton's death, cybercriminals quickly began creating fake social media accounts, fraudulent charity appeals, and misleading merchandise offers aimed at fans.


These scams often use emotional stories and urgent requests to encourage people to click links, donate money, or share personal information.


Whenever a celebrity, public figure, or major news story dominates headlines, be extra cautious before donating, buying commemorative products, or responding to social media posts.


Verify information through official websites and trusted organizations rather than links shared in comments or direct messages.


A good rule to remember is that scammers often exploit emotions, so slowing down and verifying before acting can help keep your money and information safe.