Microsoft allows you to hide the task bar (that’s the bottom bar on your screen with the start button on it where all your programs reside while they are running). Some folks can accidentally hide that bar and then are unable to find it again!
To hide the task bar so it operates like a window shade (e.g. the bar disappears till you over over the point where the task bar is located):
1. Right-click the Start button, and then click Properties.
2. On the Task bar tab, select the Auto-hide the task bar check box.
Note that to redisplay the taskbar, point to the area of your screen where the taskbar is located.
You can also temporarily hide the task bar by hovering over the top edge of the bar, waiting till the arrow of your mouse changes into two arrows (one pointing up, one pointing down) and then dragging the top edge down. To redisplay the taskbar, drag the visible edge upward in the same manner.