Windows 10: Big gap between desktop selection and Windows 11 taskbar.

I have been having this annoying bug where desktop selection looks like it's restricted and has a gap. This gap affects programs and desktop icons as well. Restarting Windows explorer and changing DPI scaling from Settings does absolutely NOTHING about this? What do I do?Happening ever since Windows 11 23H2 build 22631.3672 and on latest 22631.3958

:)

 

Big gap on taskbar icons


Hello.

After installing a software (Splashtop), the gap between the icons on taskbar became big. If I uninstall the software, everything goes back to normal. Is there a way to customize the gap/space between the icons?

Here is a picture of what I'm talking about.





At the top is when the software is installed, at the bottom is when I uninstall it. I want to note that when I installed it for the first time, the "Show touch keyboard button" got automatically enabled.

 

Gap in Taskbar?








It usually takes a little while, but at some point this little gap in the taskbar appears and the only way I've ever managed to get rid of it is doing a full reinstall of Windows. Then its usually gone for little while (weeks to months) but then will come back again. Sometimes its not a gap and its a second arrow, but one that cannot be clicked.

Any ideas? I've done an SFC and disabled some of the programs that load on startup. No change. Sometimes restarting explorer.exe works, and sometimes it doesn't.

Its there as soon as the desktop appears.

This is an issue I also had in Windows 7 before I upgraded to Windows 10 (clean install)

 

Gap in Taskbar?


I have exactly the same issue. Win 10 home 64bit. using the stock theme




I have no idea how to fix what causes it but I managed to figure out that its an un-named toolbar. if you right click on your taskbar and go to toolbars you will see a blank line under desktop as per this photo.





click this blank line and the gap will disappear. it will come back again at some point, I don't know how or why but this is easier than a reinstall.

Hope this helps and someone more knowledgeable than me can find a root cause for it.