Disabling the Common Tasks Pane

Every time you use Explorer, you are forced to view the new Common Tasks pane. The Common Tasks pane is the new panel that is displayed on the left side of the screen that provides you with links to various parts of the operating system as well as useful utilities. This new feature looks visually pleasing and seems to be a very nice and useful feature. However, that is not always the case. I do not think that I have ever used any link on my tasks pane or any of the other information that is shown on it. If you are like me and do not use your Common Tasks pane, why not remove it to recover some space that could be used to display more icons on your screen?

Removing the Common Tasks pane is very easy using the Folder Options that can be accessed in any Explorer window. Follow these steps to remove the Common Tasks pane from your windows:

1. Click the Tools menu bar item from any open Explorer window and select Folder Options. If you do not have an open Explorer window, just open My Computer.

2. On the General tab, just select Use Classic Folders under the Tasks settings on the top.

3. Click OK to save your changes.

You have now removed the Common Tasks pane from all of your Explorer windows.