Display new icons on Task Bar - How to?

[news.west.earthlink.net]

Using WindowsXP Home 2002 SP2 on a new Sony laptop. Currently, the icons
immediately to the right of the Start Button are IE, Desktop and
WinMediaPlayer. I then see a >> graphic. I dragged/dropped a shortcut to
Windows Explorer onto the Task Bar, but it doesn't display. I can't get it,
or the Outlook icon, to display without clicking on the >> graphic
following the MediaPlayer icon. After clicking on the >> graphic, I then
see the hidden icons stacked above the >> graphic instead of causing the
Task Bar to slide wider to reveal the icons as is the case with the SysTray
icons on the right-side of the screen. Is there a way to cause the icon
area to slide wider to reveal the hidden icons, and to possibly keep them
revealed?

Thanks,

 

[Scot]

Nevermind. I found the answer by accident: Right-click on the Task Bar and
"unlock" it. But can someone tell me how and where I could have found the
answer in a HELP section somewhere? The answer to that question could
enable a lot of us to find answers to other questions as well.

Thanks,

 

[Guest]

if you left click hold and drag the little dots next to your >>> it will
slide the hidden buttons out,,but will take up alot of space on your taskbar