My SOLIDWORKS Task Pane is missing?

One of my favorite toolbars is the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane. In case you don’t know it by name, I’m referring to the tabs on the right side of your screen. There’s a Home tab that has a couple of useful tools, such as easy access to the Rx Utility or the Copy Settings Wizard, a Design Library Tab — very useful if you add your working folder; the View Palette (very handy in drawings to drag and drop in standard views), and a few more. It’s always there when you need it, and it ducks out of the way when you don’t, giving you more space on your screen to do your work.

Figure 1: Task Pane (tabs)

On occasion, we encounter users who are missing these tabs. The reasons can vary and are usually difficult to determine after-the-fact (if it occurs regularly, contact your VAR). However, returning the Task Pane is actually very quick and easy. It is considered to be a toolbar, and its appearance is controlled in the same manner. You can choose from either of the two following reactivation methods:

Reactivate SOLIDWORKS Task Pane Method 1

The first method I can use is that I can right-click in the blank space of any toolbar. This gives me access to the list of available toolbars and I can toggle the status of any of them by selecting it in the list (in this case, I’m looking for the one called Task Pane).

Right-click any toolbar and choose Task Pane from the resulting list

Reactivate SOLIDWORKS Task Pane Method 2

The second method I can use is to go to Tools > Customize, then under the Toolbars tab, I can select Task Pane from the list. Some scrolling may be required.

Go to Tools > Customize and under the Toolbars tab, find Task Pane in the list