Time and Date in XP's System Tray

Is there any way that I can get the Windows XP system tray to show the date as well as the time? If so, how can I make this happen?
John D. Leith

This is a frequent request from PC Magazine readers. Fortunately, it's quite easy to get the date (and day of week) displayed in the Windows XP system tray.
First, right-click a blank spot on the taskbar and see if there's a check mark next to the menu item titled Lock the Taskbar. If so, click that menu item to remove the check mark. Now use the mouse to drag the top edge of the taskbar upward until it snaps to twice its normal height. When the taskbar is this high or higher, the clock displays three lines rather than one, showing the current time, the day of the week, and the current date. You also have more room for taskbar buttons representing active applications.
Of course, doubling the height of the taskbar makes it occupy more screen space than before. You can configure the taskbar to autohide, but you then lose the always-available time and date view. If you want to keep a normal-height taskbar yet still see the date in the notification area, you'll have to resort to a third-party utility. Dale Nurden's TClockEx (www.rcis.co.za/dale/tclockex) will do the job, and it's free.