Solve : Taskbar fustrations!!?

Hi this is my first time POSTING. So there is the good ol taskbar at the bottem of my screen. Star a program and it appears on the taskbar. So one day i start my computer up and  on the taskbar is multiple dividers that are (to me) useless. How can i get rid of them my programs are getting disorganized. Is there anyway to get rid of it?You probably need at minimum, to specify your operating system, and try to clarify what you mean.  Often, programs in the Startup Menu, start each time you start the PC, and programs you left RUNNING as you shutdown, will often restart as they were 'running when you quit'.  These all will CREATE boxes on your start Menu Task Bar, unless you prohibit them from appearing on startup, or exit them before you shutdown the PC.  The more programs in 98 and XP, that you start, the more they condense and consolidate under a general program type, the less you have running, then the more separated they appear.   If this is too rudimentary, I'm sorry but I can't tell from the description, what else may be the problem.  BEYOND this, I can't offer much more information, so Good luck-   mkelleyRight click on your taskbar, Select properties.

I think from now on you can takeover.  Right click on your taskbar, select Lock Taskbar.In cases like this, it helps if you attach a screenshot.
Who was it that sung that dreadful song about a picture paiting a thousand words? Answers on a postcard please.