I have setup the auto-hide taskbar using Properties on Win 8 desktop and everything worked fine. However, after installed the to Windows 8.1 update 1 on my Surface Pro, the feature is not working and not respond at all. I am unable to unhide the taskbar through touch functionality, as well as hovering the pen at the bottom of screen can’t raise it.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 comes with many improvements for mouse and keyboard users, but offers bad interface on touch devices. I also get the same problem on my Surface pro 2 and Dell laptops, but it responds well with the mouse. If it is impossible to touch the bottom of the screen to raise the hidden taskbar after installed the new system updates, you could try the following tips to resolve the issues.

* You need to prevent the universal desktop taskbar from housing and showing in Metro apps. Enabling the feature does causesome unknown problems
Hold and press any empty space on the taskbar, and select Properties.
Within the Taskbar tab, uncheck “Show Windows Store apps on the taskbar” box, and tap Apply > OK button.
Now I only use it in usual desktop environment.
Note: Once you add new apps into the bar, the system may turn “Show Windows Store apps” on again, so you have to repeat the above way to disable it.
* For pen, it seems to be fail to register close enough to the bottom. You have to make the calibrating your pen or use small AutoHotkey program.