[the.bwes]

I am running XP home, big p3 system, 2 gig ram, all the normal stuff.... I just have a problem.
My wife shut off the computer this afternoon, and the monitor, when I returned 6 hours later it was still putting updates onto my computer. Nothing wrong, went out for a smoke, and came back and it had shut down by itself. So I turned it on, it had a login screen up after loading the start-up. I click okay, and windows opens as usual.

When I click on my start menu, I now have a blue Windows XP Home bar going up the left side of my start menu. I'm a little OCD about the way I like my computer set-up and I'm getting quite frustrated. I am using classic view mode, as I find it more pleasing for myself. I have never had this blue bar on the start menu before, and it is driving me nuts...Sorry this is a waste of most of your time, but it's driving me nuts.

As well, when I go to shut down or restart my pc, instead of a blue screen that comes up with "standby, shutdown, restart" it now has a classic looking window come up with a drop down menu with shutdown, restart, standby. This is also different, I have never had these problems for that past 4 years on my pc..

Any and all help is much appreciated, thank you.

B.

[Nobody in particular]

Hi, Welcome to the Forum.

If I have understood correctly (and to be honest, I probably haven't, because it's far to early in the morning lol)

It just sounds like you have the start menu set to 'Classic' rather than 'standard' xp start menu.

To change, right click on the task bar, select 'properties'.

Then select the 'Start Menu' tab. Change from 'Classic Start Menu' to 'Start Menu'

Hope that helps

[the.bwes]

Thank you for a quick response, but the only thing is, is I like the classic view start menu. I have just never had the blue bar on the side before...I find it weird though. I might just end up switching to the regular one, and see if I can manage it to a way I like.
I know this sounds so tedius, but, it's just one of those things you know.

As well, now when I start my computer, it's asking me to log in. And I've never had to do that in my life.
Thank you again everyone.
B