....somehow the blue panel that appears on the left-side of
most windows - i.e. in the Control Panel Windows it says,
"Control Panel" with sub-selection "Switch to classic view"
- has been turned off or disabled somehow. How do i Get
this blue menu panel turned back on?

Open your Control Panel and from the Toolbar select:
Tools > Folder Options, then place a dot next to
"Show common tasks in folders", and click Apply.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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"J.A.Redding" <red-_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message:
news:808101c47776$c0742560$(E-Mail Removed)...

| ...somehow the blue panel that appears on the left-side of
| most windows - i.e. in the Control Panel Windows it says,
| "Control Panel" with sub-selection "Switch to classic view"
| - has been turned off or disabled somehow. How do i Get
| this blue menu panel turned back on?