info popups hidden behind taskbar

[newsrider3]

I have Windows XP Home (SP2) and use the Classic start menu, with the option
selected to "Keep the taskbar on top of other windows". That's the problem.
The taskbar should stay on top of all other windows - EXCEPT not on top of
these little info popups that appear when you hover the mouse pointer over
taskbar items.

It's erratic. Sometimes it happens, sometimes not. And no matter what I try,
eventually those little info popups become hidden behind the taskbar so they
can't be seen. That includes taskbar buttons for opened programs as well as
icons in systray. In particular the info popup for the time icon in systray
seems to want to revert to showing itself behind the taskbar, so it can't be
seen.

Is there any fix for this erratic behaviour?

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

This information from MVP Wesley Vogel should help:

<Quote>

Not really. This is a known problem. Either reboot or open the Task
Manager...

Ctrl + Shift + Escape | Processes tab | Locate and highlight
explorer.exe | Right click explorer.exe | End Process | Answer
Yes | File | New Task (Run...) | Type: explorer | OK

End Task on explorer.exe will make your Desktop and all programs disappear.
Restarting explorer will bring everything back.

</Quote>

Ref: http://groups.google.co.uk/[email protected]


Also see this from Raymond Chen [MS]
http://weblogs.asp.net/oldnewthing/archive/2004/05/27/143042.aspx

Q: "why the taskbar or the tray or taskbar toolbars sometimes lose their always on top setting and their tooltips show behind top level windows"

A: It's not that the taskbar loses always-on-top; it's that there are two always-on-top windows, the tooltip and the taskbar, and they end up fighting with each other.

More insight - from David Candy:
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=tooltip+behind+author:David+author:candy

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


I have Windows XP Home (SP2) and use the Classic start menu, with the option
selected to "Keep the taskbar on top of other windows". That's the problem.
The taskbar should stay on top of all other windows - EXCEPT not on top of
these little info popups that appear when you hover the mouse pointer over
taskbar items.

It's erratic. Sometimes it happens, sometimes not. And no matter what I try,
eventually those little info popups become hidden behind the taskbar so they
can't be seen. That includes taskbar buttons for opened programs as well as
icons in systray. In particular the info popup for the time icon in systray
seems to want to revert to showing itself behind the taskbar, so it can't be
seen.

Is there any fix for this erratic behaviour?

 

[newsrider3]

Thanks for the info. I understand now: They're called "tooltips". Everybody
has the same problem, it's not just my computer. There are some tweaks that
may help, such as increasing the number of folder views in TweakUI
(Explorer, Customizations, increase to 8000 should be OK).
--
n3

This information from MVP Wesley Vogel should help:

<Quote>

Not really. This is a known problem. Either reboot or open the Task
Manager...

Ctrl + Shift + Escape | Processes tab | Locate and highlight
explorer.exe | Right click explorer.exe | End Process | Answer
Yes | File | New Task (Run...) | Type: explorer | OK

End Task on explorer.exe will make your Desktop and all programs disappear.
Restarting explorer will bring everything back.

</Quote>

Ref:
http://groups.google.co.uk/[email protected]


Also see this from Raymond Chen [MS]
http://weblogs.asp.net/oldnewthing/archive/2004/05/27/143042.aspx

Q: "why the taskbar or the tray or taskbar toolbars sometimes lose their
always on top setting and their tooltips show behind top level windows"

A: It's not that the taskbar loses always-on-top; it's that there are two
always-on-top windows, the tooltip and the taskbar, and they end up fighting
with each other.

More insight - from David Candy:
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=tooltip+behind+author:David+author:candy

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


I have Windows XP Home (SP2) and use the Classic start menu, with the option
selected to "Keep the taskbar on top of other windows". That's the problem.
The taskbar should stay on top of all other windows - EXCEPT not on top of
these little info popups that appear when you hover the mouse pointer over
taskbar items.

It's erratic. Sometimes it happens, sometimes not. And no matter what I try,
eventually those little info popups become hidden behind the taskbar so they
can't be seen. That includes taskbar buttons for opened programs as well as
icons in systray. In particular the info popup for the time icon in systray
seems to want to revert to showing itself behind the taskbar, so it can't be
seen.

Is there any fix for this erratic behaviour?

 

[frodo]

Thanks for the info. I understand now: They're called "tooltips". Everybody
has the same problem, it's not just my computer. There are some tweaks that
may help, such as increasing the number of folder views in TweakUI
(Explorer, Customizations, increase to 8000 should be OK).

BUT, tweakUI does this wrong, it creates the key "Bag MRU Size", but the
key needs to be renamed "BagMRU Size". Fix by hand w/ regedit, in two
places:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam

 

[newsrider3]

BUT, tweakUI does this wrong, it creates the key "Bag MRU Size", but the
key needs to be renamed "BagMRU Size". Fix by hand w/ regedit, in two
places:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam

My registry has both of those key names, in both of those locations!
"BagMRU Size" is set for 5000
"Bag MRU Size" is set for 8000
I had set it to 5000 awhile back and forgot about it, and I suppose TweakUI
just added the other one. So it was already set for 5000 which should have
been enough to stop the problem, I would think, if that's an effective
method. Looks like it's not...

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

SP2 sets the Bag value to 5000. BTW, this feature of TweakUI is not functional. (as it alters a wrong value)

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

BUT, tweakUI does this wrong, it creates the key "Bag MRU Size", but the
key needs to be renamed "BagMRU Size". Fix by hand w/ regedit, in two
places:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam

My registry has both of those key names, in both of those locations!
"BagMRU Size" is set for 5000
"Bag MRU Size" is set for 8000
I had set it to 5000 awhile back and forgot about it, and I suppose TweakUI
just added the other one. So it was already set for 5000 which should have
been enough to stop the problem, I would think, if that's an effective
method. Looks like it's not...

 

[pcmangler]

I don't know if you're still checking this thread Newsrider3, but I've
found a quick cure for it. It's not permanent though, but it's a damn
sight quicker than restarting Explorer every time !

Try moving the whole taskbar to the side then back - it seems to work
for me !

Hope this is of help to someone..

Cheers,

Kev.

 

[Ricky]

You can also right click the taskbar..go to properties..uncheck keep the
taskbar on top..click apply then check it back and click apply.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

The last post in this thread was on 10-02-2005.

Tooltips behind the Taskbar

This is a known problem. A couple of ways to band-aid this. Reboot or
logoff and log back on. Hide the Taskbar then show it again.

Or kill explorer.exe and restart it.

Open Task Manager...
Ctrl + Shift + Escape | Processes tab | Right click explorer.exe |
Select: End Process | Click Yes to Warning | Click File |
Click New Task (Run...) | Type: explorer | Click OK

End Task on explorer.exe will make your Desktop and all programs disappear.
Restarting explorer will bring everything back.

Microsoft has come out with a KB article. Unfortunately the KB article does
not offer any real reason for the CAUSE, or a fix.

Tooltips for some taskbar icons are hidden behind the taskbar on a Windows
XP-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=912650

Here's another method, I mean band-aid.

Click Start
Click All Programs
Right-click ANY folder OR shortcut that appears ABOVE the taskbar
Click Sort by Name
from...
Tooltips behind taskbar - FIXED! (Or not)
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/mi...tvc=1&q=tooltip+behind&hl=en#8fcf735bff473a64

Somebody posted a program that they created that supposedly fixes the
problem for 9.95 USD. Not worth 10 bucks to me.

I am *NOT* recommending this program, but here ya are..

[[ Check out this web site for more information and a fix:
http://www.acquaviva.us/tooltipmanager

Tool Tip Manager specifically fixes this problem by looking at various
taskbar window messages and resetting the tooltip's "topmost" window
style automatically as needed.

Regards,

Nick Acquaviva]]
from...
Tooltips behind taskbar - FIXED!
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...4c1c472bd4?lnk=st&q=tooltips+behind+taskbar+f
ix+insubject%3ATooltips+insubject%3Abehind+insubject%3Ataskbar+insubject%3A-
+insubject%3AFIXED!&rnum=1&hl=en#3cb1244c1c472bd4

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In