Multiple Windows 2000 problems - today it's Quick Launch

[Steven M (remove wax and invalid to reply)]

I have been have a number of little problems with Windows 2000 in the
past few days. I reformatted and reinstalled it in January, and
haven't installed anything important recently, except a USB 2.0 PCI
card to use an external hard drive. (The built-in USB ports are USB
1.1, pretty slow)

My virus checker is up to date, and I might be a month behind on
Windows security updates. But I use Ad-Aware, Spybot-S&D, and Spyware
Blaster, my system is behind a Linksys router, and places like grc.com
/ Shieldsup always tell me I'm reasonably "safe".

The first odd thing was, the Windows key combinations didn't work.
(Win-E to bring up an Explorer Window, Win-M to minimize). I think I
have found where that came from, it might be something in Tweak UI.

But next, something shifted on my display. An images that used to be
in the center of my desktop shifted or stretched to fill the whole
screen. Not a problem, I shifted it back, but still.

This morning I'm panicking. The Quick Launch toolbar is not opening.
It has 15 things on it, and 8-10 of them are things I use every day.
The Quick Launch folder is still there, but I can't get the icons to
display on the task bar. I can still get to all of these commands
with either desktop icons or through the Start / Programs, but it's
very annoying.

In addition, nothing comes up when I right-click on the toolbar.
There's a task I do every few days, where I minimize everything, then
restore two different windows, right-click on the taskbar and Tile
those two windows vertically. Can't do it now.

What could make me lose the Quick Launch icons and the right-click
commands from the taskbar?

 

[George Hester]

" The first odd thing was, the Windows key combinations didn't work."

Likely the .NET Framework.

"But next, something shifted on my display"

Resource allocation issue. Shouldn't be a problem.

"What could make me lose the Quick Launch icons and the right-click commands from the taskbar?"

Normally the taskbar issue results from a shell issue. Windows Explorer. Likely a result of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. The Quick Launch issue can be related. I keep mine showing only four items and must move the seperator between the QuickLaunch area and the main taskbar area to the right to see more icons or I have a drop up shown as two right-facing arrows which I can click on and get the drop up. Has that disappeared on you?

 

[Steven M (remove wax and invalid to reply)]

Je Mon, 04 Oct 2004 09:40:02 -0500, "Steven M (remove wax and invalid

This morning I'm panicking. The Quick Launch toolbar is not opening.
It has 15 things on it, and 8-10 of them are things I use every day.
The Quick Launch folder is still there, but I can't get the icons to
display on the task bar. I can still get to all of these commands
with either desktop icons or through the Start / Programs, but it's
very annoying.

In addition, nothing comes up when I right-click on the toolbar.
There's a task I do every few days, where I minimize everything, then
restore two different windows, right-click on the taskbar and Tile
those two windows vertically. Can't do it now.

What could make me lose the Quick Launch icons and the right-click
commands from the taskbar?

Never mind ... it was something in Tweak UI. I found this:
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 273785

This problem is solved.

I still have the other things, though. Another oddity I forgot to
mention: when I press F5 in Outlook, I used to see a window that gave
me the status of the email tasks (send/receive five accounts). That
window is gone, the only status indicator is a few words in the status
bar, lower right corner. It's not a real problem, just an unexplained
change

 

[Steven M (remove wax and invalid to reply)]

Je Mon, 4 Oct 2004 10:53:46 -0400, "George Hester"

" The first odd thing was, the Windows key combinations didn't work."

Likely the .NET Framework.

I don't have .NET. I have never seen a need for it. I don't like
installing things that seem like mumbo-jumbo, when similar functions
are available without it.

"But next, something shifted on my display"

Resource allocation issue. Shouldn't be a problem.

"What could make me lose the Quick Launch icons and the right-click commands from the taskbar?"

Normally the taskbar issue results from a shell issue. Windows
Explorer. Likely a result of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. The
Quick Launch issue can be related. I keep mine showing only four
items and must move the seperator between the QuickLaunch area and the
main taskbar area to the right to see more icons or I have a drop up
shown as two right-facing arrows which I can click on and get the drop
up. Has that disappeared on you?

Everything had disappeared from the taskbar, except the Start button
and the Tray (clock and a few other icons). When I started new
programs, they did appear as normal.

That's all fixed now, see my followup.

 

[George Hester]

Wow you seem to have it all sorted out. Glad to hear that. Did you really get the Window-E key combo to work again? Please if you did let me know what you did. I and others thought maybe we had that drilled down to the .NET Framework but I guess not. Thanks.