My Language Indicator disappeared!

[Guest]

After the last "automatic" upgrade of XP was dowloaded and installed, my language indicator disappeared from the lower right status bar. I am a translator and use 4 different languages and keyboard layouts. Although I can still cycle through them by using left ALT + shift, I no longer have any way to know which language I am in without actually striking a key that changes to a foreign diacritical character (like a "ç" or an "ñ"). It used to display EN, ES, IT, or PT, depending upon which language I was typing in. How do I get it to reappear???

 

[Wesley Vogel]

To show the Language bar
To open Regional and Language Options, click Start, point to Settings, click
Control Panel, and then double-click Regional and Language Options.
On the Languages tab, under Text services and input languages, click
Details.
Under Preferences, click Language Bar.
Select the Show the Language bar on the desktop check box.

 

[Guest]

I did exactly what you said, but when I get to the Preferences, the Language Bar button is greyed out and not available. I had already tried that, since that was how I originally set up my 4 languages and keyboard layouts. It just disappeared after the latest download and I can't get it to appear again.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Jacira;

HOW TO: Use the Language Bar in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306993

It is possible that you may need to remove the latest update.
What update are you referring to?

 

[Guest]

This is not what I need! The language bar is not the same thing! What used to be there was a little square that indicated which language I was in at any given time. It simply said, ES (for Español), EN (for English) IT (Italian) or PT (Portuguese) which were the four languages and keyboard layouts that I have set up. I still have access to these languages and keyboard layouts, with all their special diacritical characters. What I no longer have is the EN, ES, IT, or PT in my lower right hand status bar. This has been there all along, but yesterday it disappeared and I cannot find a way to make it appear again

This is not the language bar. You are barking up the wrong tree

 

[Wesley Vogel]

OK. Since it's not the Language Bar, don't look here:

Non-English Keyboards on Windows
http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/keyboards/winkey.html

 

[Wesley Vogel]

XP Pro??

Local Computer Policy\User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control
Panel\Regional and Language Options\
Restrict selection of Windows menus and dialogs language

[[This setting restricts users to the specified language by disabling the
menus and dialog box controls in the Regional and Language Options Control
Panel. If the specified language is not installed on the target computer,
the language selection defaults to English.]]

Local Computer Policy\User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu
and Taskbar\
Do not display any custom toolbars in the taskbar

[[This setting affects the taskbar.
The taskbar includes the Start button, buttons for currently running tasks,
custom toolbars, the notification area, and the system clock. Toolbars
include Quick Launch, Address, Links, Desktop, and other custom toolbars
created by the user or by an application.
If this setting is enabled, the taskbar does not display any custom
toolbars, and the user cannot add any custom toolbars to the taskbar.
Moreover, the “Toolbars” menu command and submenu are removed from the
context menu. The taskbar displays only the Start button, taskbar buttons,
the notification area, and the system clock.
If this setting is disabled or is not configured, the taskbar displays all
toolbars. Users can add or remove custom toolbars, and the “Toolbars”
command appears in the context menu.]]

After you turn off the Language bar in Windows XP, you cannot turn it back
on
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;819783

The Language bar may not be displayed on the Windows XP taskbar
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;825033

Language Bar Icons Overlap in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;828686