Start button disappears when any windows is maximized

[Guest]

I am on my father's computer:
1.99GHz; Pentium 4; 512 RAM
Windows XP Home SP2.
(Can't imagine this issue has anything to do with computer configuration)

I noticed that when I maximize a browser window, an application window, and
apparently, any window, the Start button, task bar, quick launch -- all that
stuff at the bottom --- disappears. To find it, he has to either minimize or
restore down all the windows. This doesn't seem right, esp. when he needs to
open a new program, get to documents, access Control Panel, and so on. I
checked the settings and everything appears normal. The taskbar is not locked
(and even if it is, same behavior), the only toolbar on is Quick Launch. I
tried switching things around to test our different scenarios -- no change.

Searched KBs for this and the Web; found nothing. Anyone have any ideas?
I've never seen this behavior -- every odd. Dad says it's the gremlins
again...

Annik

 

[Wesley Vogel]

If you have Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer in Full Screen mode (F11)
the Taskbar will be hidden no matter what settings you have. The same for
watching a slide show with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer and some other
applications. You can hit the Windows key or Ctrl + Esc to open and close
the Start Menu.

Try this...

Right click the Taskbar | Properties | Taskbar tab |
Check these two:
Lock the taskbar
Keep the taskbar on top of other windows
UNCheck: Auto-hide the taskbar |
Click Apply | Click OK

Auto-hide the taskbar
[[Hides the taskbar. To redisplay the taskbar, point to the area of your
screen where the taskbar is located. If you want to be sure that your
taskbar will be visible whenever you point to it, select the Keep the
taskbar on top of other windows check box and also select the Auto-hide the
taskbar check box.]]

Keep the taskbar on top of other windows
[[Ensures that the taskbar is always visible, even when you run a program in
a maximized (full-screen) window.]]

Lock the taskbar
[[Locks the taskbar at its current position on the desktop so that it cannot
be moved to a new location and also locks the size and position of any
toolbar displayed on the taskbar so that it cannot be changed.]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Newbie Coder]

AS,

I agree with Wes with make sure its on top & locked

--
Newbie Coder
(It's just a name)

If you have Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer in Full Screen mode (F11)
the Taskbar will be hidden no matter what settings you have. The same for
watching a slide show with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer and some other
applications. You can hit the Windows key or Ctrl + Esc to open and close
the Start Menu.

Try this...

Right click the Taskbar | Properties | Taskbar tab |
Check these two:
Lock the taskbar
Keep the taskbar on top of other windows
UNCheck: Auto-hide the taskbar |
Click Apply | Click OK

Auto-hide the taskbar
[[Hides the taskbar. To redisplay the taskbar, point to the area of your
screen where the taskbar is located. If you want to be sure that your
taskbar will be visible whenever you point to it, select the Keep the
taskbar on top of other windows check box and also select the Auto-hide the
taskbar check box.]]

Keep the taskbar on top of other windows
[[Ensures that the taskbar is always visible, even when you run a program in
a maximized (full-screen) window.]]

Lock the taskbar
[[Locks the taskbar at its current position on the desktop so that it cannot
be moved to a new location and also locks the size and position of any
toolbar displayed on the taskbar so that it cannot be changed.]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

I am on my father's computer:
1.99GHz; Pentium 4; 512 RAM
Windows XP Home SP2.
(Can't imagine this issue has anything to do with computer configuration)

I noticed that when I maximize a browser window, an application window,
and apparently, any window, the Start button, task bar, quick launch --
all that stuff at the bottom --- disappears. To find it, he has to either
minimize or restore down all the windows. This doesn't seem right, esp.
when he needs to open a new program, get to documents, access Control
Panel, and so on. I checked the settings and everything appears normal.
The taskbar is not locked (and even if it is, same behavior), the only
toolbar on is Quick Launch. I tried switching things around to test our
different scenarios -- no change.

Searched KBs for this and the Web; found nothing. Anyone have any ideas?
I've never seen this behavior -- every odd. Dad says it's the gremlins
again...

Annik