Date at bottom of screen?

[KenK]

Any way to include the date with the already displayed time and day of week
in the lower right corner of the screen? Sometimes the date is displayed if
you put the curser on the time but too often that doesn't work. You can
double-click the time and get the month's calendar but that's quite slow on
my system.

Or perhaps there's a way to make Firefox keep the date displayed somewhere?

 

[BillW50]

In KenK typed:

Any way to include the date with the already displayed time and day
of week in the lower right corner of the screen? Sometimes the date
is displayed if you put the curser on the time but too often that
doesn't work. You can double-click the time and get the month's
calendar but that's quite slow on my system.

Or perhaps there's a way to make Firefox keep the date displayed
somewhere?

You have to widen the Taskbar, then it should automatically show. If you
can't resize it like a window, then you have to unlock it by right
clicking on the Taskbar and remove the check.

 

[VanguardLH]

Any way to include the date with the already displayed time and day of week
in the lower right corner of the screen? ...

If you enlarge the height of the Windows taskbar (assuming it is
positioned at the bottom of the screen) then there is more room to
display more date/time information. Then you'll see the date.

I enlarged my taskbar to 2 rows. This let me create several toolbar
beyond just the QuickLaunch toolbar, like toolbars to group links to IE
(kill, normal, private mode, no script, etc), e-mail, newsgroups and
forums, virtual machines and other security stuff, VOIP, while letting
me have a decent sized address bar. Buttons for open apps go in the top
row and the toolbars, address bar, and tray area go in the bottom row.
Having 2 rows makes the single space are for the tray area get bigger so
you get 3 lines for info: time, day of week, and date.

 

[KenK]

If you enlarge the height of the Windows taskbar (assuming it is
positioned at the bottom of the screen) then there is more room to
display more date/time information. Then you'll see the date.

That got it! Had to increase to three rows. Accidently somehow moved
taskbar to top of screen while adjusting it. Major panic when it
disappeared until I discovered it there!

 

[VanguardLH]

That got it! Had to increase to three rows. Accidently somehow moved
taskbar to top of screen while adjusting it. Major panic when it
disappeared until I discovered it there!

Changing the DPI and font sizes might let you get it inside of 2 rows.

 

[KenK]

Changing the DPI and font sizes might let you get it inside of 2 rows.

I don't see those options in the taskbar properties. Where can I find it?
Or will I need to do this for the entire display? If so, I'll stay with
three lines.

TIA

 

[Nil]

Any way to include the date with the already displayed time and
day of week in the lower right corner of the screen? Sometimes the
date is displayed if you put the curser on the time but too often
that doesn't work. You can double-click the time and get the
month's calendar but that's quite slow on my system.

I use Stoic Joker's T-Clock (http://www.stoicjoker.com/TClock/) to get
the system tray clock to look the way I like it. It includes a handy
little pop-up calendar:

http://rednoise.x10host.com/temp/t-clock2.png

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I use Stoic Joker's T-Clock (http://www.stoicjoker.com/TClock/) to get
the system tray clock to look the way I like it. It includes a handy
little pop-up calendar:

http://rednoise.x10host.com/temp/t-clock2.png

I no longer use it, but I used to like TClock a lot. I think it's much
better than the similarly-named TClockex.

These days I keep my task bar on the left side of the screen , where I
get whatever I want. With today's wide screens, I think that makes
much better use of screen real estate than at the bottom.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Any way to include the date with the already displayed time and day of week
in the lower right corner of the screen? Sometimes the date is displayed if
you put the curser on the time but too often that doesn't work. You can
double-click the time and get the month's calendar but that's quite slow on
my system.

Just hovering over it works for me - no double-click needed.

As others have said, making the taskbar two blocks high will give room
for more. Third party tools - despite what others say, I find TClockEx
works fine - will let you play all sorts of tunes on what elements you
have, and in what fonts for the text and background; I have
Sat, 2013 Nov 9
20:55:55
+0000 GMT Standard Time

(and something slightly different on my work PC, where I included the
week number). In yellow on brown.

Or perhaps there's a way to make Firefox keep the date displayed somewhere?

There almost certainly is - there's an add-on for more or less
everything else (-:!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

My daughter is appalled by it at all times, but you know you have to appal
your 14-year-old daughter otherwise you're not doing your job as a father. -
Richard Osman to Alison Graham, in Radio Times 2013-6-8 to 14

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Just hovering over it works for me - no double-click needed.

As others have said, making the taskbar two blocks high will give room
for more. Third party tools - despite what others say, I find TClockEx
works fine -

If I'm one of the others you're referring to, note that didn't say
anything negative about TClockEx; what I said is that TClock is much
better.

 

[VanguardLH]

I don't see those options in the taskbar properties. Where can I find it?
Or will I need to do this for the entire display? If so, I'll stay with
three lines.

TIA

For DPI, just go into the Windows help or search online. You'll find it
as a screen resolution option. Alas, most folks increase the DPI so
text gets sharper, not fuzzier, at higher resolutions. Buying a larger
resolution screen is pointless if all text gets smaller and harder to
read along with getting a bit more fuzzer. That's because the same
number of pixels are used to paint the width and height of a character
which means higher resolution (which isn't linear to increase in monitor
size) results in more pixels per inch. The characters using the same
DPI will be smaller. To make them the same size as before and use more
pixels so they become sharper means upping the DPI level. That would
mean less would fit into the same size tray area. Going to the standard
96 DPI would make more fit inside the same space in the screen but make
the characters smaller and harder to read. If you haven't changed DPI,
you are at the default of 96 dots per inch.

If you have modified the Windows theme, it's possible fonts got bigger
(another trick to make characters easier to read except with the same
old lower DPI meaning they won't be any sharper). Resetting to a
standard Windows theme would reset the font sizes.

To change font sizes for particular elements of window objects, look at
the Display applet in Control Panel. Click the Advanced button to see
which objects (in a list) you can select to see which ones let you
change font size. Just changing the font size by 1 pixel in height
might give you a 3-line date/time display in the tray area. I don't
remember if you have to log out and back in to see the change in the
Windows taskbar for font size changes to apply to it.

 

[BillW50]

In Ken Blake, MVP typed:

If I'm one of the others you're referring to, note that didn't say
anything negative about TClockEx; what I said is that TClock is much
better.

Maybe so, but Aston Shell is so much better yet. And my XP, Win7, and
Win8 desktops all look the same thanks to Aston Shell.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

I don't see those options in the taskbar properties. Where can I find it?
Or will I need to do this for the entire display? If so, I'll stay with
three lines.

TIA

For DPI, just go into the Windows help or search online. You'll find it
as a screen resolution option. Alas, most folks increase the DPI so
text gets sharper, not fuzzier, at higher resolutions. Buying a larger
resolution screen is pointless if all text gets smaller and harder to
read along with getting a bit more fuzzer. That's because the same
number of pixels are used to paint the width and height of a character
which means higher resolution (which isn't linear to increase in monitor
size) results in more pixels per inch. The characters using the same
DPI will be smaller. To make them the same size as before and use more
pixels so they become sharper means upping the DPI level. That would
mean less would fit into the same size tray area. Going to the standard
96 DPI would make more fit inside the same space in the screen but make
the characters smaller and harder to read. If you haven't changed DPI,
you are at the default of 96 dots per inch.

If you have modified the Windows theme, it's possible fonts got bigger
(another trick to make characters easier to read except with the same
old lower DPI meaning they won't be any sharper). Resetting to a
standard Windows theme would reset the font sizes.

To change font sizes for particular elements of window objects, look at
the Display applet in Control Panel. Click the Advanced button to see
which objects (in a list) you can select to see which ones let you
change font size. Just changing the font size by 1 pixel in height
might give you a 3-line date/time display in the tray area. I don't
remember if you have to log out and back in to see the change in the
Windows taskbar for font size changes to apply to it.[/QUOTE]

That just lets you change it for those particular elements of _all_
window objects, or rather those elements in _all_ windows; KenK was
asking if there's a way of changing them just for the clock. AFAIK there
isn't in generic XP - you need a third-party tool (TClockEx will do it,
probably TClock as well) to _just_ change the settings for the clock.

 

[VanguardLH]

That just lets you change it for those particular elements of _all_
window objects, or rather those elements in _all_ windows;

Yep, I gave what Windows XP provides for user-configurable options, not
substitute 3rd party software.

KenK was
asking if there's a way of changing them just for the clock. AFAIK there
isn't in generic XP - you need a third-party tool (TClockEx will do it,
probably TClock as well) to _just_ change the settings for the clock.

I thought Tclock[ex] *replaced* the Windows-provided clock object in the
system notification area (aka system tray). You load Tclock. It stays
loaded in memory. It is a separate process.

There is a registry edit that hides the normal Windows-provided clock
from the taskbar (http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/970/).
So I suspect Tclock uses this to hide the normal clock and then add the
display of its own process to the systray (as a "window" inside the
systray area) or uses a titleless toolbar.

You could look at http://wincalendartime.sourceforge.net/index.html to
see how they did it. I wasn't interested right now to delve into their
code to see what API calls they make to change Windows theme definitions
and position their "window" inside the tray area.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

That just lets you change it for those particular elements of _all_
window objects, or rather those elements in _all_ windows;

Yep, I gave what Windows XP provides for user-configurable options, not
substitute 3rd party software.[/QUOTE]

KenK's original question asked if there was a way to include the date.
Various people answered that raising the height of the taskbar included
it. Ken subsequently said he'd had to go to three rows. You said that
changing DPI etc. might get it in two (which indeed it might). Ken then
asked "I don't see those options in the taskbar properties. Where can I
find it? Or will I need to do this for the entire display? If so, I'll
stay with three lines." You then answered with instructions (in your
usual exhaustive detail!) on how to get at the settings - which would
indeed affect such settings for the entire display: not what Ken had
asked.

KenK was
asking if there's a way of changing them just for the clock. AFAIK there
isn't in generic XP - you need a third-party tool (TClockEx will do it,
probably TClock as well) to _just_ change the settings for the clock.

I thought Tclock[ex] *replaced* the Windows-provided clock object in the
system notification area (aka system tray). You load Tclock. It stays
loaded in memory. It is a separate process.

It probably does. Although preferable to do everything with the built-in
facilities, nothing in any of KenK's questions excluded the use of
third-party software. However, if you have a way of changing the DPI
and/or font _just for the built-in clock_, and not other parts of
Windows, I'm sure we'd like to hear them.
[]

 

[VanguardLH]

Yep, I gave what Windows XP provides for user-configurable options, not
substitute 3rd party software.

KenK's original question asked if there was a way to include the date.
Various people answered that raising the height of the taskbar included
it. Ken subsequently said he'd had to go to three rows. You said that
changing DPI etc. might get it in two (which indeed it might). Ken then
asked "I don't see those options in the taskbar properties. Where can I
find it? Or will I need to do this for the entire display? If so, I'll
stay with three lines." You then answered with instructions (in your
usual exhaustive detail!) on how to get at the settings - which would
indeed affect such settings for the entire display: not what Ken had
asked.

KenK was
asking if there's a way of changing them just for the clock. AFAIK there
isn't in generic XP - you need a third-party tool (TClockEx will do it,
probably TClock as well) to _just_ change the settings for the clock.

I thought Tclock[ex] *replaced* the Windows-provided clock object in the
system notification area (aka system tray). You load Tclock. It stays
loaded in memory. It is a separate process.

It probably does. Although preferable to do everything with the built-in
facilities, nothing in any of KenK's questions excluded the use of
third-party software. However, if you have a way of changing the DPI
and/or font _just for the built-in clock_, and not other parts of
Windows, I'm sure we'd like to hear them.
[][/QUOTE]

I responded because you made it sound like Tclock changed the font size
in the systray for the Windows clock. Maybe I misunderstood the intent
of your response.

"KenK was asking if there's a way of changing them just for the clock.
AFAIK there isn't in generic XP - you need a third-party tool (TClockEx
will do it, probably TClock as well) to _just_ change the settings for
the clock."

Tclock isn't changing the settings for the Windows clock. It isn't
doing anything about fonts elsewhere, including in the systray. The
program is merely changing the settings for its *own* window. Any app
can specify whatever fonts for use within its own window(s).

So, with not using 3rd party software, you're stuck using what Windows
provides to change fonts (family, style, size). I don't know if font
size within the systray is part of the theming API; if so, a 3rd party
theming modify tool might accomplish changing just the systray fonts.
Alternatively use an app that paints its *own* window in the systray or
elsewhere where you can configure that program to specify what fonts it
uses in its own window(s). I didn't repeat the latter solution
suggested by others but instead referenced what Windows provides. As
you have repeatedly noted, using Windows-only methods results in
changing attributes for fonts in more than just the systray.

Also, there is no evidence yay or nay that the OP did not previously
modify his Windows theme (himself manually or using tweakers or other
software). That's why I mentioned he should reselect the Windows theme
to reset to its defaults. I remember doing that to get the 3-line
display for the Windows clock; however, it's been so long since then
that I don't remember if that was to reset to a known theme config and
then I reduced an object's font size. As I recall, I had to change an
objects font size by just 1 point; i.e., change it from 10 to 9. The
difference in font size was tiny but enough get 3 lines for the Windows
clock in the systray, and the change was so tiny that it made little
difference elsewhere.

Sorry, but it has been way too long since I customized Windows XP
(which, for this type of stuff, is done within the first week after
installation) to remember which item in the drop-down listbox under
Advanced -> Appearance tab affected the font size for the Windows clock
shown in the systray.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

That just lets you change it for those particular elements of _all_
window objects, or rather those elements in _all_ windows;

Yep, I gave what Windows XP provides for user-configurable options, not
substitute 3rd party software.

KenK's original question asked if there was a way to include the date.
Various people answered that raising the height of the taskbar included
it. Ken subsequently said he'd had to go to three rows. You said that
changing DPI etc. might get it in two (which indeed it might). Ken then
asked "I don't see those options in the taskbar properties. Where can I
find it? Or will I need to do this for the entire display? If so, I'll
stay with three lines." You then answered with instructions (in your
usual exhaustive detail!) on how to get at the settings - which would
indeed affect such settings for the entire display: not what Ken had
asked.

KenK was
asking if there's a way of changing them just for the clock. AFAIK there
isn't in generic XP - you need a third-party tool (TClockEx will do it,
probably TClock as well) to _just_ change the settings for the clock.

I thought Tclock[ex] *replaced* the Windows-provided clock object in the
system notification area (aka system tray). You load Tclock. It stays
loaded in memory. It is a separate process.

It probably does. Although preferable to do everything with the built-in
facilities, nothing in any of KenK's questions excluded the use of
third-party software. However, if you have a way of changing the DPI
and/or font _just for the built-in clock_, and not other parts of
Windows, I'm sure we'd like to hear them.
[]

I responded because you made it sound like Tclock changed the font size
in the systray for the Windows clock. Maybe I misunderstood the intent
of your response.[/QUOTE]

Sorry if I gave that impression. I didn't know (nor, I will admit, care
much) _how_ TClockEx did what it did. I'm sure you're probably right
about it _replacing_ the Windows clock.

"KenK was asking if there's a way of changing them just for the clock.
AFAIK there isn't in generic XP - you need a third-party tool (TClockEx
will do it, probably TClock as well) to _just_ change the settings for
the clock."

Tclock isn't changing the settings for the Windows clock. It isn't
doing anything about fonts elsewhere, including in the systray. The
program is merely changing the settings for its *own* window. Any app
can specify whatever fonts for use within its own window(s).

OK, you're right! It changed it's _own_ settings and turned off or
obscured the built-in one.

So, with not using 3rd party software, you're stuck using what Windows
provides to change fonts (family, style, size). I don't know if font
size within the systray is part of the theming API; if so, a 3rd party
theming modify tool might accomplish changing just the systray fonts.

I don't know either, though I suspect the systray uses the same
fonts/sizes/colours as some other element. (It certainly isn't listed
separately in the Display Settings list of things, like title and menu
bars, window contents, action buttons, and so on.)

Alternatively use an app that paints its *own* window in the systray or
elsewhere where you can configure that program to specify what fonts it
uses in its own window(s). I didn't repeat the latter solution

Like TClock(ex) (-:.

suggested by others but instead referenced what Windows provides. As
you have repeatedly noted, using Windows-only methods results in
changing attributes for fonts in more than just the systray.

Also, there is no evidence yay or nay that the OP did not previously
modify his Windows theme (himself manually or using tweakers or other
software). That's why I mentioned he should reselect the Windows theme
to reset to its defaults. I remember doing that to get the 3-line
display for the Windows clock; however, it's been so long since then
that I don't remember if that was to reset to a known theme config and
then I reduced an object's font size. As I recall, I had to change an
objects font size by just 1 point; i.e., change it from 10 to 9. The
difference in font size was tiny but enough get 3 lines for the Windows
clock in the systray, and the change was so tiny that it made little
difference elsewhere.
OK.

Sorry, but it has been way too long since I customized Windows XP
(which, for this type of stuff, is done within the first week after
installation) to remember which item in the drop-down listbox under
Advanced -> Appearance tab affected the font size for the Windows clock
shown in the systray.

Me too! (Though I've recently looked at that list again, as it survives
remarkably unchanged under Windows 7 if you manage to dig deep enough to
find it, which is why I'm pretty certain the word tray as such is not
included.)

It always amused me that it was under "Advanced", because it wasn't in
Windows '9x - thus implying that users of the new OS had to be protected
from themselves more than the Old Hands. Nothing changes (-:!

 

[VanguardLH]

I don't see those options in the taskbar properties. Where can I find it?
Or will I need to do this for the entire display? If so, I'll stay with
three lines.

TIA

I'm at home so don't have a Windows XP to look at right now. Something
that might work to make the taskbar just slightly larger so you get a
3-line clock display would be to use large icons in the taskbar.

In Windows 7, there are separate settings for the Start menu icons and
for taskbar icons regarding size. In Windows XP, as I recall, you only
have the option to specify the Start menu's icon size. Since it isn't
the Start menu's icon size you want to change but the size of the
taskbar buttons (which would require a taller row to accomodate the
larger buttons), perhaps changing the view for a toolbar shown in the
taskbar would work. With the taskbar unlocked, right-click on a unused
area of a toolbar (e.g., QuickLaunch). From its context menu, select
View and then pick to use large icons.

If upping the icon size for toolbars doesn't work to slightly increase
the height of rows in the taskbar, then look at Kelly's Corner
(http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm), #97 solution, which
addresses the size of taskbar buttons. You'll want to run the .vbs
script on the right side of the table for #97 to make taskbar buttons
larger.

The idea is to make icons bigger in the taskbar which means each row has
to be a bit larger to accomodate the larger icons. The downside is that
increasing the size of taskbar buttons (icons) means less of them can be
shown within the length of the row in the taskbar. You can change
grouping behavior using TweakUI to group similar buttons together under
1 button at an earlier rate than the default for Windows. If you don't
want to get TweakUI (a Microsoft powertoy), you can edit the registry to
alter grouping behavior; see:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7162307_tweak-xp-registry-taskbar-grouping.html

Many users don't want to directly edit the registry and prefer a tool,
like TweakUI, to edit the registry for them. Of course, with the
addition of a 2nd (or 3rd) row to the taskbar, you can drag all toolbars
(with the taskbar unlocked) to the bottom row and reserve the other rows
just for buttons (for app windows).

***
Just in case Gilliver jumps in this subthread claiming this changes the
entire Windows taskbar size and not just the font size for the Windows
clock, yeah, it does. My objective is to increase the size (height) of
the Windows taskbar so it can accomodate 3 lines for the display of the
Windows-provided systray clock object, not to recommend 3rd party clock
programs that consume more memory, suck up more CPU cycles but with the
hidden Windows clock object still operating, anyway, and add yet another
entry to the list of startup items to further slow the startup and
logging into Windows.

 

[VanguardLH]

It always amused me that it was under "Advanced", because it wasn't in
Windows '9x - thus implying that users of the new OS had to be protected
from themselves more than the Old Hands. Nothing changes (-:!

Just wait until you get to Windows 7 (and probably back in Vista, too)
where all those handy dialogs with tabs are now separated into wizards
so the functionality is no longer grouped under one window. Microsoft
made it far more difficult to find the Windows settings by slicing them
out and hiding them under new dialogs. Rather than add more options per
tab panel or add more tab panels or add more Control Panel applets they
instead dummified access to the settings with guides or wizards.

I'm not in their wealth position to do research on the intelligence of
Windows users but apparently Microsoft thinks [newer] users are becoming
more stupid. Frankly, I can't really disagree with that conclusion
(/and, no, I'm not now calling you Frank/).

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <[email protected]>, VanguardLH <[email protected]>
writes:
[]

I'm at home so don't have a Windows XP to look at right now. Something
that might work to make the taskbar just slightly larger so you get a
3-line clock display would be to use large icons in the taskbar. []
If upping the icon size for toolbars doesn't work to slightly increase
the height of rows in the taskbar, then look at Kelly's Corner
(http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm), #97 solution, which

Ooh, not a third-party solution is it? (I know, I know - just a tweak to
settings, not something continuously running.)

addresses the size of taskbar buttons. You'll want to run the .vbs
script on the right side of the table for #97 to make taskbar buttons
larger. []
Just in case Gilliver jumps in this subthread claiming this changes the (Name's John, by the way.)
entire Windows taskbar size and not just the font size for the Windows
clock, yeah, it does. My objective is to increase the size (height) of
the Windows taskbar so it can accomodate 3 lines for the display of the
Windows-provided systray clock object, not to recommend 3rd party clock
programs that consume more memory, suck up more CPU cycles but with the
hidden Windows clock object still operating, anyway, and add yet another
entry to the list of startup items to further slow the startup and
logging into Windows.

Indeed. Though the cycles - and startup time - for TClockEx are minimal.
But doing without it (or similar) is certainly not a bad aim.

FWIW I've now been issued with a 7-64 machine at work, and can't run it
there (other things having also been tightened). So I'm trying (see in
the 7 newsgroup) to find a way to make the built-in popup calendar
(which was the part of TClockEx I used most at work, anyway) stay popped
up - do you know one?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Here it's someone else's job to deal with the money. Clinical decisions
revolve around the patient's needs without any competing financial interests,
and there is no financial incentive to perform unnecessary or more expensive
procedures. That is a real plus. - Neurosurgeon Ludvic Zrinzo, in Radio Times
23-29 March 2013