Hide the Task bar ----- REALLY

[Judy]

We are using a Windows XP computer as an image generator in a simulator. We
need to hide the task bar and have no piece ( not even a little line)
showing. Nothing can pop it back into view.

I would love to permantly and completely hide the task bar from a startup
script.

Now here is the tricky bit. Sometimes when we are doing service over the
phone we want the customer to be able to bring up the task bar. I would love
to hide it and show it again with a hot key. Can someone tell me how to do
this?

 

[Jose]

We are using a Windows XP computer as an image generator in a simulator. We
need to hide the task bar and have no piece ( not even a little line)
showing. Nothing can pop it back into view.

I would love to permantly and completely hide the task bar from a startup
script.

Now here is the tricky bit. Sometimes when we are doing service over the
phone we want the customer to be able to bring up the task bar. I would love
to hide it and show it again with a hot key. Can someone tell me how to do
this?

Right click an empty area on your taskbar, choose Properties and tick
the Auto-hide the taskbar box, then click OK.or OK).

The taskbar will disappear and reappear when the mouse is moved into
the area where the taskbar normally would be and then disappear again
when the mouse is moved away. You can undo the property later if you
want of course.

See how that works for you.

REALLY.

 

[Craig Coope]

We are using a Windows XP computer as an image generator in a simulator. We
need to hide the task bar and have no piece ( not even a little line)
showing. Nothing can pop it back into view.

I would love to permantly and completely hide the task bar from a startup
script.

Now here is the tricky bit. Sometimes when we are doing service over the
phone we want the customer to be able to bring up the task bar. I would love
to hide it and show it again with a hot key. Can someone tell me how to do
this?

Is this tailor made software?

Can't you run it as "fullscreen" to get rid of all Windows components
from view...and then minimise when you do need the taskbar?

 

[Tim Meddick]

Judy,
I have never used this setting but you could try it out to see if it
does what you need. This registry setting "disables the entire desktop" and
I can only guess what that actually means, but here you go....

------------- copy between lines -------------

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoDesktop"=dword:00000001

------------- copy between lines -------------

....if you copy and paste the above into notepad and save as a file with the
..reg extension. Then you can import it using regedit or double-click on the
file. Please post whether or not this worked for you, I'd be interested to
know.


==


Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Elmo]

We are using a Windows XP computer as an image generator in a simulator. We
need to hide the task bar and have no piece (not even a little line)
showing. Nothing can pop it back into view.

I would love to permanently and completely hide the task bar from a startup
script.

Now here is the tricky bit. Sometimes when we are doing service over the
phone we want the customer to be able to bring up the task bar. I would love
to hide it and show it again with a hot key. Can someone tell me how to do
this?

Kelly has a script to disable the Taskbar. An UNDO script could
reactivate it.

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Line 226. Remove the Taskbar

Create a shortcut to one of these and set any key combination to
activate the script or .vbs file:

Line 117. Restore Taskbar and Start Menu
Line 164. Restore Taskbar to Default Functionality

 

[Nate Grossman]

Judy,
I have never used this setting but you could try it out to see if it
does what you need. This registry setting "disables the entire desktop" and
I can only guess what that actually means, but here you go....

You are dangerous.

 

[Guest]

Elmo,

Disbale the Taskbar means make it unclickable

 

[Guest]

Judy,

I wrote a program in 2004 & is available somewhere on the Internet which
uses code to Show/Hide the Taskbar. Just simply finds the Taskbar window
then passes a Message to it either showing or hiding the Taskbar. The code
is below if you want to compile it yourself

Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal
lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Integer
Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByVal
hWndInsertAfter As Integer, ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer, ByVal cx
As Integer, ByVal cy As Integer, ByVal wFlags As Integer) As Integer

Public Const SWP_HIDEWINDOW As Int32 = &H80
Public Const SWP_SHOWWINDOW As Int32 = &H40

Public Sub ShowTaskBar()
Dim intReturn As Integer = FindWindow("Shell_traywnd", "")
SetWindowPos(intReturn, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_SHOWWINDOW)
End Sub

Public Sub HideTaskBar()
Dim intReturn As Integer = FindWindow("Shell_traywnd", "")
SetWindowPos(intReturn, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_HIDEWINDOW)
End Sub

Maybe the above simple code is going beyond the scope of this newsgroup.
Just create a simple application that calls HideTaskBar on machine startup
that way you will never see it. You can then have another application that
when run shows the taskbar. Even more controlled if you're using XP Pro then
use the local startup/shutdown policies to run them meaning no intervention
needed on your part

I am happy to create 2 individual apps if you wish. Won't take me 2 mins.
One will contain the declarations & the Hide sub & the second with Show
instead of Hide. But small attachments only show up if you're using a
newsreader like Outlook Express... so unless you view the newsgroup you
won't see them as I won't e-mail users directly because of spammers

 

[Tim Meddick]

How dare you butt in to call me dangerous, you pompous know-nothing. This
is a setting listed in 'Fresh UI' - a well-liked and well-documented
program. I simply did a 'reg shot' comparison to find out what registry
entry it altered for this setting. Though it's listed as "Disable entire
desktop" I doubt very much that it stops windows from functioning correctly,
as I said, it's a well-liked and popular piece of software. Why would it
have a setting "Yes please - f**k up my entire windows installation"? Do
YOU think it might? The program has NEVER done anything to damage ANY
installation that I've EVER tried it on yet - and I've been using it for
eight years. I think you are dangerous, making accusations you haven't got
a clue about.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Guest]

NoDesktop
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Data type Range Default value
REG_DWORD 0 | 1 0

Description
Determines if icons, shortcuts, and other default and user-defined items are
removed from the desktop, including Briefcase, Recycle Bin, My Computer, and
My Network Places.

Removes icons, shortcuts, and other default and user-defined items from the
desktop, including Briefcase, Recycle Bin, My Computer, and My Network
Places.

This entry stores the setting of the Hide all icons on Desktop Group Policy.
Group Policy adds this entry to the registry with a value of 1 when you
enable the policy. If you disable the policy or set it to Not configured,
Group Policy deletes the entry from the registry and the system behaves as
though the value is 0.

Value Meaning
0 (or not in registry) The policy is disabled or not configured. Desktop
items appear.
1 The policy is enabled.Desktop items are removed.

Removing icons and shortcuts does not prevent the user from using another
method to start the programs or opening the items they represent.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Thankyou Mr 'dot' for your clarification that this is obviously NOT
dangerous. I will never make fun of your name again.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Elmo]

Elmo,

Disbale the Taskbar means make it unclickable

The tweak, "Line 226. Remove the Taskbar" doesn't "Disbale" the
Taskbar, it removes it.

Kelly has a script to disable the Taskbar. An UNDO script could
reactivate it.

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Line 226. Remove the Taskbar

Create a shortcut to one of these and set any key combination to
activate the script or .vbs file:

Line 117. Restore Taskbar and Start Menu
Line 164. Restore Taskbar to Default Functionality

 

[Tim Meddick]

Apparently - this 'fix' only disables the FUNCTIONALITY of the Taskbar - NOT
the visibility of it. (i.e. disables the ability to click on it).

==


Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Elmo]

Apparently - this 'fix' only disables the FUNCTIONALITY of the Taskbar - NOT
the visibility of it. (i.e. disables the ability to click on it).

==


Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Well that's a bummer. But there are utilities to hide/remove the Taskbar:

http://groups.google.com/groups/search?q=remove+taskbar&qt_s=Search+Groups

 

[Judy]

Wow - thanks everyone for all your help. I clearly have a lot of stuff to try.

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner - I have been traveling.

I will let you know which one worked out for us once we try thise.

Thanks again!!!

 

[Judy]

Thanks Jose - actually we already tried that - but sometimes Windows gets
confused and pops up the task bar when we don't want it popped up.

 

[Judy]

Yes, we are running in fullscreen, but the task bar will pop up even in full
screen.

 

[Judy]

Thanks! this was the ticket. We will use this...

 

[Tim Meddick]

Nate,
I have already answered your accusation from another computer I use,
but as I can't see it posted here I will answer it again. How can you say
that it is a dangerous suggestion when you say nothing to support your
accusation. The setting I quoted can be found in the program 'Fresh UI' - a
well-liked and popular piece of software. Do you think they would have a
setting in that program that would f**k up your computer?! I don't think
so. Just because I haven't tried it myself you think you can sling
erroneous accusations about. Others have since posted the same answer
here - what do you want to call them? You know nothing!


==


Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Tim Meddick]

I have to say, these two small program do really work! The one to stop the
taskbar from becoming visible permanently and the other to undo! In that,
maybe they should have been named "Hide/Show Taskbar"!? I am surprised. If
the OP can see the attachment to download it, this should suit her right
down to the ground, I must say.

==


Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.