Some Explorer (not IE) toolbars will not retain settings.

G

Guest

Something really weird is happening that I have never seen before after years
of using XP Home/Pro. This is a brand new install of XP Pro on a completely
formatted HDD that I have been using for about 2 weeks now. I've been
migrating stuff from my previous XP Pro which resides on my 2nd HDD (the 1st
HDD is much more capacious, hence why I'm doing this).

In the Explorer window the Standard Buttons bar has gone MIA. I used to
have it but it mysteriously disappeared. I can't for the life of me recall
what I was doing between the time it worked and didn't work. I am able to
temporalily turn it back on but it goes away again when I close and reopen a
window. "Lock the Toolbars" is not checked.

#1. Open Explorer (there is only one window open).
#2. Right click in a blank area of the toolbar and select *any* choice from
the popup. Nothing happens, *no* bar will change state and no check will
change in the popup.
#3. Click View from the Menu bar and select Toolbars - [any bar] (including
Standard Buttons) and they work as expected. From this point on I am able to
repeat #2 and it works as it should. All is well.
#4. Close and reopen Explorer. Standard Buttons is gone again. All other
bars remain visible and in the position I put them in previously, no problems
with them. Even RoboForm (pwd manager bar) works just fine, and retains its
show/hide state just like all the other toolbars except Standard Buttons.
I've been using RoboForm for months with no problems, and using the current
version, so it isn't that.
#5. I have tried rebooting many times after trying many things - nothing.

I have tried Tools - Folder Options - View - Restore Defaults. Nothing. I
have tried "Reset All Folders". Nothing. BTW, View - Go To - [back,
forward, up one level] works so at least I have some way of navigating.
Hotkeys also work thank goodness. I can drill down a few folders, and alt +
left arrow, alt + right arrow to get around.

I had the Google toolbar installed until this problem came up. It worked
great previously in IE and Explorer. Now I could not get it to show at all
in Explorer, not even temporarily, whereas I *can* show Standard Buttons -
until I reopen. I uninstalled Google toolbar. Standard Buttons is stilled
fubar. There's got to be a simple fix and I hope to high heaven I won't have
to wipe the disk and start all over. Please help - I will send cookies.

TIA,
Scott


XP Pro SP2 all patched up
IE 7 all patched up
Full Windows Defender scan with current definitions; no problems
 
G

Guest

EDIT

I discovered that I can right click a folder and select Explore. I get the
folder tree on the left side which helps greatly with navigation, but
everything mentioned above is still applicable.

Scott
 
G

Guest

Thanks Rey, I followed the steps at that link and it worked great - that is,
until I closed and reopened the window. I found the ShellBrowser value
ITBarLayout is created when I move toolbars around and then the problem is
back. I delete the value again and it works great. Next time I open a
window the problem is back. Very odd.
 
G

Guest

I use the term "window" to mean a single Explorer window. There is only one
"window" open at a time.
"Standard Buttons" is shortened to "SB"


I know that ShellBrowser->ITBarLayout is updated when any toolbar change is
made, but it does not remember the setting of the SB. All other toolbars'
visibility and positions are remembered. It is important to note that there
is no Explorer->ITBarLayout, which seems contrary to the info at
http://www.fjsmjs.com/IE/notoolbaar.htm "For Windows Explorer Toolbars: The
Explorer Sub-key directly affects Explorer." This is not true for me. There
is never an Explorer->ITBarLayout key. I have tried to create the key and
copied the data from ShellBrowser->ITBarLayout, but since Explorer's
ITBarLayout key is never used it does nothing. Only ShellBrowser's key is
used for window settings.


I delete ShellBrowser -> ITBarLayout.
I open a new window and I see the default layout including SB. This is
good. I am able to right click a blank area of any toolbar to get the popup
(the shortcut method to View -> Toolbars) and turn on/off any toolbar. I
arrange the toolbars where I want them (this updates ITBarLayout).
I close the window.
I open the window and the problem is back. The SB is gone but all other
toolbars are where they should be. Right clicking in a blank toolbar area no
longer works. Checking any menu in that popup does not toggle the check and
hence does make any change, it only closes the popup. Only when I use the
View -> Toolbars method and make a selection I then be able to use the "right
click blank area and select toolbars" popup as normal.

I press F11 to maximize the window and I see the SB. I restore the window
and nothing has changed. Interestingly when fullscreened I can move the
toolbar positions, add toolbars, etc and when I reopen the window and
fullscreen again those settings are remembered. This info is not stored in
ITBarLayout, and still no Explorer->ITBarLayout key exists.


I ran the ToolbarRepair.Exe program and it just deletes the ITBarLayout key
the same as I did manually. But again when I reopen the window the problem
returns. No SB, non-functioning popup until I use View->Toolbars and make a
selection. Then I can use the popup, show any bars including SB. Close,
reopen, the problem is back. Ugh.

Once again I appreciate your assistance.
 
G

Guest

Both XP Pro and Home has the Explorer->ITBarLayout key value. Maybe you can
just copy (export) the value from a good PC and import it to your PC. It
could be the problem or something is continually changing your settings which
could be Spywares.
 
E

Elmo

ScottShell said:
I use the term "window" to mean a single Explorer window. There is only one
"window" open at a time.
"Standard Buttons" is shortened to "SB"


I know that ShellBrowser->ITBarLayout is updated when any toolbar change is
made, but it does not remember the setting of the SB. All other toolbars'
visibility and positions are remembered. It is important to note that there
is no Explorer->ITBarLayout, which seems contrary to the info at
http://www.fjsmjs.com/IE/notoolbaar.htm "For Windows Explorer Toolbars: The
Explorer Sub-key directly affects Explorer." This is not true for me. There
is never an Explorer->ITBarLayout key. I have tried to create the key and
copied the data from ShellBrowser->ITBarLayout, but since Explorer's
ITBarLayout key is never used it does nothing. Only ShellBrowser's key is
used for window settings.


I delete ShellBrowser -> ITBarLayout.
I open a new window and I see the default layout including SB. This is
good. I am able to right click a blank area of any toolbar to get the popup
(the shortcut method to View -> Toolbars) and turn on/off any toolbar. I
arrange the toolbars where I want them (this updates ITBarLayout).
I close the window.
I open the window and the problem is back. The SB is gone but all other
toolbars are where they should be. Right clicking in a blank toolbar area no
longer works. Checking any menu in that popup does not toggle the check and
hence does make any change, it only closes the popup. Only when I use the
View -> Toolbars method and make a selection I then be able to use the "right
click blank area and select toolbars" popup as normal.

I press F11 to maximize the window and I see the SB. I restore the window
and nothing has changed. Interestingly when fullscreened I can move the
toolbar positions, add toolbars, etc and when I reopen the window and
fullscreen again those settings are remembered. This info is not stored in
ITBarLayout, and still no Explorer->ITBarLayout key exists.


I ran the ToolbarRepair.Exe program and it just deletes the ITBarLayout key
the same as I did manually. But again when I reopen the window the problem
returns. No SB, non-functioning popup until I use View->Toolbars and make a
selection. Then I can use the popup, show any bars including SB. Close,
reopen, the problem is back. Ugh.

Once again I appreciate your assistance.
Click to expand...

Might this help?

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Line 30. Windows XP Doesn't Save User Settings
 

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