Taskbar problems

[Pflueger]

I need to know what causes my taskbar to disappear, including no access to
the START menu. When that happens, windows will only minimize to a small
blue bar at the bottom of the desktop (I am able to maximize them again),
and nothing happens at all when I right-click the desktop.

If I have programs running I can only bring them up using task manager I
access with ctrl-alt-del. Since the START menu doesn't appear I also have to
use task manager to reboot or shut down.

Any ideas what is doing this and what I can do to prevent it? Thanks,

Pflu

 

[Guest]

When does this usually happen, and what is going on when it happens?

 

[Guest]

Can you open your Start menu by pressing the START button from your keyboard?
If yes, that means your TaskBar is get reduce. As you mention, you can see a
Blue Bar at the bottom of your desktop. Right-click on that Blue Bar and
uncheck "Lock the Taskbar", if it is checked. Move your mouse pointer near to
that Blue Bar border and your cursor will change to Up Down Arrow With Base.
Hold down left mouse click and try increasing the size. See if this helps you.

If that doesn't work then goto following link - Line No. 117.

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

Regarding no response on right-clicking on Desktop. Can you see the Desktop
icons and are you able to open them like Recycle Bin? See the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...s/2000/server/reskit/en-us/regentry/93790.asp

Hope this information help you, Let us know!

 

[Guest]

Can you open your Start menu by pressing the START button from your keyboard?
If yes, that means your TaskBar is get reduce. As you mention, you can see a
Blue Bar at the bottom of your desktop. Right-click on that Blue Bar and
uncheck "Lock the Taskbar", if it is checked. Move your mouse pointer near to
that Blue Bar border and your cursor will change to Up Down Arrow With Base.
Hold down left mouse click and try increasing the size. See if this helps you.

If that doesn't work then goto following link - Line No. 117.

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

Regarding no response on right-clicking on Desktop. Can you see the Desktop
icons and are you able to open them like Recycle Bin? See the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...s/2000/server/reskit/en-us/regentry/93790.asp

Hope this information help you, Let us know!

 

[Guest]

Can you open your Start menu by pressing the START button from your keyboard?
If yes, that means your TaskBar is get reduce. As you mention, you can see a
Blue Bar at the bottom of your desktop. Right-click on that Blue Bar and
uncheck "Lock the Taskbar", if it is checked. Move your mouse pointer near to
that Blue Bar border and your cursor will change to Up Down Arrow With Base.
Hold down left mouse click and try increasing the size. See if this helps you.

If that doesn't work then goto following link - Line No. 117.

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

Regarding no response on right-clicking on Desktop. Can you see the Desktop
icons and are you able to open them like Recycle Bin? See the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...s/2000/server/reskit/en-us/regentry/93790.asp

Hope this information help you, Let us know!

 

[Guest]

There are two fixes for this problem.

When does this usually happen, and what is going on when it happens?

 

[Pflueger]

The START menu does not work with the keyboard button when this happens.
Also, by the "blue bar" I did not mean the blue TASKBAR (that is missing); I
meant when I minimize a window, it will minimize to a small blue
window-header bar on the desktop which I can then maximize from itself (I
have wallpaper on desktop, no icons). When the taskbar disappears,
everything is frozen except for the windows I have open. If there are
programs running that are minimized to the taskbar when it disappears, I can
still open them from the task manager by bringing them to the front.

Basically what I am saying is the desktop (with wallpaper-no icons) is dead
to right click, the taskbar goes missing therefore no START menu including
no START menu from the keyboard. Anything that is open can still be run but
only from the task manager; any windows that are open can still be
max/minimized (but onto the desktop) and I have to use task manager to shut
down because no START.

I know it sounds a bit confusing because it is compounded -- but I hope
you'll bear with me because this problem makes for a lot of extra work.

Pflu

 

[Pflueger]

I can't pinpoint anything exactly that is going on -- it seems to happen
when I have an IE window or two open, possibly another program (not anything
large like NERO or something --I use them alone), and maybe Windows Explorer
(these are the normal things I generally use).

I have plenty of RAM (1Gig), and 80G HDD with 59G unused--never have any
memory problems.

Pflu

 

[Guest]

Are you saying that the task bar disappears completely like is gone
completely - gone for good? Does it ever return during the same session, as
in suddenly reappear? In Safe Mode does the taskbar ever exhibit the
behavior you are experiencing?

 

[Pflueger]

Are you saying that the task bar disappears completely like is gone
completely - gone for good? Does it ever return during the same session, as
in suddenly reappear? In Safe Mode does the taskbar ever exhibit the
behavior you are experiencing?

It is gone completely until I reboot, then it returns normally until the
next time whatever conditions cause it. Same with the desktop; it stays hung
until I reboot then it also goes back to normal.

I am not familiar with using safe mode so I haven't tried that.

Pflu

 

[Guest]

Presuming that you know how to edit the Windows registry, try this first:

Close any open desktop and taskbar applications, then open your registry and
find the key -

User Key[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
StuckRects]

Delete the entire "StuckRects" key, or "StuckRects2" for Windows 2000/XP,
and reboot.

When Windows restarts the taskbar should be set back to a default working
state.

 

[Pflueger]

Thing is it's working OK right now --when it disappears I have no way to get
to the registry because the Start menu is also gone. Then when I reboot it
must reset itself in the way you suggest.

I think what I will do is wait until it occurs next time and try to document
everything specific that is happening since there is no way to intervene
when it is hung. I will try to work your suggestions in if possible.

Thanks, Pflu

Presuming that you know how to edit the Windows registry, try this first:

Close any open desktop and taskbar applications, then open your registry and
find the key -

User Key[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
StuckRects]

Delete the entire "StuckRects" key, or "StuckRects2" for Windows 2000/XP,
and reboot.

When Windows restarts the taskbar should be set back to a default working
state.

session,
as

It is gone completely until I reboot, then it returns normally until the
next time whatever conditions cause it. Same with the desktop; it stays hung
until I reboot then it also goes back to normal.

I am not familiar with using safe mode so I haven't tried that.

Pflu