Windows Explorer missing menubar and toolbars

[Tim Colling]

Hi -

I use Windows 2003 Home Edition, Service Pack , on my HP ze5385US laptop.

Lately, when I use Windows Explorer, there is no menu bar and no toolbars,
and there is a very thin grey bar between the folder and file panes and the
title bar where the menu bar and toolbars would normally be. I have tried
right clicking on that thin grey bar to no avail. When I mouse over that
thin grey bar, the mouse cursor changes to a double-headed vertical arrow
but I cannot actually drag out that thin bar to a wider (taller) one.

Can anyone suggest what I can do to restore my menus and toolbars?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Walter Clayton]

From the view pull down, select toolbars. Make sure that standard buttons
and address bar is enabled.

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org

 

[Tim Colling]

Hi -

Thank you very much for taking the time and effort to respond to my message.
I appreciate your help.

When I right-click on the right-hand pane (the files pane), I get a context
menu with "View" one of the choices. Then, when I select "View", here are
the choices that appear on the sub-menu:

Thumbnails
Tiles
Icons
List
Details

Can you suggest what to try next?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Walter Clayton]

Wrong view option. At the top of the window, just underneath the top bar you
should have:

File Edit View Favorites Tools Help.

Click on view.
If you don't see those options then hit alt-v.

Once that drop down menu is displayed, select toolbars, etc.

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org

 

[Guest]

Not the 'view' button from the toolbar, Walter is referring to click 'view' from the menu on the top of the window, there you have an option of toolbars.

 

[Keith Miller]

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

line 3, left-hand column

Keith

 

[Tim Colling]

As I stated in my original message, there is NO menu bar below the title
bar. Thus, there is no "View" menu choice to be made.

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Tim Colling]

As I stated in my original message, there is NO menu bar below the title
bar. Thus, there is no "View" menu choice to be made.

Thanks,
Tim

Not the 'view' button from the toolbar, Walter is referring to click

'view' from the menu on the top of the window, there you have an option of
toolbars.

 

[Tim Colling]

THANK YOU! That did it.

Best regards,
Tim

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

line 3, left-hand column

Keith

 

[Walter Clayton]

...and as I said,

If that fails to bring the menu up then you're looking at something that's
going to take some serious research to fix short of a repair reinstall. Off
the top of my head I can't think of any reason why you'd not be able to see
the normal menu items short of a theme or desktop manager gone awry.

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org

 

[Keith Miller]

You're welcome. You should bookmark Kelly's site. It's a great resource.

Keith