problems with xp task bar

[andy_dandy]

I have done something to my xp taskbar. the active windows dont show up so i have to see whats running through task manager. i think i moved the language bar around and now its on the left hand side and i cant move it back! please can someone help??

[nellie2]

If you right click on the taskbar and then click Lock the taskbar so there isn't a tick against it... are you able to drag your language bar icon back over to the right.... and have your minimised windows reappeared?

[djohn]

Right click on the taskbar - from the menu select toolbars and remove the tick from show language bar, left click anywhere on the screen then do the same again but place the tick back against language bar and it will move back over to the right near the notification area.

[andy_dandy]

I have tried As you said but when i remove the language toolbar the task bar disappears all together. When i right click and tick it again it reappears still on the left hand side and i still cant move it. i have unlocked the task bar re locked it unlocked it again but this does not seem to work either. Im stumped!

[djohn]

OK. Try a right click on the taskbar/Properties and does it look the same as mine with ticks in the same boxes?

[andy_dandy]

No I dont have a tick in the lock task bar or the hide inactive icons. When i right click the task bar it only comes up with language options like the language bar is spead the whole way accross the task bar. to get properties up i have to click in a little space where my icons are at the bottom right. Ive tried changing things about in properties but it doesnt seen to work. I appreciate your help.

[djohn]

If you look to the left of your taskbar, where the language bar has moved over to. Just between the language bar and the "Start" Button is there a vertical dotted line on the taskbar? If so, move your cursor over that line until the pointer changes to a double headed arrow then left click your mouse and hold it down while you drag the line back over to the right near the clock.

That may reduce the area thats being taken up by the language bar at the moment. If this works then right click the taskbar/properties and tick, "Lock Taskbar". Give that a try and let us know how you get on.

Also if you could take a screenshot of your desktop and post it here it will help a lot. If not sure how to do this then again, let us know and one of us will talk you through the procedure.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

There are indeed a number of troubles with the taskbar when the language bar is installed. I found one sure way to avoid taksbar problems, and that is to unclick both Language Bar and Quick launch before shutdown or reboot.

If I don't do that, I will end up with multiple language bars, and icons of active programs not showing in the systray.

[andy_dandy]

hi, I tried unclicking each bar but then the task bar disappears and i have to shut down using the task manager. when i reboot its still not there. i have to put one bar on for the task bar to appear.

Djohn, I've tried clicking on the dotted line and the curser does change but it doesnt drag. Can you tell how to do a screen shot of my desk top i have no idea?! much appreciated.

[djohn]

Your welcome. With your desktop on show hit the "print scrn" key, this will copy the image of your desktop. Its just above the insert key, top right of your keyboard.

Open "Paint" and from the toolbar choose "Edit/Paste". This will display the shot of your desktop.

Click on "File/Save as" and choose jpeg, save the image to your desktop.

click on the "Reply" button to this thread and just below the message box and below the double row of smiley's you will see a window with the word "Browse" to the right of it. Click on this button and browse to your desktop where you have saved the image.

Left click on the image and it will appear in the Browse window as text [Not a picture].

Just to the right of this window are the words "Add this attachment" click on that and wait a moment or two for it to load then hit the "Add reply" button underneath, just as you would normally to add a comment to the thread. If everything works as it should and I've not missed anything out, your picture will appear in the thread when you view it. :lol:

[andy_dandy]

here is my desktop hope it helps!

[djohn]

Yes, it helps when you can see the problem. Well done by the way on posting your desktop. :)

That dotted vertical line on the left near the start button that when you move your cursor over turns to a double headed arrow. There should also be one showing over on the right near the sys tray [Notification area] but yours is not showing because you don't have the taskbar locked.

Try to place your cursor as far over to the right as you can even if it means going into the section with the Icons on and right click your mouse, choose properties and tick "Lock the task Bar".

Now if you look at your taskbar, somewhere along it you will have a second vertical dotted bar same as the one on the Left. Move your cursor over this second one until it changes to a double headed arrow, left click and hold, drag back to the right [toward the Icons] as far as it will go and everything should go back to normal and the second dotted line will disappear again. (With a bit of luck) :)

[rong]

If I click lock the task bar all my lines go, also my lines are solid

PS I don`t have a problem, just pointing it out.

[andy_dandy]

Hi, I went far over like you said and went to properties and locked the taskbar. see my desktop, there is no more dotted lines appearing.

[andy_dandy]

forgot to post my desktop!

[andy_dandy]

it wont let me add an attachment now. will try later.

[ddggss_55]

hey, i've had this problem before, i use the language bar, and it was stuffing up, and for whatever reason, its messed up the xp taskbar, and the only way the taskbar stays there is by keeping the quicklaunch menu open, otherwise it dissapears.

i use a number of machines using multiple admin accounts, on two seperate win xp home machines several of the accounts have had these problems. I contacted microsoft, and they said they'd never had the problem or any reports of it. I couldn't fix it, the only way thing is to copy all your documents and settings files from that account, create a new account and paste the settings in.

[joeypastelli]

I recently had the same exact problem that you had. I believe that its a virus of some sort. I had to go to the last resort and format/reinstall windows. I asked quite a few of my friends who are computer techs and they all had no idea what the problem was. Sadly I had to start over and I hope I wont have that problem again. I hope somebody finds a solution before you have to go to the last resort too.

[benjamin.durham]

I am using Windows XP Home with SP2 and I have the exact same problem as mentioned above, but the task bar only dissapeared a few days ago, when I did something with my language bar, but I can't recall what.

Could this be a virus?, my norton anti-virus 2004 hasn't picked up on anything and I have updated the virus definitions used by this application, and my Norton Firewall is working fine. Please inform me of the progress of the solution and if the problem is caused by a virus.

I have the same problem with the following symptoms, when I minimize my windows they too don't appear as they used to on the task bar, when I remove any of the toolbars for example; Language and Quick Launch the task bar totally dissapears, if I leave them present the taskbar stays. I am unable to move the language bar using the dotted line which used to move when the mouse hovered and there is no second dotted line present on the right of the task bar near the clock. I have tried everything unlocking, locking, changing options ect but I have no idea. I have never had this problem before which baffles me. I have enclosed a Screenshot of my desktop, if it appears useful if you need another source of evidence to help us with the problem.

Thankyou,

Ben

[benjamin.durham]

I have successfully resolved the problem on my computer with the disappearing taskbar, as given by ddggss_55,

'i use a number of machines using multiple admin accounts, on two seperate win xp home machines several of the accounts have had these problems. I contacted microsoft, and they said they'd never had the problem or any reports of it. I couldn't fix it, the only way thing is to copy all your documents and settings files from that account, create a new account and paste the settings in.'

I created a new account and copied all my documents and settings from my old account to the new one, I deleted my old account and on the new one the taskbar is fine, I just hope that the taskbar which is fine now stays fine permanantly, I advise you doing the same if you havn't done so or found a solution all ready, I believe we have learnt a lesson don't mess the dammed language bar.

Benjamin

[Pugwash]

I've had exactly the same problem and fixed it in much the same way as described. However, the problem recurs periodically and I've now suffered it several times.

I'm quite an experienced techie, but so far I've not managed to isolate the cause or find an easy fix short of creating a new user account. This is a painful and unfortunately temporary solution, as the problem keeps returning sooner or later.

One interesting symptom that I've observer is that the toolbar list starts to show multiple entries for 'Language Bar' and one for 'The Language Bar'. Not sure if that helps anyone else. I'll post a solution here if I ever get to the bottom of the problem.

[bvw]

Thanks for the input Pugwash :)

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I've had exactly the same problem and fixed it in much the same way as described. However, the problem recurs periodically and I've now suffered it several times.

I'm quite an experienced techie, but so far I've not managed to isolate the cause or find an easy fix short of creating a new user account. This is a painful and unfortunately temporary solution, as the problem keeps returning sooner or later.

One interesting symptom that I've observer is that the toolbar list starts to show multiple entries for 'Language Bar' and one for 'The Language Bar'. Not sure if that helps anyone else. I'll post a solution here if I ever get to the bottom of the problem.

As I wrote in an earlier post in this thread, I avoid taksbar problems by removing the Language Bar before every shutdown. I would love to know if there was an automatic method for doing that, but I doubt it. But perhaps someone has an idea?

[man_amit2003]

Hi,

I've had this annoying problem as well, but I've solved it completely by using a brainwave from the quoted post. I used the File and Settings Transfer Wizard. Use the working account (with working taskbar) as "old computer", and select "settings only", of which you want to transfer. Then tick the box saying "let me choose what to transfer" or similar, then click on next. Delete all the settings apart from "taskbar settings" and click next, and windows will save the settings. Go to your normal account with the misbehaving taskbar, open the Wizard, trat this account as "new computer" and navigate to the file where you saved the settings. Let the Wizard work its magic, log out and log in again, and Voila! A working taskbar!

I think it might be possible to get the settings from the WindowsXP CD (for people with single accounts) but I have not tried this.

Hope this works. Problem solved. Painless. :D

Amit

...  I created a new account and copied all my documents and settings from my old account to the new one, I deleted my old account and on the new one the taskbar is fine, I just hope that the taskbar which is fine now stays fine permanantly, I advise you doing the same if you havn't done so or found a solution all ready, I believe we have learnt a lesson don't mess the dammed language bar.

Benjamin

[Pugwash]

Hi,

I've had this annoying problem as well, but I've solved it completely by using a brainwave from the quoted post. I used the File and Settings Transfer Wizard. Use the working account (with working taskbar) as "old computer", and select "settings only", of which you want to transfer. Then tick the box saying "let me choose what to transfer" or similar, then click on next. Delete all the settings apart from "taskbar settings" and click next, and windows will save the settings. Go to your normal account with the misbehaving taskbar, open the Wizard, trat this account as "new computer" and navigate to the file where you saved the settings. Let the Wizard work its magic, log out and log in again, and Voila! A working taskbar!

I think it might be possible to get the settings from the WindowsXP CD (for people with single accounts) but I have not tried this.

Hope this works. Problem solved. Painless.  :D

Amit

Ok, I'll give that a try as the taskbar has just gone phut! again tonight. I would love to know what the trigger is - it only happens on one PC of serveral.