Help! Broke Windows.
 

I did something to the taskbar at the bottom of my screen. Now I can't see the programs that are running. The only way to figure it out is to Alt-Tab between programs. What did I do, how do I fix it? :mad:

Try putting the mouse near the bottom of the screen where the bar was. Does the pointer turn into an up/down pointer. If so, click and drag the mouse up. It should enlarge the bar.

Dave

Yeah, I can do that, but it's still blank wven if I drag the bar halfway up the screen. It has something to do with the dotted line next to the start button I think. I had two dotted lines earlier (do to some goof up) and got rid of one - and my tasks!!

Right-click on the bar and check to see if "Lock the Taskbar" is check. If so, uncheck it and see if you can drag the "dotted line" left or right. If it is already unchecked, leave it that way and try to drag left and right. You can also right click on the bar and see what toolbars are being shown. Gotta run, hope this helps.

Dave

I have right clicked and mesed with every setting in that menu. No luck. :(

whoops answer to the wrong problem. What version of windows are you running and can you see the icons on your desktop?

Grab the little dotted line with your mouse and slide it over to the right...

Idiot, it won't slide.

Tim, it's home XP. I can see the general icons "IE", etc. But if I have 4 IE windows open, I couldn't look at my desktop and see them..

k, it sounds like you can see the task bar/start button but running application area is completely empty or does it have a few icons next to the start button and/or a few next to the clock, if so which side has them?

No icons next to start (never were though, I don't use it that way), a few next to the clock.

There is some website with a bunch of VBS scripts to fix stuff like this. I think I hosed up the registry somehow. I can't run it till I get home, but that must be the cause. Or, I have heard a worm can cause this. :(

Anyway to send a screen shot later?

Right click at the bottom / Properties / check Always on Top

From there change all the things you may need ...

If not just reinstall Windows!! :)

i forgot all about the issue, fired up the PC and it's fine now. WTF?