AboutTroy M. MCSE, CNA, MCP, CST, IC3, Aplus Expertise Hi there! Even though I am new around here, I have been having great fun with PCs for over two decades now, becoming familiar with Windows through versions 3.x/9x/Me/2000/XP/2003. I enjoy helping others with what I feel is an exciting industry - computers are always changing, improving and offering new opportunities for learning.
I look forward to assisting you with questions concerning Windows, how it interacts with your PC Hardware, configuration/settings or just general tips and ideas.
Besides troubleshooting questions, feel free to ask the basics, as well. I will always start there, and I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a dumb question - we are all ‘Beginners’ at one time or another!
Experience I am an Aplus Certified [the 'plus sign' is unviewable here currently], Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with Computer Service Technician and LAN Administration diplomas and 10 years direct experience with PCs including assembly, troubleshooting/support and upgrading.
I have worked for retail outlets, schools and businesses, and have been an Instructor in the past as well – helping others, just like you, understand and enjoy computers!
Education/Credentials MCSE
(Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), CNA
(Certified Novell Administrator), MCP
(Microsoft Certified Professional), CST (Computer Service Technician (Formerly Computer Engineering Technician)(Hardware/OS servicing Diploma), IC3 (Internet and Core Computing Certification)(Hardware/OperatingSystem/Internet Fundamentals Certification), Aplus [the 'plus sign' is unviewable here currently](Computing Technology Industry Association Hardware/Operating System Certification)
Question Hey Troy,
All of a sudden, my taskbar has started behaving funny. The open programs that I minimize dissapear somewhere between the Start button and the Quick launch icons. If I close the quick launch toolbar, the taskbar disappears like in Auto Hide mode, but only it disappears permanently. I have to use the Windows key and re-enable quick launch to get it back. In taskbar properties, the 'keep on top' is checked, 'auto-hide' is unchecked. I've even tried deleting the ITBar key from the registry as suggested by the Microsoft site but to no avail. Help !!!
Answer Hi Sagar,
The Taskbar in Windows is quite customizable and I have definitely messed around with mine in the past, sometimes getting myself into trouble with it! Because it can be altered so much, there are many things we can do to make it perform how we want and fix problems that may arise. I’ll try and go through a few of the things here, starting with the simplest (which thankfully, sometimes changes exactly what we were looking for!).
» One of the first things I want to look at is where the Minimized Programs are going. The multiple toolbar sections of the Taskbar can be slid around and put in different order. You may simply have your ‘tasks’ area right next to the Start Button, and the Quick Launch toolbar cramped up next to that. Your Minimized Programs are then going into a very small space between them. I have tried to simulate this and took a screenshot for you to see here:
(if you cannot just click on the above link and go to the page, copy and paste the line into the Address bar of your web browser to go there)
As you can see, if your Quick Launch toolbar is very close to the Start Button, and the area where your Tasks are going in between, it can be very small and you will barely see the programs you are running. To move them around, place your mouse over the double-dotted-lines(vertical bars) and your arrow should turn into a double-arrow (I put one in the screenshot as an example). Then, hold your mouse button down and you can slide the toolbars around each other! This should help adjust each one to give you the size you desire.
If you cannot see the dotted-vertical-bars at all, right-click on the Taskbar somewhere and select ‘Lock The Taskbar’ – it may be that your Toolbars are locked and cannot be manipulated at all. Another thing you can try is to select the ‘Show Title’, to see which Toolbar is not where you want, and together with the VerticalAdjustmentBars, you should be able to move them to where you want.
» The fact that your Taskbar is actually ‘disappearing’ (not Auto-Hide) is not normal Windows behavior and something else (regrettably then, something you may not be able to adjust) is affecting what is happening.
The Taskbar should not be so ‘dependent’ on Quicklaunch (or any toolbar), and completely disappear when it is simply not selected. A poorly-written program, or one that is somewhat incompatible may be conflicting or have damaged files/settings that the Taskbar requires to operate properly. There are a few things you can try to alleviate this still, don’t lose hope!
One thing is simply to uninstall recently-installed programs that you have tried and see if that ‘reverses’ any adjustments or problems.
(Go to Start>Settings>Control Panel and choose to Add/Remove Programs – removing some of the latest ones you have installed)
Another way to undo some recent changes is to use the System Restore utility in Windows to ‘restore’ your system to an earlier way that it was set up. It will take ‘rollback’ programs and device drivers [system files Windows uses to ‘talk to the Hardware’] and may also get rid of the offending program/device.
(Go to Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore in WindowsXP) and choose Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time)
» The ITbar part of your description can be a couple things:
- A company called Renium offers Voice-Over-IP [making phone calls over your internet connection] and has their own toolbar:
It is called ‘ITbar’ and if you are having problems making calls or with their service, they would know far more about it specifically to assist you.
- There is also a malicious program (or Trojan Horse) called ‘Istbar’ (perhaps this is what you meant?) and if you have an Anti-Virus program or other Malicious Software removal utilities, run their update steps and do a full system scan afterward. Here are a few websites with some information on 'Istbar':
[To truly do a full system scan, you should boot from the Anti-Virus CD or a backup boot disk you have made recently and perform a scan from there (or Safe Mode in Windows), following the steps for your specific Anti-Virus program/Utility]
The information about deleting Registry Keys may have been related to this Trojan, as that is a common response to many Virii and Trojans, as they create instructions in the Registry to ‘run themselves’.
» Lastly, in general, a good idea is to make sure your Windows (and other programs, like your Anti-Virus Applications) [are] updated, so that incompatible problems, security problems, and other fixes are available and installed. Going to
or running the Windows Update in the Start Menu is a good way to make sure as many problems or security holes as possible in Windows in general are fixed or prevented.
Many programs themselves have their own ‘Update’ feature that should be run periodically to see if there are any patches/fixes or new versions available.
I apologize for the length of the response; it is just that such symptoms could be the result of a number of things. If none of these things work for you, you may truly only be able to back up what data you can, format your harddrive and reinstall Windows (or restore it from a backup). If you do decide to do this, know that it will be the clean in the end – free of virus and Trojan alike, and your system will be ready for you to set up and get it performing how you like it once again. It is a bit of work, so save this step until the very last, but know that it is there to solve your problem in the end.
Feel free to respond for additional information, or to just let me know how things worked out.. Good luck and try to stay positive! :)
Take care,
~Troy
*[Some Images are my personal creations to help in understanding and assisting others, but most links and images are subject to the copyright of their respective owners]
