Start Key preferences

[ryoko]

I was playing in services with Black Viper's new updated preferences since he uploaded the website after a 2 yr hyannis.
There are 3 sign-ins for our XP PRO. Me and my two children. I have mine all in Windows Classic but my kids like the large real estate bubbles on the XP.
Somehow I wiped out the taskbar preferences. All sign ins now have only MS Classic and when I go into Taskbar preferences and apply XP it only changes how the bubble program list appears but now it only shows the logon name with no picture and no green start key.
I cannot find the XP format in the drop down bar - only windows classic. Did I wipe out the XP taskbar look?
I went back to what I disabled and of the disable list I turned 4 back "on" (manual) WMI Performance/ Webclient/ SSDP Discovery/ NEtwork Location awareness. Everything else I disabled was either already disabled previously or in my opinion not needed.
Does anyone know how I can go back in and find the XP format for desktop/taskbar items?
I think becuz I preferenced on my sign in, when I rebooted it copied the windows classic to all but I feel theres got to be something I'm missing...
Thanks for any input....

[Panama Red]

Normally, you would right click the user's desktop, select properties and adjust the Themes using the drop down options. Unless you've messed with the registry, that should get you waht you need.

[ryoko]

Aaah I did turn on "teatimer" on Spybot and received this change notice:

Allowed value "defaultusername" (new data"XXX") changed in Winlogon!

XXX=my logon name

BTW properties/theme options do not work - this is a "behind the scene" thing. Will research winlogon stuff, saw something on MS website but if anyone has Winlogon experience please post

I did disable system restore in tasks, which I wonder was the culprit to this - I've since turned it back on...

[ryoko]

Was googling searches on this problem and found 3 "recommended" fixes for start key/ taskbar corruptions"
Would anyone with Registry experience be able to verify this action?

Read below:
Close any open desktop and taskbar applications, then open your registry and find the key below.
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.

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

I've read this but there are no followups on the forums to verify if it solved other user's problems.

If this is the solution, am I to believe Windows will "find or repair " the corrupt registry for the taskbar and fix it?
My one issue goes into my disabling the system restore, would "default state" be before system restore or Windows XP regular icons?

If this is not the solution would XP CD help me?
Thanks for rreplies....

[ryoko]

Gosh-darn I finally found the fix; It was under the Services (cp.>admin.serv.) for THEMES. Themes must be set on Automatic for any Windows XP themes to be applied.

If anyone does a search for fixing their taskbars, I'm posting this link that had multiple solutions to what your problem may be:
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1010795608