Do I need to re-install Windows XP

[framplot]

Have I got three un-related problems or do they indicate I have got one major problem and need to re-install ?

Firstly, Task Manager is not working correctly. Pressing the usual Ctl Alt Del brings it up OK but there are no tabs showing - just one window showing the running processes. Windows Help says there should be a Task Manager Help button - not on mine there isn't !

Secondly, I have a desktop folder containing shortcuts to my games. I set it up to open in a window, rather than full screen, and to display each shortcut in "icon" view, rather than "details" or "thumbnails" etc.

When I first switch on the computer this is exactly what I get but if I close the folder, do some work, then re-open the folder then the setting are screwed up - it opens full screen and in "thumnails" view. I have been into Control Panel, Folder Settings, and there is definitely a tick in the "remember folder settings" etc.

Thirdly, I have a desktop icon for Windows Explorer. It works exactly as it should do, showing the "c" drive opened up etc.
But it will only open up in a window - not full screen, i.e. I can only see the left hand pane and then have to click on "full screen" etc. I have checked properties and it is marked to open full screen !! So why doesn't it do just that ?

Any help would be appreciated.

[EzyStvy]

Reinstalling isn't going to help.

Task Manager Menu Bar and Tabs Are Not Visible in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;314227


The explorer window issue, hold the contol key while dragging the window to the size you want.

[framplot]

Thanks for your reply but.....
Dragging the Explorer window holding CTL didn't make any difference.
Re Task Manager I have just read an article in PC Answers magazine which mentioned the various tabs - certainly didn't see anything in the article to say that it didn't apply to XP etc.
Do you have any ideas on the third point - the games folder where the settings keep changing back etc ?
Many thanks for your thoughts.

[framplot]

Second thoughts on your answer Steve - I thought you were saying that tabs don't appear in XP etc. Have just been to the link you gave me - double clicked at the top of the window and the tabs appeared - voila !! Somehow I had switched to footprint mode some time ago. Many thanks for solving that for me.

[Miz]

For the IE window problem:

For reasons known only to Microsoft programmers, IE remembers the size and position of the last secondary window closed IF it is the last IE window open. Confused yet? Just follow the steps below and you can force IE to open secondary windows the way you want them.

1. Open IE
2. Open a link in a new window
3. Drag the new (secondary) window to the size and postion you want, do not use the Maximize button
4. Close the original window - without this step, it won't work
5. Close the now-resized secondary window
6. All future secondary IE windows should now open to the size and position you set in step 3.

[Miz]

Edit: Sorry about the double post - too many windows open, not enough coffee, confusion runs rampant.

For the IE window problem:

For reasons known only to Microsoft programmers, IE remembers the size and position of the last secondary window closed IF it is the last IE window open. Confused yet? Just follow the steps below and you can force IE to open secondary windows the way you want them.

1. Open IE
2. Open a link in a new window
3. Drag the new (secondary) window to the size and postion you want, do not use the Maximize button
4. Close the original window - without this step, it won't work
5. Close the now-resized secondary window
6. All future secondary IE windows should now open to the size and position you set in step 3.

For the folder view (I haven't tried this so no guarantees but it's worth a shot):

After setting the folder's view to the way you want, close it by going to File>Close and holding down the Alt key when you click on Close. See if that will force it to remember the settings.

[framplot]

Thanks for your reply Miz. Re the desktop folder - sorry, your idea didn't work. Tried it several times, to no avail. Re your other advice, my problem is not with Internet Explorer - it is with the desktop icon for Windows Explorer - when I want to examine the files on my hard drives etc. Can you come up with a solution for Windows Explorer ? Regards.

[reboot]

For access to the desktop, hence My computer and your C drive, right click the taskbar, go up to Toolbars, and put a tick mark beside (click on) Desktop.

[framplot]

Sorry Jim - My problem does NOT involve gaining access to the Desktop ! If you go back through the post you will see that I have a desktop folder, called "Games" which contains shortcuts to all my games. I set the folder to open in a window (i.e. NOT full screen) and to show Icons rather than thumbnails or details etc. When I start my computer and open the games folder, it opens as I set it - but if I close it, do some worm, and then re-open it (the Games folder) it has somehow changed properties and now opens FULL screen and showing thumbnails ??!!
The task manager problem has been solved - somehow I sent it into footprint mode - double clicking at the top of the Task Manager window makes the tabs re-appear.
I still cant get Windows Explorer to open full screen.

[reboot]

I was meaning Explorer, to your Games folder.
Have you tried opening Explorer, make it full screen, hold down the SHIFT key and hit the X in the corner?

[framplot]

Thanks for your further help Jim.
I've gone into this problem with opening Windows Explorer a bit further. I decided to delete the desktop icon and start again. In the main Windows directory I found TWO icons referring to Explorer - one says Explorer - Application - size 973 Kb and the other says Explorer - Windows Explorer command - 1Kb. (Properties shows this as Explorer.scf)
I dragged both of these to the desktop and clicked on "create Shortcut" etc.

The "exe" file icon - now on the desktop - DOES open up in a full window - hurray - BUT I'm sure the details in the left pane are different to what I'm used to, i.e. the tree starts with Desktop, then My Documents, (expanded) and then some way down it shows "My Computer and C drive (expanded)

Perhaps my memory is playing silly buggers - perhaps that's the way it SHOULD appear ?

The other icon - the Explorer.scf is the one that refuses to open in a full window - even after trying your trick - but it DOES show the left pane as I have seen it in the past, i.e. the tree starts with desktop, then My Documents (BUT not expanded) and then C drive which is expanded almost at the top of the tree.

In summary - the icon that opens up in full window Doesn't show C drive already expanded - the icon that refuses to open full window does

Where do I go from here ?

[framplot]

Sorry Jim - where I said the Exe icon DOES open up in a full window - hurray - BUT I'm sure the details in the left pane are different to what I'm used to, i.e. the tree starts with Desktop, then My Documents, (expanded) and then some way down it shows "My Computer and C drive (expanded) I screwed up - I MEANT to say that C drive is NOT expanded.

[reboot]

That's the way it is by default.
If you want Explorer to open up in another folder/location, you can edit the shortcut (right click, select properties), and change it thus:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

This will now open in "My Computer", instead of "My Documents".

Of course, if you want it to open elsewhere, In the Target field, add the following to %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe:

/n, /e, path

For instance, I like Explorer to open at the root of my C Drive, so my Target field looks like this:

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, c:\

[framplot]

Dear Jim,

That worked brilliantly - I used your target field and it opens up just like you said it would.

Many thanks for your help.

[framplot]

Jim,

In case it helps anyone else, I have now solved the problem with the desktop folder that kept changing it's settings etc.

I went through all my utilities and found I had used Ashampoo Powerup XP some time ago. I don't recall which settings I changed but when I ran the "restore Master Profile" it must have cleared something big, because all my desktop folders - not only the games one - now work correctly !!

[reboot]

AHA! Many, many screwups are caused by 3rd party software, usually something we've forgotten we even installed