lost task/toolbar

windows 98 2nd
the page I was using locked up ctrl/atl /delete did not work so I shut down manually. When I came back on the start items on the right side came on however, all the shortcut items are missing except the start button. The bar will not accept any of the desktop shortcuts. Right click to dropdown and new bar will not work .I go to settings and toolbar with no results. What have I done?
Whee

 

Did you allow scandisk to run, after your improper shutdown?

Before focusing on any specific taskbar issues and fixes, I think, if you didn't, you should do a scandisk now. When done, why don't you try restarting in dos mode and running a couple of scanreg commands to check your registry for problems. From the dos prompt type:

cd\ and hit enter to make sure c:\ prompt is cleared
cd\scanreg /fix and when it's done type
scanreg /opt and when it's done type
exit to reboot or restart back into windows.

Let me know if this helped. If not we'll move on to "plan B" from there.

Because you have stated that you [1] accessed the startbutton and it opened and [2] then scrolled up to the "settings" and [3] tried to click on the subdirectory of "Taskbar and starmenu ", which didin't work... I may have misunderstood or have gotten a the impression that, all the other parts (folders>popout subfolders>shortcuts) of the startmenu are working as it should be. Your just having a problems specifically with the:
>Taskbar rightclick options of "New "> "toolbar" not responding.
>The startbutton menu option "settings "> "startmenu and taskbar" not responding.
>Running programs buttons/bars not showing up on the taskbar.

Clarify or confirm; Do the:
The Desktop shortcut icons appear and open programs as they should, other than not showing up on the taskbar. Windows Explorer works as it should. IE works as it should.......Ah phooey, I'm getting ahead of myself.... You'll still need to do the scandisk and the dosmode scanreg fixes/checkup, regardless if the other things "are or aren't" an issue. Improper shutdowns can cause all sorts of problems and odd behaviors. Do the assigned "to-do's" and let me know the outcome. (Assumimg you even wish to take my advice, of course )

 

Hi,goddez1 (houston!!!)
Of course I will take your advise.
Let's get started: I performed all the steps you provided the results:all OK.
With the exception,(scanreg/fix this stopped on, checking system reg.) however, I used another method to check it, I beveive it to be OK.

All systems are OK except the taskbar no programs shown and all of the ways to set them are no use to me,could be me?
If you are willing I am ready for "planB ".
Tks. trying

 

I'm a little lost. Do you mean the Quicklaunch toolbar? If so, a repair of IE should do the trick.

Add/Remove Programs>MS Internet Explorer>Repair

 

I need some help here to explain it. But possibley a SCANREG /RESTORE using a RB00X.cab file previous to the problem night help.

I do not have a working 98 machine right now so I am not 100% sure where to run it from. I THINK a command prompt will do it.

I myself have scanreg on the SUD.

BillyBob

 

PLansdowne,
The bar I think is refered to as the "taskbar" however on my screen it appears at the very bottom of the screen. It showes the start button on the very left side and various startup items on the right,along with the clock.
I have run the internet explorer repair but still cannot drop any of the shortcuts from the desk top. Any ideas. tks. trying

 

I do not believe what you are referring to is part of Internet Explorer. I believe it is part of Windows itself.

Have you tried a scanreg /restore ?

Scanreg /Restore must be run from a DOS prompt.

So If you have a Startup Floppy boot to it.

Then type C:\windows\command\scanreg /restore and hit the enter key.

If all goes well you should see a choice of 5 RB00X.cab files to choose from. Choose one of a date previous to the problem.

Now this will only work IF SCANREGISTRY is loaded at boot up to make the RB00X.cab files.

As I mentioned before. I have the scanreg.exe file on the SUD so I just have to type scanreg /restore.

BillyBob

 

Ahhhh!!!! Scanreg /restore was exactly what I was hoping to avoid for the moment!!!! Please read further down in my thread where I have mentioned virus? as an issue....

With the exception, "scanreg /fix ". This stopped on, checking system reg.
(What do you mean by stopped? What error did you get? Did it complete a repair or complain that it was unable to repair it? Did it suggest or say that it was restoring a previous backup? Please be as descriptive or detailed as you can and when describing errors or problems. The details are important and should be quoted when you get them, or at least quoted as best as you can remember.)

However, I used another method to check it.
(What did you do? What happened when you did it? Reminder once again, "specifics count ".)

All systems are OK, except the taskbar
(I assume you mean, everything is working as it should be, except the "taskbar settings and options ")

no programs shown
(Can you explain this a bit further? Do you mean:
[1] the programs "bars "/ "buttons ", you have running/opened, don't show up on the taskbar or;
[2] programs won't open when shortcuts are used or;
[3] Start_button_menu's "All Programs" folder does not work).

and all of the ways to set them are no use to me
(I assume you can not find anyway to get access to the "option and settings" for the taskbar)

=====================================
This is often used just to give the taskbar a "kick in the bottom ":
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=247502&sd=RMVP
To resolve this issue, use Registry Editor to delete the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects
When you restart Windows, the taskbar is automatically recreated.
=====================================
Virus?
Ordinarily an additional step of the dos mode command scanreg /restore, which would restore a backup of the registry to a time before your problem happened, would be recommended but at this point, Based on the description of your symptoms, I don't feel comfortable that you may not be infested with some form of virus/adware or malware that has used these tactics (possibly via the registry and "policy" hkeys) to keep itself from being discovered. It may also be using registry "policy" tactics to keep any toolbar as hard to remove as it can. Recommending restoring backups are risky when you don't know a persons history or habits and if one of the newer rootkit virus' is involved a different reg may complicate the cleanup. For example, a virus such as this is known to display symptoms such as you've described, (there are others): "A component that gets installed by the Friend Greeting application as a trojan "
http://groups-beta.google.com/group...+minimized+-xp&rnum=36&hl=en#4c1a03772bb6c086

So a free virus on-line scan needs to done to eliminate this as a possibility:
(your choice: below ia link with sublinks that lead to several)
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showpost.php?p=196763&postcount=2

=====================================
Quicklaunch may be expanded or opened all the way and locked. Takes up all the taskbar real estate. When right clicking on the taskbar, can you uncheck "Quicklaunch "? If so, do so.

Some times grabbing the startmenubar and resizing it up and back down will also give the bar a "kick in the bottom ".

Any odd choice or customization to your display setting or theme has been known to cause odd issues, things such as font sizes and resolutions. Perhaps a switch to a standard theme and font size would help. (Don't really think this is an issue based on description but it's worth a shot).
=====================================
Since I consider the elimination of Critter Infestation as the next most important thing to eliminate as possibility:
Any further steps or "Plans" that could be taken to solve this issue would be directly effected by whether your system was clean (critter free) or not. So I will wait the results of your on-line scan.

These few additional tasks should keep you busy for a time so I'm going to go ahead and post this, as-is. I will be adding other issues and fixes, as time permits, so if you get this fixed by any of the previous methods mentioned above please let me know. There are registry policy hkeys that can effect taskbar, at this point I am unsure if any of the more popular adware/spyware cleanup/scanner tools have settings that may also have the ability to set and control such a policy. I'll look... There's a few other things that may work but as I use winxp as my preferred system, I do have dualboot function with win98se, I have to double check to make sure they "apply to" or "work with" both systems.

Please ignore any misspellings or grammar boo-boos or the order in which these topics fall. I decided to post this a bit earlier than I had planned to.

 

goddez1

I do not have to read any further to understand you. No matter what goes wrong a Virus possibility should always be considered.

But. This is EXACTLY why after I do Virus/Spyware scans on my PCs and if there is ANY QUESTION at all;

In 98 I delete the RB00X.cab files. Restart Windows and let it make a new one. In XP I shutdown and restart System Restore. And then in both OS I CHECK MANUALY to make sure the job has been done.

I do not, never have put 100% fatih in Windows to do what it is supposed to. Both the OS and the User here have on a couple of ocassions let each other down.

I did this in XP just yesterday. SpyBot found a couple of things. I let it fix them. Restarted Windows and ran Spybot again. Is came up clean. SR was shut down and restarted.

Anytime I make any changes to either 98 or XP I do the same thing with the RB00X.cab files and the Restore ponits.

But I am basing my suggestion on this from the original post.

By doing a manual down some instructions were not completed properly. And may well be in the reg improperly.

And a last note to trying

Once you do get things fixed up. DELETE any and all of the existing RB00X.cab files and restart windows. Because of there was a problem in the Registry it may well be in the old backups.

BillyBob

 

goddez1, Hear is the story:
1. the task bar is vacant except the start button on the left , the startup items and the clock on the right side (THE CENTER IS BLANK!)
I cannot use drag and drop to move items from desk top!! THIS IS THE PROBLEM, NO OTHER.
i HAVE USED Norton Utilities. System Mechanics to check registry they found
some problems , short cuts,invalid entries ect and corrected them.
I know this is still a possoble problem.

I can bring up new toobar but it will not show an icon I bring up options to no avail.

I shall review the the other part of your post and muddle in to the unknown and
terrorized waters. I must learn to swim

 

goddez1
Does make some good points.

But from my own experience I can honestly say that you have nothing to lose by trying a Scanreg /restore.

Hopefully you have one that is proir to the date the problem started.

This was not the time to depend on Norton. It may well have componded the problem. It may have been a BAD, mistake on your part because it may well have removed what it called invalid entries from the registry.

And by what caused the problem there were more than likely SEVERAL entires that may look invalid but really are not.

I say this from my own personal experience WAY, WAY back in the days of Win95.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob, I have had quite a day,here are the results.
I ran your command in DOS. This brought up 4 RBoox.cab files,Due to norton? the oldest one was june 2. One was listed as not being run I choose it to use. After it ran I got the message it was an error free file and to restart. There was also a message" system configuration manager failed to run" so I started over and got " you have already have an error free file ,restart.

Now I right click on the bar to get a dropdown and click on new bar, this brings a menu box titled "choose a folder or type an internet address ", I scroll down to programs and click, then click on a program that is listed in text, now this text is shown on the bar, I have to right click on this text to get a dropdown menu
which list a number of choices one that could open. I think we are close to a solution, tks trying.

ADDENDUM: I said there was no other problems,I find there are.
Two of my mailers were knocked out, the shutdown takes a longer time,when I apply the AC power a DOS page starts goes off then windows starts.
I hope there are no more. trying