Diagonal windows resizer handles don't work.

I'm trying to help a newbie friend who has an XP system. I haven't yet been able to sit at her PC to help her because she does not live nearby.

She claims that she cannot resize a non-maximized window by using its corner handles. She can move a window and resize it horizontally and vertically but the diagonal resizer handles/arrows don't work.

She also claims that the same thing holds for images she pastes into MS WORD.

Before I make the trip to help her, can anyone suggest what may be the problem or what I should explore when I get there?

Thanks

 

I've experienced these kinds of problems over the years with inexperienced users who swear they're doing it correctly but just can't get something to work. You can fix these kinds of problems over the telephone.

1. I start my system with the same operating system on it.
2. If you can, open the same window and application and work with her doing the same thing you tell her to do.
3. I get my rules and terminology correct by saying "Don't press or click anything unless I tell you to and tell me exactly what you see. "
4. Explain what "click left mouse button" means, "click left mouse button and hold" means, and "click left mouse button and hold and drag" means.
5. Make sure she has the window as the current window by clicking in it once somewhere.
6. Ask her what she sees as you tell her to click, hold, and drag.
7. Does she see a double arrow in the corners when placing the mouse pointer over a corner?
8. Now when you see the double pointer, hold down the left mouse button and drag the pointer over.
9. If she can't resize the window the first time, have her keep trying. You know it can be done because you can do it on your system.

Eventually, you'll here, "Oh it works now! I don't know what was wrong before. "

 

Hi registerthis,

Welcome to WindowsBBS

How often have I heard that

@deerfoot,

All good advice but before travelling to show the user the basics I'd suggest asking her to start the system in safe mode just to rule out the small possibility of a software fault. However, from your description it does sound like user error.

 

Thanks.

I forgot about trying Safe Mode. Indeed, this gives me the opportunity to
teach her about Safe Mode.

Really like this Forum. I always get good suggestions quickly.