My Computer in the taskbar system tray

Hi,

This may be a good one for you

I went over to help my friend with MS Office and happened to notice that there is a full sized icon of My Computer (same size as a desktop icon) in the system tray. The taskbar is double it's normal size (you can't shrink it due to the size of the icon).
When I right-click in that area it brings up a list of other desktop icons (?).
The time is pushed off the right-hand side of the screen.
The taskbar has dividers (so this MAY be in the Quickstart divider).
I tried dragging the icon back to the desktop (there is already a My Computer icon on the desktop), but it wants to make a shortcut (and right-click won't show delete or cut).
I did not have time to stay and work on it, so I just wonder if someone may have seen this in the past. Thing is, apart from that, everything is fine. He is not overly worried by a double sized taskbar, but for me, I would HAVE to fix it

How he has done it I don't know, but I suspect it is from a "drag and drop" adventure.

Anyone seen something similar?

Matt

 

If Christer's answer isn't it, perhaps it's just a desktop toolbar (sounds like it). Right click on it and if the menu has a "close toolbar" entry, click on it. If you don't see "close toolbar" by right clicking on the icon, try right clicking on a blank spot right next to either side of the icon (between the seperators and the icon).

 

C:\Documents and Settings\ etc.

Hey Christer Where do I find that in Win98 ?

Something is different here. I checked my 98SE machine and if I right click on an Icon in the Tool/Taskbar ( It is named Toolbar on my 98SE ) I get
several choices including DELETE.

If I right click on the Toolbar itself, not an icon I get a list of Items. ToolBars is one of them.

I right click on ToolBars and there are several cloices there.

If I click ion New Toolbar Up comes " My Computer. "

mattman

If the item in question is way to the right, try grabing the edge and drag it left to see if it will resize. If it will, try right clicking in the empty space and I THINK you can CLOSE it via the steps listed above.

BillyBob

 

It was Supposed to be Where do I find ***

But you should not feel bad as MANY users of XP seem to forget things about 98SE.

That is why MANY times I myself have to go and actually look at a 98 machine.

BillyBob

 

Many thanks for the replies, I was not sure if there would be many.
BillyBob, "Documents and Settings" does sound like some sort of XP gizmo. Christer, finding the source of the settings does sound like a good possiblity if other things won't work. (Christer, you may be spending too much time in Win XP's "lollipop land" , it would be nice though, if it was just in a folder on the C: drive )

Zander, will try (I have not heard of a "desktop toolbar" before ...Edit: just found it in the New Toolbars list).

I think I (R) clicked on everything in the taskbar, but will check again. Will investigate if that is a toolbar itself.

I will ring him and use my best "helpdesk" voice...yelling "I don't know how youse done it, but I know youse done it!" (Bugs Bunny Show), I don't think will work somehow. I managed to help him out in the past when he had multiple copies of My Documents, with some help from the BBS and MS knowledgebase. Let's cross our fingers...argggh!

Matt

 

Christer, your effort is greatly appreciated. You will know, the first response may spark ideas from others.

Your suggestion makes me ask where the settings are kept (not that I will be able to find them ).

Please jump in if you think of something.

Matt

 

This is probably because of the way things are set. If you right click on a blank spot on the toolbar you'll see an entry that says show title. If you uncheck that the text label will be removed. Now drag the seperator so that you can see the first icon. Now once again right click on a blank spot on the toolbar>view>large icons. The icons will become large like on the desktop and force the taskbar to increase in size. Now you'll have pretty much the same thing that mattman described in the first post in this thread.

 

Instead of selecting new toolbar and then "My Computer" when you right click etc., you need to select desktop. I don't remember whether this is the case in Win9X or not but in XP you can right click the taskbar>toolbars and then select desktop. Then go through the routine I spoke of before and you should end up with a "My Computer" icon. Give it a try.

I can believe that. A discussion with just Swedish would make my head spin. You and Arie have always amazed me with the command of the English language you both have. If I didn't know better I'd bet you both lived in the US. Foreign languages are a huge weak spot in our schools (as far as I'm concerned). When I was in high school we had a foreign exchange student from Sweden. She spoke six languages fluently. Now, I realize most that probably can't do that (can they ?) but that was my first wake up call to the fact that we were sorely lagging in that department. When my daughter, who's in college now, tells me she needs more credits and wants to know what I think she should take, I tell her, "take another language course; who knows what doors it can open for you in the future? ". I didn't think it was important in high school and it may not have been then but the world has changed. The more you know the better. Lucky you!

 

Fellas ( "Fellows" for you Christer or "Guys" in the American colloquialism or "Chaps" as my father would say from the English colloquialism... )

Excellent stuff! Let me digest (test-drive ) some of it and then I should be able to test it on his system on the weekend.

Keep the thoughts coming...although I doubt there may be any better ones .

Matt

 

Well, me might get this right yet. Mine does the same thing if I remove the text from the icons. So, right click on the toolbar again and make sure "show text" is checked. You should then be able drag it down to one icon. On mine the last remaining one is My Computer but this could possibly change according to how your icons are arranged on the desktop. I don't know about that for sure as I've never really experimented with that aspect of it. Also, if you don't have the My Computer icon on the desktop I would guess that it probably won't be in the toolbar either.

Well, I don't know how you sound when you speak it but you sure do a good job of putting it in print.

 

BE CAREFULL HERE. It may.

BEFORE doing anythiing with the MyComputer Icon in the toolbar area MAKE SURE there is one on the desktop.

I just did some messing around and by rightclicking on the Desktop Icon I was able to drap-n-drop and MOVE it to the Toolbar.

I had three choices. Copy. Move and Create Shortcut.

I am ALMOST sure that drag-n-drop was how My Computer got to the toolbar area.

BillyBob

 

Problem solved. It was the desktop toolbar.

Many thanks to you all. I now know much more about the settings.

Matt

 

Thanks for the update.

Glad you have it fixed.

BillyBob