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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 7:59 pm Post subject: Clicking 'My Computer' doesn't open it up... |
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Since yesterday I can't access 'My Computer'. Clicking the icon and 'My Computer' on desktop - or 'My Computer' in the Start menu fails to open it up.
This has never happened before. Before doing a System Restore I would like to know if there is any other way I can solve this.
Thanks. |
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The Grandmaster
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 12639
Location: West Lafayette, IN
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| In all seriousness, restarting the computer usually fixes problems like that. |
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David
Joined: 29 Dec 2003
Posts: 12052
Location: Louisiana
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Try right clicking and choose "Open".The Grandmaster is right as well reboots fix a lot of problems. |
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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None of the above has worked, but thank you anyway.
I have found that the only way I can access 'My Computer' is ... Start - connect to - show all connections - (click 'My Computer' in left margin).
I've now also managed to stuff-up my taskbar. It has somehow become a two-tiered taskbar... with the system tray now being a square where all the icons are crammed in.
I've right-clicked, and left-clicked, and left-clicked-and-held&dragged... I've typed in 'taskbar' in Help & Support... scrolled through the 15 help items -- and come up with absolutely diddly-squat.
And oh yes, The Grandmaster and David... I've rebooted too.
Once again, System Restore seems to be my only option.
Very, very annoying.
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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And incidentally, does anyone know where I can find a FULL explanation of how the taskbar works, etc.
And please...
... DON'T tell me to right-click the desktop or the taskbar itself - and click the menu... 'properties' or whatever.
And please don't tell me that the Windows XP 'Help & Support' facility has it all nicely written out and explained for me... |
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Aqualung
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Posts: 2226
Location: Washington
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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Just hover your mouse at the very edge of your task bar and you should get one of those arrows to resize it (like you do if you hover your mouse at the edge of a window). If you don't understand that, just right click on your task bar and select "Lock Taskbar".
EDIT: I see you don't want people telling you to right click things, so nevermind. :lol: |
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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CrossEyedMary... Quote: just right click on your task bar and select "Lock Taskbar".
:wtf:
I asked you NOT to say that!! :lol:
No, none of it works, Mary. Back to the Drawing Board. |
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The Grandmaster
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 12639
Location: West Lafayette, IN
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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s**t. Unless I looked at it, it is very difficult to say. Unfortunately, the prognosis does not seem good. The question you have to ask now is...
How much data do you have. How many blank DVDs do you have? If your Blank DVD storage is equal or greater than the data you need to back up, well...
Time to Reformat. I reformat at the drop of a pin. Solves everything. System ruined...reformat. Computer loses internet...reformat. Program won't work...reformat. Browser locks up...reformat. Internet Popup...reformat. :lol: |
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Protostar
Joined: 30 Jul 2004
Posts: 9630
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Dude, you should just scrap your computer and get a Mac cause its obvious Windows has you by the balls (no offense intended). |
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The Grandmaster
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 12639
Location: West Lafayette, IN
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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Protostar wrote: Dude, you should just scrap your computer and get a Mac cause its obvious Windows has you by the balls (no offense intended).
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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The Grandmaster... Quote: ... reformat.
If only I could!
Not once have I been able to use my Windows XP installation disc for reformatting or Repairs. My computer has either crashed so that all that's showing is a black screen which does not respond to the disc being inserted in the CD drive... or when it does respond it soon tells me that it has to abort because of a 'corrupted file' which prevents the installation disc from proceeding any further.
Grandmaster, when you say reformat I take it you mean inserting the OS installation disc and letting it run a repairs program... ? |
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David
Joined: 29 Dec 2003
Posts: 12052
Location: Louisiana
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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| No, he means wiping the hard drive clean and reinstalling the Operating system. You can try a repair and that will fix many problems but not all. |
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Protostar
Joined: 30 Jul 2004
Posts: 9630
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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The Grandmaster wrote: Protostar wrote: Dude, you should just scrap your computer and get a Mac cause its obvious Windows has you by the balls (no offense intended).
I know it sounds odd coming from me, but he seems to be having trouble with the simplest of things. Never heard of anyone not knowing how to resize the taskbar (no offense intended to the OP). |
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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Protostar... Quote: I know it sounds odd coming from me, but he seems to be having trouble with the simplest of things. Never heard of anyone not knowing how to resize the taskbar (no offense intended to the OP).
Thanks for dropping by Protostar! Just the man I need to do a little job for me!
How do I re-size these double-tiered taskbars to be just the one taskbar as I usually have it... ? Thanks in advance for solving this problem for me!
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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| .... waiting... waiting... 8:) |
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David
Joined: 29 Dec 2003
Posts: 12052
Location: Louisiana
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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Hotdog wrote: None of the above has worked, but thank you anyway.
I have found that the only way I can access 'My Computer' is ... Start - connect to - show all connections - (click 'My Computer' in left margin).
I've now also managed to stuff-up my taskbar. It has somehow become a two-tiered taskbar... with the system tray now being a square where all the icons are crammed in.
I've right-clicked, and left-clicked, and left-clicked-and-held&dragged... I've typed in 'taskbar' in Help & Support... scrolled through the 15 help items -- and come up with absolutely diddly-squat.
And oh yes, The Grandmaster and David... I've rebooted too.
Once again, System Restore seems to be my only option.
Very, very annoying.
Hover the pointer over the top of the task bar until it changes to a bar with arrows at the top and bottom.Then click and hold the bar and drag it down until it becomes single tiered.
The left side of the task bar is the quick launch bar.These programs with icons there can be started with a single click.Place a program there by dragging the icon on your desk top and dropping it on the bar.The middle section shows what windows you have open.The right side shows what programs are up and running at startup.You can either right click on them to access their properties or shut them down.
I see what a lot of your slowdown problems is you have way too many programs starting up when you boot up and they are taking up all your processor time.Shut some of them down and you should see a big improvement. |
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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David wrote: No, he means wiping the hard drive clean and reinstalling the Operating system. You can try a repair and that will fix many problems but not all.
I've had to do this 4 times in the last two years down at the PC Shop... at around $100 each time.
The computer has always crashed to the point where inserting the Windows XP installation disc to clean-install or refresh with a new OS overlay has been useless. |
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David
Joined: 29 Dec 2003
Posts: 12052
Location: Louisiana
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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| That's beginning to sound more like a hard ware or a compatibility problem. |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18806
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| Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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Hotdog wrote: The computer has always crashed to the point where inserting the Windows XP installation disc to clean-install or refresh with a new OS overlay has been useless.
It could be a bad CD/DVD drive and disk read errors. I've had that happen before, a CD/DVD drive start dying during installation. |
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Hotdog
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 421
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| Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 12:01 am Post subject: |
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David - I did the click-and-drag thing within one minute of this problem appearing. Doesn't work. The double-tiered taskbar disappears as a single taskbar - leaving only a double-tiered blue strip.
As for all of those icons in the system tray - I pretty much need all of them at startup.
My ZoneAlarm anti-virus icon... my email alerter... my Yankee Clipper 3 clipboard (because my windows clipboard too often fails to copy-and-paste)... my Roboform auto-login which warns me that if I removed it from here it will no longer work.... my 'Unlocker' for stubborn processes which won't delete using the usual method... my epson printer icon... my spellchecker... volume control....
But anyway - the problem's all but solved! When Protostar gets back from his lunch break he's going to show me how to fix the taskbar... |
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