Common Tasks view on desktop

[Mikewl812]

I have the Common Tasks bar stuck all up and down the left side of my desktop, blocking my beautiful wallpaper. No Windows settings can get rid of it. Is there a registry edit to rid of it? I'm running Windows 2k.

Thanks.

[reghakr]

Mike,

If you mean the Windows taskbar, hit F8 on startup, choose Safe Mode with Networking. Then shutdown and restart normally. This will reset the taskbar to its default position.

reghakr

[Mikewl812]

Actually it's not the taskbar, it's the blue 3-inch wide bar running vertically from bottom to top on the left side of the screen, usually this setting is controlled in Tools>Folder Options and General tab of any folder. There's a classic view and common task view. The common task view is what's stuck on my desktop. I can only get rid of it in folders but not my desktop.

[RWSchlatter]

is this happening with Active Desktop or the classical Windows desktop display ?

______________
Regards - Richard

[Mikewl812]

It's happening no matter what my settings are. I've gone from Active Desktop to Classic, tried everything so it looks like i need to find a registry key to delete or modify to get rid of it.

[RWSchlatter]

for me this looks like if you have a web page on front of your desktop using the option "share with desktop icons" set. The ara where the desktop icons would be is that coloured area.

Try following:
open the Display applet from the ControlPanel and select the Web tab.
My prediction is, that you have marked both, "show web content" and "my current home page".
Unmark them and you will get the full screen in blue default background in the colour.
Then goto the Background tab in the Display applet and reset yo your standard background.

If things are as predicted above, then you had set a web item on your desktop to fullscreen with the option of sharing deskspace with icons. The strip was the area reserved for the desktop icons.

If you want to check this prediction before making above changes, right click in the strip, from Active Desktop popup menu make sure that "Lock Desktop Items" is not marked, then slowly move the mouse pointer to the top border of the non-blue background ara. A window frame should show up and in the top left of this frame you have some options to adjust the frame size.


______________
Regards - Richard

[Mikewl812]

Thanks for trying Richard but unfortunately it didn't solve the problem. I'm hoping i can find a registry entry that will get rid of it as it seems that's the only option i have. I've tried everything in the book otherwise.

[reghakr]

I'm lost!
Where exactly do you see this string:
common task view

Do you use PowerDesk by chance?

reghakr

[Mikewl812]

I'll try to explain this a little better. I'm using Windows XP. If you open any folder, take My Documents as an example. Click Tools > Folder Options..., under the 'General' tab there's 'Tasks', under 'Tasks' the options are "Show common tasks in folders" and "Use Windows classic folders". Selecting the common tasks option places the vertical bar in all folders as well as the desktop, classic gets rid of the bar. Well this bar is stuck on my desktop no matter what settings I select. Hope that helps to better explain it.

Thanks again.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Mikewl812 on 10/01/01 02:08.</FONT></P>

[RWSchlatter]

(moved from Registry forum to General XP)

you may have mentioned XP a bit earlier !
J will try and research, but will not be back on this before Thursday.


______________
Regards - Richard