I know I should know this but - - -

my kids have my desktop in disarray, they set the toolbar to vertical and I cant figure out how to get it back horizontal and its driving me crazy! I have Windows 2000XP.

frustrated -

 

Place you mouse cursor in the blue area of the taskbar. Hold down the right mouse button and drag the taskbar to the edge of the screen where you want bar to be. Then release the button and voila.

Once you get it where you want it, you may want to use the lock taskbar feature. That should prevent future disruptions.

hgmjr

 

I think it might be the left mouse button instead of the right mouse button. Unless your mouse buttons have been switched. This kinda stuff just never ends -- does it?

 

Hi,

Sometimes you just drag the edges of the vertical toolbar until it gets square. Then, a double left click will throw it down to the usual position.

Anybody got a fix for a stuck video card? I have a computer with an old ATI Rage II card that a kid set to 640 screen res. The card is overscanning, so the stinking ok button for changing the res back up to something realistic is way off the bottom of the crt.

Just have to love Microsoft. I'm setting up some new Gateway E-4500's. Last week, the updates numbered 42 (on computers coming with XP SP2 installed). This week, it's up to 45. Can hardly wait for Vista to come along and fix all the problems - not!

 

Originally posted by Papabravo@Apr 19 2006, 05:17 PM
I think it might be the left mouse button instead of the right mouse button. Unless your mouse buttons have been switched. This kinda stuff just never ends -- does it?

[post=16333]Quoted post[/post]​

Your are absolutely correct Papabravo on all counts. I should have said LEFT instead of RIGHT and this stuff definitely never ends.

hgmjr

 

Hi BeenThere.. I've been there...

Assuming you're running Win98 -- you said old computer -- get back to the screen where the OK button is off the bottom of the screen. Set the resolution to 1024x768 or whatever you can still see.... Then, hit the TAB key TWICE. Be careful not to fat finger the keys. You are now selecting stuff you can't see. I call this BUI (Braille User Interface).

The first "TAB" keystroke jumps the selector to the ADVANCED button... The second "TAB" jumps to the OK button. Then hit the <enter> key, and voila! You probably get to reboot. Hooray Window!! Rebooting is soooo fun. Don't worry.... the Third TAB goes to "CANCEL"... so you won't screw up anything. Just start over.

If you can't select anything but 640x480, then you need to change monitor type (or was it the graphics card type??... I forget) to VGA. I think there's a "Generic" or Standard selection.

Anyway, I've reloaded Win98 so many times I can't count them. Each time I had the same problem. Let me know if this works.

PS... I finally realized they call it WINDOWS, because that's where you'll eventually want to throw it.... out the WINDOW.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the word. I help at a rural school - it it wasn't for W98, there would be few computer in public education. I have fewer problems with 98 than XP, though.

And how much do I respect Mr. Gates? The day after he was on tv assuring us that IE was an integral part of W95, I found out how to put on 95 without it. That was my third reinstall, of course. I just turned off power after the first screen anout IE. The computer booted up to the desktop with no trace of IE3. So much for Bill's integrity.

 

Thanks hgmjr (and others)! It worked. Actually I did use the right mouse button though.

Major concepts in electronics I'm ok with, its the little things that get me into trouble.

Sad thing is - I really feel as though I've truley accomplished something! Thats been bugging me for so long but I never took the time to just figure it out.

life is good!

Thanks again gentlemen!

 

Originally posted by beenthere@Apr 20 2006, 01:47 AM
And how much do I respect Mr. Gates? The day after he was on tv assuring us that IE was an integral part of W95, I found out how to put on 95 without it. That was my third reinstall, of course. I just turned off power after the first screen anout IE. The computer booted up to the desktop with no trace of IE3. So much for Bill's integrity.

[post=16344]Quoted post[/post]​

For Microsoft, the embedding of IE so deep into Windows is becoming a major issue for the new version Vista. As they now try to improve Windows security, the fact that IE sits so close to the OS is something that will basically take forever to solve. Even with IE sitting in a sandbox, Vista will still have security problems like the Windows previous incarnations.

Having said that, I do rate Windows XP as an operating system - that may be because I migrated from to it from Windows ME!!!

Dave

 

Hi,

Yes, ME was kind of a disaster. I think it ruined HP's Pavillion series conputers for a few years.

XP ain't that great either. I've been setting up some new gateway E-4500's. The trip to the update site is a wonder. The update software gets diddled, then again. Searching for critical updates gives a message that the update software load is bad, and corrects it. Then, the updating software gets another reload. After a reboot, I can finally get the critical updates for the os & IE. It was 42 last week, 45 this week.

Vista's "better" Server 2003 code base will not improve on this mess. It is impressive that the os can rebuild itself on the fly, but every contract coder leaves Redmond with a bit of knowledge of how to get into Windows and mess with it.

I would be happier with fewer adornments and no registry. Of course, that might mean going back to assembler coding and some better controls on permitted enrty points. I'm not holding my breath.

 

I'm surprised you find XP to be such a disaster, mind you I suppose its down to personal preference. I tend to use XP in its most primative form, and only get the critical updates via the auto-update feature.

As for the Vista redesign/security, I recently had the opportunity to test Vista's User Authentification Programme (UAP) and found it to be a nightmare. For those that are familiar with Mac OSX and Linux, UAP is MS attempt at root user priveledge control (something they should have implemented years ago). I found that UAP would not let you remove a desktop icon of a programme you had just installed without several (3) pop-ups and a good wrestle. Is removing a desktop icon potentially that dangerous?! Anyhow, its good eye candy, but for many people that may not be enough to make them switch - Vista could be a major problem for MS in the long run.

Dave

 

Hi,

I'm sure Vista will be painful to use. In XP Pro SP2, I have found it necessary to totally disable the so-called firewall at all times. Getting a pop-up after loading the network client is just too much to have to deal with. Plus there is no coherent manual or instruction on how to tinker with settings. If every process has to have a separate permission (exception), then life is too short to be tinkering with a list continually.

I think that in the same way that Jobs was certain that users were always going to be unable to perform the simplest tasks dealing with the computer (witness the one-button mouse), the mindset behind Vista and security is going to tend toward maximum overprotection. I wonder if a computer with Vista will be useful. Unless, of course, all the software loaded passed the "genuine advantage validation" test.

The ideal is for the computer to become an appliance, and simply work in predictible ways. I think that the Polaroid model is in effect. The computer is very inexpensive, but you have to use the very expensive software from Mocrosoft, as no other will be permitted to work.

 

Originally posted by beenthere@Apr 22 2006, 08:13 PM
Hi,

I'm sure Vista will be painful to use. In XP Pro SP2, I have found it necessary to totally disable the so-called firewall at all times. Getting a pop-up after loading the network client is just too much to have to deal with. Plus there is no coherent manual or instruction on how to tinker with settings. If every process has to have a separate permission (exception), then life is too short to be tinkering with a list continually.

I think that in the same way that Jobs was certain that users were always going to be unable to perform the simplest tasks dealing with the computer (witness the one-button mouse), the mindset behind Vista and security is going to tend toward maximum overprotection. I wonder if a computer with Vista will be useful. Unless, of course, all the software loaded passed the "genuine advantage validation" test.

The ideal is for the computer to become an appliance, and simply work in predictible ways. I think that the Polaroid model is in effect. The computer is very inexpensive, but you have to use the very expensive software from Mocrosoft, as no other will be permitted to work.

[post=16423]Quoted post[/post]​

For your own security, ditch the Windows Firewall since it only provides inbound protection - get infected and anything can phone home! Use any of the free alternatives that are available.

This will be improved in Vista. We shall see.

Dave