XP taskbar disappears

[crsutton]

I am helping out my boss on his home system. He is using XP HOME edition and has lost his taskbar/start button on all the profiles. I have tried the Microsoft button on the keyboard with no response. I have also tried checking all edges of the monitor for a moved/hidden task bar with no results. If you open a program and minimize it, you can see the program window go to the right edge of the screen and disappear. But the mouse will not trigger the taskbar.
What has my boss done?

 

[zulu88]

Sounds like he might have hidden the taskbar and locked it. Try looking in Control Panel, taskbar and Start menu options for the problem and the fix.

Mark

 

[Accessdabbler]

Does CTRL+ESC bring the taskbar and Start Button back up (temporarily)?

Have you scanned for a virus?

 

[crsutton]

I have check the taskbar/start options but that window won't open. CTRL+ESC doesn't show the start menu.
I have also scanned for Viruses<Viri?>with AVG and ran a scan with Ad-aware 6. Results negative on both.

Thank you for your tips and the speed to which you replied.

 

[linney]

Q175435 - Cannot Make Hidden Taskbar Appear with Mouse Pointer

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q175435&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

http://home.nordnet.fr/~pmdevigne/TaskbarActivate.html

Some general things to try.

See if System Restore will get you back to a restore point before your problem with the Taskbar.

Try Safe Mode (Do you have this problem in Safe Mode?).

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

If they don't work you could try repairing windows itself by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp