My taskbar got bigger! How to put it back?

[Tim]

I had my laptop computer (Dell Latitude, XP Home) and was using it with a wireless network card.

Then I shut it off to charge the battery.

When I turned it back on, the taskbar was a little taller, the icons looked strange (poor resolution, bigger in size), and the clock part had the time displayed OVER the day of the week.

How do I put it back? I don't know how I managed to change it.

[Guyute]

Sounds like the rez got messed with (or your display driver?). What rez is your monitor set at? There is a setting in WinXP that gives your DESKTOP large icons, but on your taskbar? hmmm got me on that one.

[CB]

Grab the top of the taskbar with the mouse cursor, and drag it back into shape. If it wont let you, then right click on the bar, uncheck 'lock the taskbar', and try again.

If that's not the problem go to your Taskbar properties, and make sure everything is as you want it. Let us know if that doesn't do it.

[Tim]

Well, playing with the taskbar controls didn't fix it. I tried locking and unlocking, large and small icons, and changing every setting I could find, but nothing made a difference.

It's annoying me.

[Straight_Man]

Right click a blank part of the desktop. Click Settings tab. On left slider, try sliding the rez over to one or two higher, see if things go back to more like normal when you clcik the apply button. NOTE, Windows might display a dialog asking if you want to KEEP your new settings-- if you get junk and cannot see this, do NOTHING, in about 15-16 seconds the desktop will reappear the way it is now. OTOH, if you see a littel message box\dialog thing that asks you if you want to keep settings, choose OK or Yes within 15 seconds of the time it appears.

This rez increase will make every textual thing look a bit smaller, the furtrher you drag the slider to right the smaller text will look compared to how it does now. If you cannot drag it and it says 640x480 then it is new video driver time. If things slow way down after dragging it two nothches to right, then try dropping color to 16 bit from 32 bit, or drag it back over to the left one notch, or both (repeat the part about right clicking desktop, Click Settings, then drag as above).

If the computer wants to restart every time you do this (change video resolution or REZ), there is a way to make it not do that, but ask if that happens, ok????

I think Guyute had a good idea.... Very good idea....

[CB]

If you still can't get it fixed, post a screen shot for us, so that we can take a look at what's really going on.

[danball1976]

First, right click on the taskbar, and uncheck the "lock the taskbar", then Right click on the quick launch, click on view, and then choose small icons. This should fix that because that's what the problem is (I just tested it with my taskbar).

[Tim]

No, that doesn't do anything good. When I unlock the taskbar, I get another 1/8 inch tall blue bar across the top of the taskbar. So unlocking it actually makes things worse.

I went through all the video options, and it is already on the small icon setting. Screen resolution only has 2 choices - 800x600 and 1024x768. Neither setting affects the taskbar problem.

[Thrax]

Screenshot please.

[SuperFrankLampard]

I now have exactly the same problem. Everything suggested above does not work. ANybody know how to fix it?

[CB]

A screenshot would help alot. In XP just press PrntScrn, then paste the clip board into any graphical editing program, Save it, and post it.

[SuperFrankLampard]

Ok here you go.

My screen is a 15.4" WXGA btw.

[SuperFrankLampard]

Looking at the screenshot everything appears to be absolutely fine, but I do assure you, all is not well!

[CB]

Ya, I'm not sure what you see as being wrong... That Taskbar is too big?

Try playing with your DPI settings:

[SuperFrankLampard]

Tried changing the DPI and Res settings, no luck.

Maybe this screen will make it clearer.

[SuperFrankLampard]

You can at least see that the Icons are slightly enlarged and blurred.

[leishi85]

the only things i see wrong in your screenshots are AOL, ;D ;D

kidding aside, i seriously don't see what's wrong.

[SuperFrankLampard]

Just did a system restore, IT WORKED!

this is what it did look like, compared to what it should look like.

[leishi85]

hmm, those are 2 different resolutions. that's about the only difference i see.

[SuperFrankLampard]

bizarre. but fixed so im happy again ;D

[TheBaron]

thats because it is a different resolution, and people dont pay attention. what probably happened was their machines auto-downloaded a new signed display driver, and it switched the resolutions. this is the joy of automatic windows update combined with your every day user

[Thrax]

I am far more amused than I should be at this thread. :range:

[profdlp]

I am far more amused than I should be at this thread. :range:
Same here. The only thing that would make it better is if CBD would put up a desktop shot unencumbered by those pesky windows blocking the view. :D

[Thrax]

Prof, I'd like to express my distaste for your recent and overt attacks against the moral fabric of Short-Media. You're a wisened man in your years, well-read as well.. One stands to wonder how exactly you managed to revert to the pubescent years of a teenage male? ;)

//edit:

It was the dog, wasn't it?

[TheGr81]

I also didn't notice any diff, except the higher res of the latter pic.

[profdlp]

...One stands to wonder how exactly you managed to revert to the pubescent years of a teenage male? ;)
Revert? That's been the one constant in my life. You might want to consider an alternate spelling... (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pervert) :vimp:

[Thrax]

Ah, prof, you read my mind. ;D

[CB]

Same here. The only thing that would make it better is if CBD would put up a desktop shot unencumbered by those pesky windows blocking the view. :D

Cute, Ya? I found that pic on a cosplay site, and couln't resist. I'll put it up in the babe thread when I get home from work. A beautiful geek is a perfect woman.

On second thought, would a cosplay babe go in 'the babe thread' or 'the anime babe thread'?

[devstar]

I'm having the same problem. The icons are slightly bigger and more fuzzy and the date has appeared just below the clock. I can't make taskbar any smaller (it is one row high)
Any ideas??

[Trogan]

Post a screenshot please, makes it easier sometimes

[TheBaron]

try changing your resolution

[devstar]

I have just copied the taskbar area.
The resolution is set to 1280 x 1024 (Max) (changing doesn't improve it)
I did load alfaclock and then unload and the problem came on after that. The appearance of the day is new..
Also the icons are slightly larger and fuzzy

[Geeky1]

You know, if you guys would quit playing around with your taskbars, maybe they'd stop getting bigger... I'll bet if you leave them alone, they'll get smaller again... ;D

(sorry, I couldn't resist that...)

[dodo]

maybe a dumb question, but have you restarted since then?

also, maybe try opening up the display settings, changing the resolution, and then changing it back.

~dodo

[devstar]

thanks dodo
have tried that and yes you guessed - it didn't work...