Toolbars can't be changed

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G

Guest

I am unable to select or deselect toolbars when I right-click on the Taskbar and select the topmost item (Toolbars) (all items are grayed out). I tried all procedures I could find on the topic 'toolbars' but nothing helped. I downloaded at least 5 utilities from the Kelly's website concerning these toolbar problems but they didn't work
Another problem: when I click 'Show Quick Launch' item even that isn't remembered the next time I boot, Windows keeps 'forgetting' this setting

Any ideas what could be wrong here?
 
Thx for the quick reply Wesley! Too bad it didn't help, I tried most of the registry patches/utilities from that page concerning toolbar/task bar
Installing a new item to the toolbars seems to work, (for example the Winamp toolbar) but I can not do this manually. And of course, I can not select it after it was installed
 
You got me.
This doesn't seem to apply either. ;-(

You can use the Group Policy editor (Gpedit.msc) under the following
location to configure Start menu features:
User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Start Menu and Taskbar\
Do not display any custom toolbars in the taskbar

[[This setting affects the taskbar.
The taskbar includes the Start button, buttons for currently running tasks,
custom toolbars, the notification area, and the system clock. Toolbars
include Quick Launch, Address, Links, Desktop, and other custom toolbars
created by the user or by an application.
If this setting is enabled, the taskbar does not display any custom
toolbars, and the user cannot add any custom toolbars to the taskbar.
Moreover, the “Toolbars” menu command and submenu are removed from the
context menu. The taskbar displays only the Start button, taskbar buttons,
the notification area, and the system clock.
If this setting is disabled or is not configured, the taskbar displays all
toolbars. Users can add or remove custom toolbars, and the “Toolbars”
command appears in the context menu.]]
 
Hi,

Have you used the options offered via this utility?

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

Did you end process on Explorer.exe then re-run after applying some of the
edits? Is Active Desktop turned off? Is Save Settings on exit applied?
Are you using any third party tweakers? Have you applied any policies via
gpedit?
 
I get the feeling that there is something terribly wrong with the registry....

answer to Wesley: 'Do not display any custom toolbars in the taskbar' = 'Not configured', is this ok?

answers to Kelly:
1) I used your 'Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!' utility and there is something strange about it: in the 'Remove Specific Toolbars' I cannot use the Apply button (it is disabled). Maybe you can explain what the criteria is for disabling this button (something missing in the registry? wrong permissions? -> I am the single user on this PC and I have administrator rights)
2) There is no way for me to enable/disable the Active Desktop, I just discovered this: the 'Desktop' tab 'Display Properties' (started from Control Panel) is missing!!!
3) I always ended the Explorer process and restarted it to apply all changes BUT as soon as I do this, Explorer forgets for example that Quick Launch was enabled!
4) When I log off 'Saving your settings' appear, when I log on on 'Loading your personal settings' appear, so this looks OK
5) 3rd party tweakers -> I used TweakUI from the PowerToys but I don't think I did something wrong there, i'm using these things for years so enough to know what i'm doing.
6) gpedit.msc -> I only used this when the problem with the toolbars occured so that can't be the cause.

Additional information:
1) i'm sure it's not caused by worms, viruses, browser hijacking or whatsoever (i regularly use Ad-Aware, HijackThis, CWSchredder, Search&Destroy, Omniquad Antispy, Norton Antivirus etc)
2) creating a new user in Windows doesn't help -> the new user is also unable to change the toolbars

I hope you experts can help me out...this is driving me nuts and I would hate it having to reinstall Windows XP
 
Hi,

1. The greyed out items need a licensed key.
2. Active Desktop - Line 16, Restore All Display Tabs, line 285 (right hand
side)
3. This is normal. Use the Quick Launch Fix via my utility.
4. This is 'not' the same as saving settings on exit - Run the edit on line
54 (right hand side)
5. Good news.
6. You never know.

Beings you claim that these are inherited to each account created, means
they were done in the Local Machine area of the registry. That said, export
this key for starters and send it to me. After resetting the Taskbar to
default from my utility:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies

Per user would be here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
 
Active Desktop (+restore Display tabs) -> registry patches didn't hel
Quick Launch Fix -> registry patch didn't hel
Save settings registry patch -> also didn't hel

my conclusion: registry was totally corrupt and as I was so fed up with it, I decided to reinstall Windows (and so I don't waste your and my valuable time anymore :-

anyway, thx for the help Wesley and Kelly

later

Hawk
 
Most welcome. This was probably due to a third party desktop manager. Pay
mind to when this changes again while loading your programs via your new
install. Good luck and keep us posted. :o)
 
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