Problems with task manager

[JohnS]

Hey guys, a friend running a P4 1.8 gig/512 meg PC 133 SDRAM/40 Maxtor HD/Win2k OS has a problem. Here it is:

QUOTE:
When doing ctrl-alt-del to bring up the task manager, if I click on the applications tab (or any other tab) I will see applications running, but nothing else -- no buttons, etc. except for Terminate app. Even to close the window, I have to right-click on the application in the taskbar and then select close. This is NOT the way it normally looked until about a week ago.

Only change before it happened was a freeze in IE 5. Between then and now, Ad Aware did find some spyware which I deleted.
END QUOTE

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance -- john

[Theoran]

Had this problem a while ago. Turns out Xupiter was reaking
havok on my workstation. John, did you scan using the latest
reffile? Have you run a virus scan? Does this problem happen
under a different user profile? Does it happen when logged on
as Administrator?

[Petem]

This is John's friend, Pete. I am logged in as Admin, and the problem still persists. We just ran through the system with the latest version of Spybot S&D, and cleared out some stuff. Also full system scan with Norton Virus, as well as a full fixup from Norton SystemWorks. Fixed some registry problems, but the main problem still remains.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks, Pete

[GretaP]

Just trying to see if I'm picturing this correctly....

When you open Task Manager, you do see the tabs that are on top (Applications, Processes, Peformance, etc.) but you don't see the buttons that are on the bottom (for example, under Applications tab, the End Task, Switch To and New Task buttons are not displayed)?

[Petem]

Nope. When you open Task Manager, you do NOT see any tabs on top (Applications, Processes, Peformance, etc.) Just a basic window.

Running apps are listed in the window.

End Task, Switch To and New Task buttons are displayed at the bottom.

Only way to quit the thing is to go to the Tray and right-click the green icon, and select Close.

Thanks!

Pete

[GretaP]

Double-click in the gray area on the border.....not the blue top border......say, just to the left of the End Task button. You're in what I think they call "tiny-footprint" mode.

[Petem]

Wow!

Thank you so much, Greta. That worked... solved the problem. I had never heard of "tiny footprint mode" -- funny, though, it doesn't take up much less space.

Again, thanks so much! I thought something had corrupted the thing.

Pete

[JohnS]

Hey GretaP,

Thanks for helping out my buddy

Good advice, as usual!

[GretaP]

You're very welcome, John and Pete. That tiny footprint thingie has caused numerous people to panic. I'm still trying to figure out its usefulness