Icons

[kfh]

Hi All,

I'm working on a friends comp.
She's lost all her icon short cuts next to her start button.
How do I get them back, I've tried drop and drag but get a message this short cut cannot be put here.

Win 98SE.

Thanks,

kfh.

[Budfred]

You are talking about the Quick Launch feature and I forget exactly where to find it, but I would try a right click on the task bar and click on Properties or in the Control Panel. It sounds like she turned off the Quick Launch somehow, so turn it back on.

Another possibility is that it was turned off by malware, so a full security scan would probably be a good idea too...

[deddard]

You need to make the taskbar active. after this, you can place the shortcuts on it.

[Paul Komski]

If the Quick Launch icons have "disappeared".

R-Click on an empty area of the TaskBar - then Select Toolbars - and then make sure that Quick Launch is enabled/checked.

[deddard]

Yep - what Paul Komski said. Ignore me - my brain isn't functioning today!! Studying too much .....for my A+ as well!!:eek:

[kfh]

Hi All,

Quick launch is allready enabled.
Still can't drop and drag or place short cuts there.

Thanks,

kfh.

[malcore]

Right click on taskbar and select properties. Choose advanced tab and check "enable dragging and dropping", also check "enable moving and resizing" (you can uncheck this again after you finish any adjustments)
If quick launch is enabled, look for a small division on your task bar and move your cursor over it. If a small, two sided, horizontal black arrow appears, try dragging it and see if that exposes the icons.

[Paul Komski]

The contents are also to be found, by default, at C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

So one can also check what is in that folder and copy or drag-n-drop any shorcuts into that folder. If more than one user there may be more than one Quick Launch folder of course.

Two other "icon problem fixes" are to boot into and back out of Safe Mode and also to delete the shelliconcache file, which is renewed when it is next required.

Malware must also be on the cards.

[kayofcircles]

malcore: I have 98SE and I don't have those settings you mentioned. Advanced tab just gets me to customizing the Start menu, not the Taskbars. And yes, yesterday I tried moving the little "divider" gizmo all the way to the left to see if I could "hide" the entire Quick Launch section...but it wouldn't go all the way..still shows 4 icons when it won't move any further.

You are right clicking near Start and choosing "Open"? Otherwise, the ShellIconCache thing sounds like something to try to me. Still..seems rather odd to lose something that installs by default..no possibility of virus or malware?

[malcore]

Sorry Kay, haven't used 98 in a loooong time. Still have a WinME machine and keep forgetting the features vary a bit.;)

[kayofcircles]

No worries, malcore..just wanted to mention it so that kfh didn't search for something the lady doesn't have.. :)

Truthfully, will be checking back on this one because I am baffled. Was really "stretching" just now and wondering if kfh should try dragging up on taskbar to see if Quick Launch got buried underneath somehow..:D

kfh: Okay, just had a thought. When you right click on the taskbar, choose Properties..there is a check mark in "Always on top"...right? One wonders "where" it goes if not on top..but hey, worth checking.

[kfh]

Hi All,

Ive tried all and sundrie to no avail.
Still can't place icons back on the task bar.

Thanks,

kfh.

[deddard]

A couple of pointers to microsoft's info on this:

using the quicklaunch function (http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/internet/tips/advanced/UseQuickLaunch.asp)

Taskbar basics (http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/work/articles/811Nov/WRKfoundation4.asp)

Something that just occurred to me:
Is the quicklaunch section actually visible?
I just tried this on a win 98 machine:
First of all, select the taskbar and then go to properties, and ensure that quicklaunch is selected.
Then right click on the desktop, and select settings; reduce your screen resolution to 640 - 480 (or as low as it will go) and accept the settings
now look at the taskbar - are there little vertical bars there? if so, drag either one to the middle of the bar, and THEN drag an icon from your desktop onto the taskbar (try both sides of the vertical bar)
this should allow you to place an icon there.

Then right click the desktop, go back into settings, and reset your resolution to whatever you want.

THis will work because it is easy to drag the bars which surround the quicklaunch to...... well, the middle of nowhere - it will mess things up if you drag it to the start button, which will make it appear as if there is no quicklaunch.
setting the resolution to a lower setting will help you see the vertical bars. ( it may well work without resetting the resolution, but this is how I got it working)

[kayofcircles]

kfh: Did what deddard say to try work?? I just tried various things with the toolbars..and screwed mine up royally for a bit. Went offline, and fixed it..but I did have the Quick Launch underneath for a bit, so that is possible. Then it was side by side on my double toolbar display..very weird..with half of running apps and half of Quick Launch. I would suggest right clicking where deddard was talking about and choosing "Open" and then dragging your shortcuts into that window. Then, you can drag the icons on the toolbar to the "order" she wants. I am just wondering if her Quick Launch folder is empty..I just delected a shortcut out of there, and it disappeared off the toolbar. To check the folder, go to Windows Explorer, Windows, Application Data, Microsoft, Internet Explorer, Quick Launch. See if there are any shortcuts in there. And just realized there might be a "clue" in the fact that the Quick Launch folder is in Internet Explorer??? You could also open the folder in W.Explorer and drag your shortcuts there, and see if that fixes problem...would be same as my "Open" method.

And by the way, I remembered what happens when "Always on top" is not checked. The whole Start button and taskbar goes into stealth mode..invisible unless you hover your mouse over the area. Made me nervous..so never used that, but some do for playing games and stuff.

[malcore]

kfh

First question, has your friend installed TweakUI on his/her machine? If so, it is possible that IE has been disabled. Check this in the IE tab in TweakUI.


If not, try this. Look for the QuickLaunch folder on the hard drive here: C:\Windows\Aplication Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer or here:
C:\Windows\Profiles\[profile name]\Application Data\Microsoft\InternetExplorer.

If it is not there, then create a new one. Right click on empty space inside window of above folder and select file>new>folder. Call it Quick Launch. Add it to the start bar. Now you can right click and drag items there and and select "copy here".

Hope this helps.;)

Edit, if the QuickLaunch folder is already there, you might try deleting it and making a new one. Drag all the program shortcuts you want into the folder and then make sure QuickLaunch is checked in the toolbars again. (Copy your original QuickLaunch folder to another part of your drive before removing it.)

[kayofcircles]

Paul: malcore and I both rediscovered the wheel yesterday, huh? I was checking on this thread..and "found" your post about where the Quick Launch folder is. I thought I had seen the path in this thread, but couldn't find it yesterday..duh. Anyway, sorry.

malcore: If you meant creating a new toolbar by your "add it to the Start bar"..I tried similar yesterday. Every way I tried it got me the icons, but also the text so that it was WAY too long..just a few icons was all the way across the toolbar..similar to one I made for my use which I named "KS" for "short" and then has two folder icons with "My Temp" and "Works" following icons. So, approx 6 icons on Quick Launch is stuffed into same space as my KS toolbar icons with text.

kfh: I thought malcore's TweakUI question might be on target? And since this is apparently an Internet Explorer thing woven into Desktop maybe she did something to browser recently? Might be worth trying the Repair thing for IE? Is the Quick Launch folder there..following Paul's path? You may not have had time to work on her puter again..and I am not pushing, but I am very interested so please don't "vanish"...
:)

[malcore]

malcore: If you meant creating a new toolbar by your "add it to the Start bar"..


No. Actually I meant creating a new Quick Launch folder, not a new toolbar. Not sure what I meant by "Add it to the start bar.":confused:


Edit-Kay.In your new "KS" toolbar, if you right click inside of it, is there not an option to show text and you can uncheck it?. Once again, my vague memories of 98 are based on present observations of WinME.

[kayofcircles]

Well, duh..setting new parameters in the last week for duh..sigh. Never even noticed the "show text" thing, malcore. Thank you. I have room to add more folders there now..:)

[malcore]

I've had quite a few nibbles from the duh pie. Leaves a lingering taste.....;)

[kfh]

Hi All,

Thanks for all your help, still no joy.
The one thing she has done lately, is upgrade to IE 6.

Thanks,

kfh.

[Paul Komski]

Ever since IE6 arrived, upgrading from earler versions has caused no end of diverse problems for certain Win9X users.

Sometimes a clean install has been the only way of correcting things. Using IEradicator and reinstalling an earlier version has worked for some (and this site (http://winangels.com/win9xnt/tips/removeIE.htm) even claims that it will eradicate IE6 from XP!).

Running Repair IE from within Safe Mode works only occasionally.

Restoring a number of dll's is the other common problem area, but unlikely in this scenario.

Would try to get back to IE4 or 5 if possible.

[kayofcircles]

Thank you, kfh, for coming back and letting us know..I appreciate it because I have been wondering.

When I read your last post, I thought "AH HA!" I agree with Paul..use the IEradicator and get rid of IE 6. Should be able to go back to 5 easily enough. I went to 5.01 that my son downloaded for me from University of Victoria (http://helpdesk.uvic.ca/how-to/support/win95/msiexpl.html) because he has cable, but they also have 5.5 with both service packs and installer that I had my son download for me last weekend. (He said the Victoria website was "down" and think he got it from a University of El Paso website.) mjc said that 5.5 was the most "secure" without going to 6..so I will probably go to that eventually. Paul said in a post not too long back that they have worked out most of the bugs in IE 6, but I am still seeing a lot of IE 6 questions and problems...so I am still leery, particularly since I am still back at 98SE.

[Paul Komski]

If going back to install pre-IE6 versions remember that you may save yourself a big download by checking out any utility software you have lying around. ISP installation software generally contains a version of IE; Office2000 has IE5 on it and WinME has IE5.5 on it.

[kayofcircles]

98 had IE 4.something, but I was happy to find that 98SE included IE 5 because that's the one I am accustomed to. I had gone "up" to 5.01 at some point on old puter, so since it was available to me because my son had downloaded it, I went ahead and updated to it again on new puter. And then went to MS and did some security patches for 98SE. I remember a thread long ago when we discussed going "back" and the questioner was able to easily go back to the "core" version installed with 98..so hoping that kfh has the same success..which, in this case, gets the lady's puter back to IE 5. I mentioned 5.5 because mjc recommended that version as being more secure, and you're correct, Paul, she may very well have 5.5 lying around on a CD somewhere.