Wierd Xp Crash

[KazaaBoy]

When I am working and open up any folder, usually a folder called Desktop Files, and I minimize it by pressing the button "show desktop." most programs on the bottom right hand corner on the taskbar just disappear. I call them up again and when I minimize them to the taskbar, they don't even go there. What can I do and what sort of error is this?

[100%]

I dont quit get it - any possibility of showing a desktop picture? which programs?

[KazaaBoy]

It's like the programs crash and don't appear on the task bar. Here is a picture....





I had programs there like BlackIce and Klite AOL and AOL hider. Now I can't access AOL and disconnect and I can't bring up AOL hider as well. When I open up the windows task manager, there are no programs open except for the ones that didn't crash. Does anyone understand this?

[skelley521]

Sounds 'like' an explorer crash.
If you open the processes they should still be running though, but you do not have access to the programs interface.
You can try to close the applications processes and try to restart the app, but if that doesnt work you will need to reboot.

[KazaaBoy]

I don't want to restart all the time because right now it's the only option I have. Any solution to this problem?

[I.am]

You can still access it in the processes. Some programs like BlackIce dont show up in the application interface listing. You can still close it through processes.

And hope you got what he said as to restart explorer (not computer)
so if you end explorer.exe after going in the processes, then come back to applications and do a New Task and write explorer.exe it should bring up all the things that should have started when the computer starts.

[dgmortal]

Originally posted by I.am@24 January 2004 - 13:50
And hope you got what he said as to restart explorer (not computer)
so if you end explorer.exe after going in the processes, then come back to applications and do a New Task and write explorer.exe it should bring up all the things that should have started when the computer starts.

nope....it wont. manually ending explorer is the same as an explorer crash. if the program doesnt restore the system tray icon automatically after an explorer crash, the only way to get it back is to logoff or reboot (unless you can launch the app again so it calls the already running process and opens it...but this doesnt work on all apps).

[I.am]

yup, but i dont think this is an explorer crash case. Some software just dont show up in applications like blackice. They run as processes.

[dgmortal]

Originally posted by I.am@24 January 2004 - 16:39
yup, but i dont think this is an explorer crash case. Some software just dont show up in applications like blackice. They run as processes.

it is an explorer crash. they are talking about the system tray icons.....not the applications section of the task manager. they only showed the task manager to point out they have no access to the said programs after they disappeared.

as far as a solution....you have 2 options. you can close each program in the processes tab and then re-open each of them (which will restore the icons to the system tray), or a quick logoff and then logging back on will bring them back. its probably best for the system to logoff and then log back on....abruptly ending alot of processes in the task manager can cause system instability since the programs are not being shut down properly. and you might want to find the cause of the crashes and then just not do whatever is causing them (such as clicking on the "show desktop" shortcut in your quicklaunch.....an easier way to do this which doesnt seem to cause any problems for me is the Win+D key combination).

[KazaaBoy]

Loging of and back on does work and restores everything back to place. However, I wanted to know what caused this problem and how to fix it.