How odd is this... Taskbar items not showing

[cotswoldcs]

OK, I have a computer running Windows XP Home SP2. Whenever I open a program and then minimize the item does not show in the taskbar. I've unlocked the taskbar, made it larger, removed quick launch etc but no items appear.

I can't see any option for NOT showing taskbar items so am completely bemused why they aren't there. Very odd.

A Google search and a MS KB search revealed nothing.

Any ideas?

[abeacock]

If you minimise the application and then press CTRL-SHIFT-ESC what is listed in the running applications? Is it still there?

[cotswoldcs]

Yep, Task Manager shows 3 running apps at the moment; Word, Network Connections, IE 7.0. They all open and I can ALT + TAB - I just can't see what's open on the taskbar. Very frustrating!!

Any ideas?

[mycarsavw]

I presume ALT - TAB still switches between open apps too?

[abeacock]

Do you have any 'desktop enhancing' software installed?

I know that some tools have extra options to fully hide running apps.

See http://www.minimize-to-tray.com/ for an example.

[pollaxe]

I had this a couple of times on an old system - respectively a system restore from a few days previously and a reformat/reinstall sorted it but in the case of the latter the system restore was tried beforehand and failed.

I never found out what was causing it, either...

[autopilot]

I have the same, just had to learn to live with it.

Strangely enough, the only way i can get all of them to display is to disable the PCI 56k modem. As soon as i re-enable it some vanish again. Most odd.

[mycarsavw]

Search for a file called OTMS.exe on your computer.

If you find it click START>RUN>type MSconfig go to Startup tab and look for an entry named pmedia. Uncheck it and reboot.

Then go into the folder where you found OTMS.EXE and there should be an uninstaller present. Run it.

Plagiarised from another forum.