User Account Creation Issue in Windows XP Home

[Dax Doomslayer]

Hi Folks,
I'm kind of at my wits end here. Everytime I try to create a user account within Windows XP there is a horizontal gray bar that appears half way up the screen. If I hover my mouse over it, it states 'Click here to begin' and when you do, you get the Start button options. When I originally set these two user accounts up (about 1.5 weeks ago), it was fine. However this started manifesting itself the end of last week and now if I go in and try to set up another new User Account, I still get that grayish area. At first I thought it might have been the lower tray dragged up half the way but I can't 'select it' to shrink it. I'm hoping someone here on these boards can help ! Thanks!!

OK - I've done some more messing around and it actually is the lower tray bar dragged up but I can't 'shrink' it down to one line again. Does anyone have any suggestions? This is driving me nuts now.

 

[babomb]

Is the taskbar locked? Right click it and uncheck "Lock the Taskbar". You should then be able to resize it by putting the mouse cursor just over the top edge and draging it downward.

 

[Henry]

babomb's got it - uncheck the "lock the taskbar" and you should be able to fix it.

Let us know!

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Hi Folks,
Thanks for the responses. Yes the task bar was locked. However, this creates an even more bizarre thing. On any additional account I create, this happens too in addition even if the quick launch tray and clock are chosen, they don't appear. Basically it is an 'empty' task bar. Sporadically things will 'reappear' in the task bar but if the machine is powered down it basically 'resets' to the high task bar (although that now remains unlocked). The main adminstration account (mine) has never had a problem. I am running current virus protection and have SP 2 so I do not know what's going on here. Any help is appreciated.