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Solved: Stuck in Classic view / Cannot restore Win XP view

8K views 56 replies 8 participants last post by  dgxx 
#1 ·
Help !

Am running Win XP Prof, Service Pack 3 on a Dell Diminsion 3000....ISP: AT&T....Zone Alarm Free Firewall. 1 gig Ram.

After having Win XP reinstalled, I found that after a few minutes use....the task bar changed to "classic style". After a few tries at eliminating this glitch....I went to Google and came up with a solution which I thought would work.

I downloaded 2 files from http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm.

restorethemes.reg size:455 kb
and
classicdisable.reg size: 729 bytes

"restorethemes" should have restored Win XP themes to default.....however it DID NOT, and I found my computer locked in FULL classic view....which I don't like.

"classicdisable" should have disabled the "classic trainwreck"....it DID NOT...CRAP !

From that point, I could only think to delete both files from the registry....but truth be told, I am alas....Computer Stupid....."Computers for Dummies" baffels me ! I have no idea how to access the registry where the 2 files might be found, much less the process for deletion. I'm lost.....
Could someone please help ?

Regards,
dgxx...
 
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#2 ·
Perhaps this little how-to can help you: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/personalize/classic.mspx

There is also a setting that changes the order of the Start menu to Classic as well. You get to that by right-clicking on your Start button. But I'm guessing you just changed your Windows theme.

Also, lesson learned: be VERY cautious when dealing with the registry. Unless you are 100% certain about the changes you want to make, it would be best to stay away from it. :cool:
 
#3 ·
Perhaps this little how-to can help you: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/personalize/classic.mspx

There is also a setting that changes the order of the Start menu to Classic as well. You get to that by right-clicking on your Start button. But I'm guessing you just changed your Windows theme.

Also, lesson learned: be VERY cautious when dealing with the registry. Unless you are 100% certain about the changes you want to make, it would be best to stay away from it. :cool:
Cybershaman......
You are indeed a "GODSEND" !
Your solution worked perfectly......Thank you very, very much. I'm back to Win XP style, and am as happy as mouse inna cheese factory !!!
Merry Christmas, and may all ya children be born naked...lol...and may all people such as myself, have a "Cybershaman" in their lives at that crucial moment !
"LESSON LEARNED" !!!

May the Good Lord take a likin to ya......
Regards...
dgxx,
 
#4 ·
Don't sell yourself short. Even the smart people know to come to the Tech Support Guy forums. :p

If you want a little Christmas happy story, here's mine: I used to be a system admin but am not anymore due to my disability. I use the Google Desktop gadget "Web Clips" to display recent posts from this site in order to stay up on my game. However, I don't post near as much as I should and usually just occasionally answer a few easy questions here and there. I actually saw your other post (here: http://forums.techguy.org/introductions/968490-help-i-cant-do-alone.html) and it spurred me on to find this one and to help you out. Long story short, your reply and exuberant praise came to me on a day that I was particularly down. Let's just say your kind words really helped me out at the right time. I'll try and do the same to somebody in the future. Oh and one more thing...

Thanks for stopping by TSG! Don't be a stranger since I'm sure you'll have more questions down the road! ♠;)
 
#6 ·
Uh Oh !......

Don't wanna be a whiner...that's not my way...and I am glad to be catalyst to your obvious talents...(as to helpin you back onna straight and narrow).....I was a sys. admin onna cellular site and few years back, so I know one can fall inna rut every now and then. "Bite the Snake Back"....that's what I always say in these down situations !
As before, I am very happy with your solution, however there is one drawback. When I restart my computer, it starts in Win Classic, and I have to go thru the same process everytime to get it back to XP Style (view). BUMMER ! I even tried another solution on the Microsoft site, but it didn't work.
So it seems what I'm gonna have to do, is delete those 2 files from the Registry. Do you know if there are programs that search the registry only ?
Cause I haven't a clue as to how to find them. Meanwhile...I'll keep looking.
Keep ya head UP....and beware of "Trojans" wearing steel vests, and imitating the female species.

later,
 
#9 ·
Could there be anything in StartUp under msconfig that could be doing this - a TweakUI type utility,perhaps?
I really don't know what caused the initial prob. (win xp taskbar changing to beige classic taskbar).
However I'm sure that the computer being stuck in the classic view is cause by the 2 ".reg files" I entered into the registry. (restorethemes.reg & classicdisable.reg).
....and as for "msconfig"..........mscon-what ?!:eek:....CLUELESS !!:cool:
 
#11 ·
....and as for "msconfig"..........mscon-what ?!:eek:....CLUELESS !!:cool:

This was sorted out at one stage but went wrong agian after a restart. That points to something which is set to start automatically when the system fires up is causing the problem to return. Go Start then Run and in the open box, type msconfig and then hit Enter. Click the StartUp tab and untick eveything except the firewall and anti-virus programmes. Everything else can go for the moment - you aren't deleting programmes, just telling them you'll call them if necessary.

Click on Apply then OK and let the system restart. When it comes back, tick the "Don't show this message again" box and hit Enter. Hopefully, the taskbar will be blue and you can go through the msconfig process again, ticking one item at a time until you narrow down the culprit.
 
#12 ·
"dgxx": When you posted the below, is when you should have declared solved, at least that is my opinion.

Best wishes for the holidays and for overcoming the ongoing problem.

{redoak}

Cybershaman......
You are indeed a "GODSEND" !
Your solution worked perfectly......Thank you very, very much. I'm back to Win XP style, and am as happy as mouse inna cheese factory !!!
Merry Christmas, and may all ya children be born naked...lol...and may all people such as myself, have a "Cybershaman" in their lives at that crucial moment !
"LESSON LEARNED" !!!

May the Good Lord take a likin to ya......
Regards...
dgxx,
 
#13 ·
This was sorted out at one stage but went wrong agian after a restart. That points to something which is set to start automatically when the system fires up is causing the problem to return. Go Start then Run and in the open box, type msconfig and then hit Enter. Click the StartUp tab and untick eveything except the firewall and anti-virus programmes. Everything else can go for the moment - you aren't deleting programmes, just telling them you'll call them if necessary.

Click on Apply then OK and let the system restart. When it comes back, tick the "Don't show this message again" box and hit Enter. Hopefully, the taskbar will be blue and you can go through the msconfig process again, ticking one item at a time until you narrow down the culprit.
Saga Lout....
Your solution did not work. Not only that, but it caused another problem.
Now everytime I start my computer, I get two error messages.
The first is: Windows cannot find ("there are 2 square boxes here").
Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button and then click search. (when I click OK under the message, the next message pops up)

The second is: Windows cannot find ("there are 19 square boxes here").
Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button and then click search. When I click OK under this message....the "first" message pops up again, and this continues 5 or 6 times before the two messages stop popping up ! Very annoying !

In between these 2 messages is another pop up which says:
Could not load or run (the boxes) specified in the registry. Make sure the file exists your
computer, or remove the reference to it in the registry. Windows could not find these files.

I checked the msconfig...in the 'System Configuration Utility' under the "start up tab', and these 'boxes' refer to a file called: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current.....(don't know what comes after this) For this reason, I am reluctant to do ANYTHING past this point, because I do know what Windows NT refers to, so this is a bummer, Saga Lout !
Does anyone have an idea how I can fix this ?????!!!! I just paid money to Windows XP reinstalled !

:cool:.....

 
#15 ·

Pity it didn't make a difference but it's fully reversible - just go back into theStartUp tab at msconfig and tick everything. All you did was perform a clean start but as it didn't help, you undo the change. System Restore won't do that, as far as I'm aware - you need to go back in as you did before.

 
#17 ·
Pity it didn't make a difference but it's fully reversible - just go back into theStartUp tab at msconfig and tick everything. All you did was perform a clean start but as it didn't help, you undo the change. System Restore won't do that, as far as I'm aware - you need to go back in as you did before.
The fact that it did not work is not the only thing that is a pity Saga Lout.
This did not work either !
I think I'm kinda in the woods here at TechGuy.....however, NO Prob......if I have to pay for another
Win XP install, then I will do so......This is totally MY fault.....no one asked me to come here.
Therefore I must bid you farewell......nonetheless, parting need not be filled with sorrow.........and "Cybershaman"............."I guess I really didn't learn that 'LESSON'..huh ?....lol....all the same, I'm glad to have met you........Keep ya head UP......because just over the next horizon is...............:up:....

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL !
dgxx :),
 
#19 ·
In all honesty, this sounds like the reinstall you paid for was not done correctly to begin with. I would take it back and have them do it over (and argue with them if they wanted you to pay for a second reinstall). Each post you've made with the accumulating problems, IMO, points to the fault being a corrupted installation because NONE of the advice given (including the two registry fixes) should have caused the problems that occurred.
 
#21 ·
I'm mortified if a piece of advice I gave has gone wrong but exactly how does putting those ticks back not simply reverse taking them out?
Well....in the first place, after I took all the checks out (except virus and wallpaper) and restarted....when I went back to uncheck one box at a time..(as you advised)....every box was checked. I unchecked one box (ctfmon) and restarted. So you see, your last fix advice had already happened. So...it is not feasable that checking all the boxes is going to fix anything.....since they all were pre-checked by the restart.

Note: After the first "uncheck", I noted that the 2 files with the 'boxes' had duplicated themselves in the restart, so I disabled the duplications and now the pop ups no longer pop up. YaY for that.....other than that, I still have not been able to locate the part of the registry that contains the 2 .reg files that I merged, which is my main objective. RATS ! :mad:
 
#22 ·
In all honesty, this sounds like the reinstall you paid for was not done correctly to begin with. I would take it back and have them do it over (and argue with them if they wanted you to pay for a second reinstall). Each post you've made with the accumulating problems, IMO, points to the fault being a corrupted installation because NONE of the advice given (including the two registry fixes) should have caused the problems that occurred.
Ya know what LauraMJ......in all honesty, you are probably right ! However I don't live inna 'back mountain' area......I live in the Los Angeles area of Ca. Repair shops (vendors...etc) are NOT consumer friendly......when they do something, that's it ! :rolleyes: They will swear onna stack of bibles that the work was perfect, and I must have done something to parcipitate the error ! Past that point, the only thing that is going to happen is......them calling the police. :eek: Trust me ! Los Angeles is teeming with novice computer users like myself, so they don't worry about the loss of business. That's the true 'lay' of the territory !
L.A. is truly the city of the fallen angels. Fair vendors are few, and far between. Thanks for the input.......
 
#24 ·
Well....in the first place, after I took all the checks out (except virus and wallpaper) and restarted....when I went back to uncheck one box at a time..(as you advised)....every box was checked.

There is positively no way in which that can happen in an XP system except for a very few which will automatically restart themselves. If, however, when you unticked them, you didn't click on Apply OK and then restarted the computer, that could have made the ticks stay there all the time. Those ticks cannot come back by themselves.

This advice on what's known as a clean boot is probably given one an hour on a technical forum somewhere in the world and it remains the only way to find out what's causing a problem to come back after a restart - as did your own problem.
 
#25 ·
There is positively no way in which that can happen in an XP system except for a very few which will automatically restart themselves. If, however, when you unticked them, you didn't click on Apply OK and then restarted the computer, that could have made the ticks stay there all the time. Those ticks cannot come back by themselves.

This advice on what's known as a clean boot is probably given one an hour on a technical forum somewhere in the world and it remains the only way to find out what's causing a problem to come back after a restart - as did your own problem.
OK.....not worth a debate. The keywords here are "Stuck in Classic View".....and the prob still exists.
Maybe I'm hacked ....
 
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