Esoteric Win98 ‘Quick Launch' question to stump the ‘experts'

Ron C.

[Ron C.]

For a ling time I've thought that I had met all the questions one could encounter about Win98 and its eccentricities. But, I've found one that it seems no one has either an answer or a fix for. Except for the common blanket cop-out, ‘reload the system' - which does not work, unless all traces of the prior system are removed. Here's the problem:

The ‘Quick Launch Toolbar' normally allows links to be added to the left side of the taskbar, but once quick-launch is unchecked as a toolbar option AFTER all links are removed from it back to the desktop, attempts to restore use of quick-launch result in a curious reversal. Shortcut links moved from the desktop can ONLY be placed to the right of the quick-launch slider (used to cover numerous links,) rather than normally beside the Start button.

The question is, why - and what can restore the normal left-side system acceptance of icons in quick-launch after it has once been terminated as an option?

[Ron C.]

If you've seen or experienced this - let me know what you did, if anything besides a complete system rebuild from scratch. Suggestions to move to XP are not acceptable or relevant to the question.

[francisandbeans]

Two suggestions:

1. Reinstall windows
2. Get Windows XP

Just messin with you...wish I could really help....but I figured you could use a bump!

[Notforprophet]

Can't you just click on the line to the far left of your taskbar, next to the Start button, and drag it all the way to the right?

[tacticalogic]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it seems to fit the symptoms.

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q273/7/85.asp

[Ratatoskr]

I can tell you how to change the Start button to say something other than Start. Will that do?

Seriously, have a poke around Winguides.com. They publish some very good help files on the OS and the registry. And, if the answer isn't there, they have an online support where you can ask the question to a more targeted audience.

Good luck.

[DouglasKC]

Okay, I had just recently installed a fresh copy of Win98 here at work, so I could duplicate what I think you're talking about.

Here'e what you do: You can "grab" the left edge of the quick launch toolbar and drag it to the right of the start button. It might be easier to do this if you make the whole toolbar on the bottom larger by dragging the top line up.

My install was with win98 second edition.

[rw4site]

The Quick Launch feature is a waste of tool bar space for me.

I just drag a shortcut from the desktop or file to the "Start" button.
After the shortcut is in the start menu you can click on it and move it where you want in the start menu.
Or you can right click any thing in the start menu and choose "Sort by Name" from that menu and they will be in alphabetical order.

[Ron C.]

"drag a shortcut from the desktop or file to the "Start" button."

Hehe.. sort of a mini use of using the entire desktop as an added toolbar. I use the same selective edits on my system, including adding direct accesss to the control panel via the start menu - no separate window.

(This is a friends PC - a friend that messes up his system through rank ignorance all too often.)

[MangyDingo]

What you will have to do is click and hold on the vertical line that is now next to your "Start" button, then drag it to the right of the quick launch toolbar. You may have to resize the toolbars when done to get everything just the way you want it.

The toolbar, for whatever reason, lets you move things right, but not left. Go figure.

MangyDingo

[Ron C.]

"click and hold on the vertical line"

Unfortunately, that *won't* work (normal) in this case.. the line refuses to budge! It is as if that feature has been somehow disabled. That is at the crux of the problem, and I'm thinking it is a registry problem associated with the powertools options. Not at all sure though.

[Ron C.]

Thanks, but normal movement of the line by the Start button by click-hold won't elicite a move. With the sole exception of the quick-launch lines (the sort of double line, one thin, other thick to right of thin) the other one by the start button that should accomplish what is needed, won't.

But, thanks anyway... I've hacked the registry a bit (after making some backups,) and doing another system reload now.

[DouglasKC]

Thanks, but normal movement of the line by the Start button by click-hold won't elicite a move. With the sole exception of the quick-launch lines (the sort of double line, one thin, other thick to right of thin) the other one by the start button that should accomplish what is needed, won't.

It doesn't appear to DRAG the line anywhere, but once you get it to where you want and release, it will work. I re-created the circumstances you described exactly. I saw the quick launch shortcut move to the right when I turned it back on. It's easily moved back to the left my clicking on the line, holding it and then dropping it back on the far left line.

[Woodman]

Too simple of a question. Try a little harder and you can get it back on the left-hand side. I'll give you a hint, it's called drag and drop, but you need to have something to drag it over first.

[dfrussell]

1. Format the drive. 2. Install linux. Yeah, I know... the devil made me do it :=)

[Ron C.]

"1. Format the drive. 2. Install linux."

Hehe.. I've had linux on my laptop for two years now. Faster than greased lightening, and only a 233MHz processor too! (Makes any and all Winduz OS look positively crippled.)

[Ron C.]

Thanks guys - much appreciate yours, and all other comments.

Just reloaded the system after hack of the registry and removal of powertools (I'll put powertools back on for a couple of its features.)

Now it works as it is supposed to. Don't know if it was powertools or my removal of prior desktop from the registry - but the system is up with no reload of all software, and quick-launch can be swapped left or right with ease. Used Norton System Works to fix a couple of minor DirectX problems always present after reloads, and now have 100% system.

Restoration of prior desktop settings will be easy now, and my friend can come pick this puppy up! Thanks again.