Start button, task bar, and the side bar stuck in classic mode

I am helping a friend by setting up her new computer which has the WONDERFUL (full of sarcasm) Vista operating system. It was a floor model and I wanted to do a couple of scans in safe mode. After I rebooted, the start button, the task bar, and the side bar had changed to the classic version. I went to the Start Menu tab in the task bar and startup menu. The Start Menu button was checked. I switched it to Classic View to see if there was a glitch and then switched it back and nothing changed. I can't find anything in the help menu or online, so I thought I would post here. Any ideas?

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Vista?!

 

Have you tried system restore to a point before the scan?

 

I ran Spybot and Adaware. Neither found anything and no changes were made by me during or after the scan before reboot.

I did not do a system restore at that time and now I have spent too much time loading programs while searching for a solution to the problem. I'm not willing to start over again just so the desktop will look "right."