problem with taskbar

Hello,
If I have 2 different programs open (or 2 web browser pages open such as Google Chrome and one in incognito mode)or a program and a document open at the same time they both appear at the bottom in the taskbar. In the past I have been able to click on the one that was not on top and it would appear on top. In other words To switch to the other window, I would click its taskbar button and that would bring it to the front. However, I tried doing that today and the other program does not come to the front.

I also use to be able to have one program or web page open and click to open paint and paint would come to the front. However, now it just opens but I have to minimize the current program in order to see the other program. I never had this issue before and am not sure what changed.


When I was trying to attach a paint picture / screen shot pasted into paint and clicked on attachments even that does not come to the front. I needed to minimize this page in order to see the manage attachments popup.

I hope this makes sense.

How do I get this feature to work again? I am running windows vista home premium and do keep it up to date. This particular feature was working just the other day - I even think that I used it yesterday but now it will not work properly. I need to minimize the program that is on the monitor in order to see the other program or pop up (such as the manage attachements for this post) and that was never an issue before.

Thanks So Very Much!!!

 

Did you by any chance download/install new software that may have changed Windows settings?

 

The only thing that I downloaded was a couple of updates from microsoft yesterday afternoon and I ran the Super Anti-Spyware program before shutting the pc down last night.

After posting about the issue I began to wonder if it had something to do with the windows updates so I thought I would do a system restore to yesterday before the updates and see if that resolved the issue. After doing the system restore and the computer was restarting I got a message on a black screen c0000135 and saying unable to locate a component - failed to start because usp10.dll was not found.

I got that error message once before after running the Super Anti-Spyware progran (and nothing was found last night or that time before) and I ended up having to do the system repair - installing the original disc and doing a repair.

The pc is now running just fine. I am not sure if it has something to do with the Super Anti-Spyware program or if it was the windows update but I do remember getting that same message some time ago after having run the same program in the past - but have not had any issues until now. Either way it is working just fine again and I think that I am going to wait on reinstalling those Windows Updates for now and see how things go.

Is there another program besides Super Anti-Spyware that I can run? I also do run Spybot, Malware Bytes, Windows Defender, CCleaner regularly as defrag the hard drive as well.

Thanks Again!

 

The only things I run are Microsoft Security Essentials and Windows Firewall on my XP Pro and Vista Business drives (I dual boot because some of my favorite programs don't run properly in Vista). I'm also careful about the sites I visit and opt out of installing the bundled software that RARELY comes with the app I actually want. Both Major Geeks and FreewareFiles.com notify you if there is bundled software.

I've never used Super Anti-Spyware so, I can't comment on it. But, you have had similar problems with it twice.

I think there may be a bit of "overkill" with all the protection programs that you run and there is the possibility of conflicts which would render one or more of the apps ineffective.

As far as the Windows/Microsoft updates, if they were optional and not security updates, you don't really need them.

CCleaner is the one recommended by Major Attitude (co-owner of Major Geeks).

As far as defragging, don't do it too often and only if drive fragmentation is above 5%. It won't benefit you otherwise.

 

I don't run anything other than my anti-virus and firewall all the time. I just run the spyware and malware programs alternately and not every day. The defrag gets done about once a month or so (not weekly like the other stuff.

As for the Microsoft updates I never both with the ones that are not security updates since like you I figured that they weren't something that I really need. Have a few of those that are still sitting there telling me about them but I try to be very careful to now leave them checked off when I do accept the updates. Have that set to let me know when there are updates so that I can review them first. Just don't like the idea of simply letting the updates be downloaded and installed automatically. The only thing that I allow to update automatically is the anti-virus definitions - everything else is set to let me know first.

When installing anything I have always selected the option to choose what to install instead of just letting it install since I don't want any of that darn junk that is included with the bundles either. That is one primary reason I like this site so much. It lets you know. I have never heard of FreewareFiles.com. Might have to check it out.

I think that I may just completely uninstall the Super Anti-Spyware program and if I am concerned that Spybot missed something I do know that Super Anti-Spyware has a section on their site for running an online scan. I have been very lucky - so far - that nothing has ever been found on my computer. I'm guessing that is because I do not click on anything that I am not positive about and I never open an email that I am not sure of. Or I could just be lucky so far.

Thanks Again for Everything and Happy Holidays!

Lisa:wave

I know that there is a way to mark this post as solved but can't remember how.