Avoid double context menus on some XP tray right-clicks?

[leecovuk]

Hello,

This is by no means anything new, but sometimes, such as now, I feel the need to try and find a fix. Previously without success.

Do any of you find in XP (or used to and now have a fix), that when you right-click on some tray icons, you often also get the XP Taskbar context menu opening? I do, on Prox and some other tray icons, and is moderately annoying. The result looks like the attached screen grab. Sometimes / usually I find the 2 menus almost merge with each other, meaning I have to click on the desktop and Taskbar to clear them both, then try again.

I don't know if it something to do with mouse/click accuracy, although I have not yet found a solution.
I also wonder if it is some kind of byproduct of working my XP Display at 'Large Size 120 dpi', but I have not reached a conclusion on this.

Thanks for any thoughts and fixes,

Lee

[eclipse]

Never happended to me, but I'm using default font size. If you can, try for a while using the default font size (as a way to troubleshoot - after this you can discard almost everything else)

[leecovuk]

Hello eclipse and thanks for replying.

I seem to recall previously that didn't work, but maybe I hadn't actually tried it. Anyway, I just have and rebooted and the problem remains.
I also just tried un-ticking 'lock the taskbar' (back on 120 dpi) and that seems to remove the problem.

I could 'live' with that, but I have however just found a workaround, which disables the XP right click taskbar context menu. ie now, it cannot open at all but the context menus on applications still can.
I only really use the taskbar context menu to access the Task Manager, so I'll just add a shortcut to that elsewhere.

The workaround I did is a registry change; you add or change an existing DWORD value at the following location :-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

In right-side pane, have DWORD "NoTrayContextMenu" present and set to 1

Lee

[eclipse]

Glad to know you solved the problem!

[eclipse]

Oh, and regarding the Task Manager, did you try pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del?

You're welcome!

[leecovuk]

Yes, sometimes I forget about that keyboard shortcut to the Task Manager.
I've now put a shortcut to it on the Start Menu.

I think the reason I've finally reached a solution/workaround on this now, is sometimes I need the impetus gained from bouncing ideas off other people, so thanks.


Lee

[Oddysey]

lee (and eclipse);

Actually, Ctrl+Alt+Del brings up the log-off options screen..... Ctrl+Shift+Esc brings up the Task Manager directly.

HTH




Oddysey

[leecovuk]

(Jan. 21, 2009 08:12 AM)Oddysey Wrote:  Actually, Ctrl+Alt+Del brings up the log-off options screen..... Ctrl+Shift+Esc brings up the Task Manager directly.

Hello Oddysey,

Both seem to bring up the same for me. Maybe one of those is a byproduct of me running XP as admin user with no password? Just a guess.
(btw I know running like this is not ideal for security in various ways; it is convenient, however)

btw a byproduct/part of my workaround I posted above, is you lose the right-click context menus on applications on the XP taskbar. That is to be expected I suppose, but you do keep them on the tray/notification area.

off topic:-
Anyone know a keyboard shortcut to lock/unlock the keyboard, so you can wipe or move it with the pc on? I'm sure something like ctrl+L used to do it, but I can't seerm to find one these days.
If that should work, I don't know if functions like this also require the keyboard to be set or designated in a certain way with XP.

thanks again,
Lee

[Oddysey]

Lee;

If you'll think back to the days of DOS (the Microsoft version of In The Beginning....), Ctrl-Alt-Del was meant to reset the computer (a so-called 'soft boot'). And in the early versions of Windows, that scenario was carried through.

However, with the advent of NT 3.1 (nee OS/2), the OS had way too much going on to just let the user upset the apple cart whenever he/she wanted - thus, Microsoft started intercepting the Ctrl-Alt-Del combination, and used that to trigger the log-off options screen. This was intended to let the OS shut things down in a nice manner, allowing for minimal lost work, etc. And that particular thinking has carried forward right up until today. Even Windows 7 does the same thing.

All of which is to say, if hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del on your system is brings you to the Task Manager instead, then you've got problems. And no, it's not the Admin/no password thing, I do that too, and I get what Microsoft says I'm supposed to get.

As for security, if they can get in at all, then they'll get in no matter what account is currently active (logged in) - admin or otherwise, password or no.... don't worry about that part.

Sorry, I've no other words of wisdom to offer on this subject.

HTH



Oddysey

[eclipse]

Quote:if hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del on your system is brings you to the Task Manager instead, then you've got problems

Not really a problem, you know, I even have two ways to perform the same task LOL!

As far as I remember, on every computer I have entered that shortcut always bring up the task manager (WinXP + SP2 I think).
Although it isn't listed as a regular shortcut to access the Task manager, its cited on this knowledge base article (which also has a solution to Lee's question abut a shortcut to lock keyboard/computer WIN+L)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/294317

Quote:the computer can also be locked if you press CTRL+ALT+DELETE (to open Task Manager), and then click Lock Computer or click Switch User on the Shut Down menu.

That's a big typo for sure... keep reading further down in the article to get more confused. LOL.

Here's another approach:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using...noll1.mspx

Here you have the previous 2 plus using commandline:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/pub00....asp?id=70

Fourth one:
Simply turn the PC off! LOL... this is the safest method and recommended for "Thorough Cleaning TM" every once in a while (you don't want anything liquid near a "live" keyboard!)

Leecovuk, use whatever shortcut you prefer, it's really your choice

[Oddysey]

eclipse;

Ctrl-Alt-Del is the guaranteed way to get to the Task Manager, and just about every person who has ever used a Wintel box knows this particular key combination. Most folks don't know more than 2 or 3 keyboard shortcuts, and I certainly wouldn't pretend to know more than a few beyond that. But even if they've never heard of DOS, or a command line, they still were told about Ctrl-Alt-Del (and what it does), almost before they got the computer out of the showroom and installed at home.

BTW, the so-called Windows key, as a alternate-shift mechanism, is a non-starter for most laptops. There's no room for it in the standard layout (I'm referring to those smaller units that don't have a number-key pad), so it gets moved off to Timbuktu or somesuch...... which defeats the purpose of a shortcut in the first place. Yes, one can learn this new location and use it, but if one normally docks with a real keyboard at one's workstation, then going back and forth between the two keyboards is frustrating, to say the least. Thus I tend to stick with the older combos that use Ctrl, Alt, or both.

And no, Ctrl-Alt-Del should never bring you to the Task Manager, only to the Log-off options dialog (or window, or screen, whichever one might prefer), that's where one can choose to shut down gracefully, instead of blindly murdering all the OS's hard work at keeping track of everything. One can also change his/her password from this dialog, or go to the Task Manager, or just lock the computer while one has to go 10-100. As a fail-safe, easy to remember combination, Ctrl-Alt-Del is what most folks fall back on, even if they're only hoping it gives them something they can use.

HTH



Oddysey

[ProxRocks]

you mean the famed ol' three-finger reboot? lol...

[leecovuk]

Hello again, just catching up with the replies, and thanks.

I certainly get the Task Manager through both the shortcut combos I mentioned; whether I should or not is probably a different matter.
Oddysey, I'm confused by what you said here ...

Quote:Ctrl-Alt-Del is the guaranteed way to get to the Task Manager
...
And no, Ctrl-Alt-Del should never bring you to the Task Manager, only to the Log-off options dialog

?

As for locking the keyboard, I also found mention of Windows Key+L. For me however, this just sends me to the logoff User screen.
(Assuming what my keyboard shows labelled as 'start' with a little windows logo is the Windows Key. I can't find another one.)
Trying the desktop shortcut mentioned on one of those links does the same thing for me.

Quote:the computer can also be locked if you press CTRL+ALT+DELETE (to open Task Manager), and then click Lock Computer or click Switch User on the Shut Down menu.

I don't see a Lock Computer option on the Task Manager.
?
I tried those methods with the Fast User Switching service running or not.

Maybe there is no longer a keyboard shortcut on current XP to simply freeze/lock out the keyboard, although I'm sure I remember myself using one at some point. As said of course, it's no replacement for properly cleaning the keyboard when the pc is shutdown. Can be handy though.

Lee