All right, computer Gurus. I have a Net Book (eeePC) running XP. Every time it comes back from the screen saver, the windows task bar and start menu have disappeared, and will not come back until the computer reboots. Then, the cycle starts over. Help?

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Paul Korte
OPC
Flint, MI

They who perceive in themselves discoveries of the divine goodness, so full and absolutely perfect, and who make them the subject of earnest meditation, will never embrace new doctrines, by which the very grace they feel so powerfully in themselves is thrown into the shade. --John Calvin

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Paul, that is a function of the Puritan Board Relevant Chip, or PBRC for short. An aggregate score is calculated based on the content of your posts. If the PBRC believes you are straying into irrelevance, it starts with some gentle nudging -- like messing with your start menu or tool bar. Failure to become relevant will result in more severe discipline. A confidentiality agreement prevents me from sharing what that advanced discipline entails, but suffice to say it is not pleasant.

Oh, brother James, have your finger nails grown back yet after your own PBRC fiasco?

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Bill Brown
Elder
Reformed Baptist
Maryland

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Bill, I realize that your high status prevents you from disclosing too many details, but could you at least clue me in as to whether this may be related to the mysterious disappearance of my left eyebrow several days ago while sitting at my desk?

Have you tried turning off the screen saver? Just shut the lid when you aren't using it. That should put it in sleep mode. I'd be more concerned about the batteries than the screen.

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Edward
Deacon
PCA
Texas

Thanks, Edward; I know that the problem also occurs when I close it and re-open it (i.e., sleep mode); but I'll actually go in and turn off the screen saver and try it again, and see if that changes anything.

(Also, I've tried all the obvious things -- the task bar is locked; it's not hiding at the bottom, top, or sides of the screen, etc)

Try changing the power management feature. Set for better performance as opposed to better battery life. Many of my eeePC's problems went away when I did this.

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James Helbert, Wytheville, VA
Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCUS
TheBibleAlone.com / The Edinburgh Inn
"Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” - Zechariah 3:2

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Officially I can only say "no comment."

Other computer problems are reporting this as a general failure likely related to nvidia's graphics drivers. You are likely going to have to wait until they fix them if that is the case. Until then as others have said, disable your screen saver and log off your system when it is not in use.

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Robert K. "Kelly" Brumbelow
In Inquirer's class at Grace Presbyterian (PCA) Cedartown, GA
Cedartown, Georgia

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind, In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise. - John Greenleaf Whittier 1807-1892

Robert -- thanks: I saw a lot of references in my web searches to the nvidia drivers as well.

James, your suggestion seemed to fix it! Thanks, brother. I switched to "high performance mode," and the task bar remains there no matter how hard I try to make it disappear. By the way, have you been happy with your eeePC so far?

Paul, I'm happy with it from the standpoint that it fulfills the purpose for which I purchased it -- to be able to check my email, the PB and Facebook while I travel without the hassle of toting around a larger laptop or worrying that a large $$ laptop will be stolen. I really don't see that is has much practical usefulness beyond that. It is monumentally slow (perhaps I should have spent the extra $$ to increase the RAM) and cannot multitask at all.

So I guess the answer to your question is mostly "yes" but a little bit "no".

OK, I always start with the obvious. I just spent about 8 hours this weekend dealing with problems with the desktop, which were evidenced by graphics problems. (Nvidia plus XP here, as well) The thing has run fine until now.