Question : open windows are not appearing in the minimize bar

Question:

I have a client using windows 98.  He opens multiple programs but none of them are appearing in the minimize bar at the bottom of the screen.  I can use the Task Switcher (Alt - Tab) to move between the programs but I would rather have the open windows appear in the minimize bar.  Any way to correct his?

Thanks Guys.

Answer : open windows are not appearing in the minimize bar

Does the "Quick Launch Toolbar" show in its own space with its drag handle to the right of the Start button?
Does the System Tray show OK at the right side of the Taskbar?

It would have been made easy to repair the taskbar if TweakUI had such an option as it has for other things, or if it had been Windows XP (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm), but I'm not aware of any quick fix utilities for the Windows 98 Taskbar.

I had a similar situation with one computer where, if the Quick Launch Toolbar was enabled, the icons for active windows didn't appear in the Taskbar, and vice versa.

I believe that the method I used to fix this was as follows:

1. Make sure Windows Explorer is not open and kill all unnecessary running programs
2. Start Menu > RUN option > and type in REGEDIT > Click OK
3. In the LEFT pane of the Regedit window locate the key:
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
4. Delete the sub-key named "StuckRects"
5. Close Regedit and restart the computer.

The "StuckRects" key contains a BinaryValue named "Settings" which stores details of windows placements and a lot more.  The user may have to reconfigure a few display settings, but this should restore the Taskbar to its default state.