# Help! My "START" icon disappeared off the screen! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464 "2003-06-17T14:30:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/1 "2003-06-17T14:30:30Z")
…and I can’t figure out how to alter the sizing of what’s on screen. Windows XP (Home Ed.), probably the latest version (I bought this computer less than two years ago). I haven’t lost any other icons… just the big green “START” icon (the one that activates all the menus) on the lower-left corner. I haven’t shut down the computer since this problem occurred (normally this is through the “START” icon, but I still could do “CTR-ALT-DEL”). What should I do? Thanks in advance for your help! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/2 "2003-06-17T14:49:08Z")
Is the rest of the bar still visable?? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/3 "2003-06-17T14:53:20Z")
Is there a thin gray line across the bottom of the screen? You might have dragged your taskbar down to its minimized form. If so, point at the gray line and, if you get a double-ended vertical arrow for a cursor, you should be able to drag the taskbar back into view. Or, Ctrl-Esc brings up the same menu you get if you click on Start. Or, you may have set the taskbar to auto-hide. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/4 "2003-06-17T14:54:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joey P \* > \*\*Is the rest of the bar still visable?? \*\* Good question. If it isn’t visible, the bar may have moves to one of the sides or the top of the screen. Move your mouse around and see if the tool bar is at another edge. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/5 "2003-06-17T14:56:35Z")
No. Just the free-floating icons above. I’ve tried scrolling around off the edge, fishing for it, to no luck. I’ve right-clicked on the background and gone through the options, but no luck there, either. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/6 "2003-06-17T15:01:38Z")
Ooh! It came back – after I tried “Crl-Esc” – it popped back into visibility, the whole bar! Thanks everyone (and especially **Ethilrist** )! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/7 "2003-06-17T15:03:29Z")
There’s a possibility that it is due to a corrupted registry key - more details [here](http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/277/) (although how you’re supposed to open the _Run_ dialog to launch Regedit is something of a mystery - I guess you’d have to find it with explorer, if you have a shortcut) Usual dire warnings about mucking with the registry apply… back it up first etc… ---
**Author:** ![Hauky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@Hauky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hauky)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-start-icon-disappeared-off-the-screen/182464/8 "2003-06-17T15:47:45Z")
In XP (and I assume 2000), pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del brings up Ye Olde Task Manager, whose first item within the File menu is “New Task (Run)…”. That’s how you run Regedit.