# I am a computer idiot and I need help(I'm sure it's no big deal) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616 "2003-02-12T18:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/1 "2003-02-12T18:49:48Z")
I have no idea what I did. Normally when I open the folder called _My Documents_ everything is pushed over to the right side and there is a little space that describes the highlighted item on the left. For some reason, today, when I opened it all of the items are spread out and there is no description. I clicked on a lot of things and I made the grey part on top shrink (not what I wanted to do). I can’t fix that and I don’t know how to get the descriptions back. Please Help. I have Windows 98. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/2 "2003-02-12T18:54:55Z")
I believe (I’m not on a Win98 machine at present, so this is from memory) the selection you want on the View menu is “View as Webpage”. I hate that option myself, but I know a lot of people find it useful. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/3 "2003-02-12T19:05:14Z")
You probably clicked on the “Views” button on the toolbar by mistake. You can toggle the different views by clicking on the “Views” button. If you click the down arrow to the right of the views button, you can see the various options. If you don’t have your toolbar displayed (which sounds like your second problem), you can use the “View” menu item at the top of the window. Your choices will be Large Icons, Small Icons, List, and Details. You can also select As Web Page which will change the look as well. For the other problem, under the View menu item, select toolbars and try the various options to restore the look of the top of the window. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/4 "2003-02-12T19:05:19Z")
Yep. “View as Webpage” will do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/5 "2003-02-12T19:17:38Z")
Ok, thanks. That fixed the preview thing. But I still don’t have the grey part working right. It used to have little arrows that were for going back and forward and a big X on it, but now it’s just a skinny grey bar up top that says \* file, views, go, help\* I’m clicking on stuff but I’m not getting the grey bar up top back to normal. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/6 "2003-02-12T19:21:18Z")
Try VIEW/TOOLBARS/Standard Buttons ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/7 "2003-02-12T20:31:55Z")
Ok, now, I’ve got them back, but they’re smaller then normal. Thanks again ! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/8 "2003-02-12T23:12:26Z")
Try all the settings, list, detail, thumbnails, etc & find the one that brings them back to what you want. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/9 "2003-02-13T01:58:30Z")
Go to **View|Toolbars|Customize** and set **Icon options** to **Large icons**. ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/10 "2003-02-13T02:33:57Z")
I just checked that out and there is no customize in there. I have standard, address, links radio and text label under view -toolbars. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-computer-idiot-and-i-need-help-im-sure-its-no-big-deal/154616/11 "2003-02-13T03:22:59Z")
In Windows 95 it was my experience that sometimes your stuff would just… change cosmetic positions when it displayed on your PC, for not any apparent reason. Maybe Win98 has a similar issue?