# Screwed up task manager

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screwed-up-task-manager/217792>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screwed-up-task-manager/217792 "2003-12-08T23:59:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screwed-up-task-manager/217792/1 "2003-12-08T23:59:51Z")

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My task manager is screwed up (I have Windows XP, home edition). The entire top part, with all the tabs, menu bar, title bar, etc. is gone. All that appears is a box with the names of the programs I’m running- I can’t even switch that. I’m not sure how it happened. Can anyone tell me how to fix this?

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**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:** [December 9, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screwed-up-task-manager/217792/2 "2003-12-09T00:42:05Z")

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Microsoft KB article [314227](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314227) covers this.

> [@](#):
>
> **CAUSE**  
> This behavior may occur if Task Manager is running in Tiny Footprint mode. If you double-click the empty space in the border around the tabs, Task Manager switches to this mode.
> 
> **RESOLUTION**  
> To switch Task Manager to its typical display mode, double-click the top border of the window.

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**Author:** ![CADOp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@CADOp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CADOp)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screwed-up-task-manager/217792/3 "2003-12-09T01:07:36Z")

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\<sidetrack\>  
Tiny Footprints mode? That’s even stupider sounding than “My Network Places”. When I first saw that, I really wanted to punch whatever marketing wonk thought that “My Network Places” was somehow an intelligent description of _anything_, but I think I’ve found my new “love to hate” Windows phrase.  
\</sidetrack\>