I have not used this myself but know some people who swear by the Taskbar
Repar Tool which fixes a lot of problems people encounter with the Windows
XP taskbar.
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm
"Chris H." <winxpnews********.com> wrote in message
news:%23uwgJMbeFHA.3932@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Okay, I've actually seen this thing, I believe. You probably need to
> toggle in something like the Quick Launch Toolbar (available on the
> right-click Taskbar menu) to force the revealing of the mysterious ::::.
> 8-) Play around with it a little bit. Sometimes the :::: will somehow
> "over-drag" the settings and you can actually have one hiding another.
> You might also try invoking the <--> bar and expand the height of the
> Taskbar a bit to get it to show. I really know no rhyme or reason to how
> those things work (or don't), but fiddling with it long enough can get you
> back on the right track.
> --
> Chris H.
> Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
> Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
> Associate Expert
> Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>
>
> "MayHem" <MayHem@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0844423F-2010-40B1-85A8-C6169C74869A@microsoft.com...
>> Yeah...thats another strange thing... theres no longer a :: thing to
>> drag...
>> just one big fat button that go is as long as the space betweent the
>> start
>> button and the system tray
>>
>> "Chris H." wrote:
>>
>>> Have you tried to right-click the Taskbar, check to make sure it is
>>> Unlocked, then drag the little :::: (vertical) spacer to make the icon
>>> smaller? You can't move or adjust the spacing unless the Taskbar is in
>>> Unlocked position.
>>> --
>>> Chris H.
>>> Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
>>> Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
>>> Associate Expert
>>> Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>>
>>>
>>> "MayHem" <MayHem@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:26C51BFD-0B52-459C-A78A-20E43398CA40@microsoft.com...
>>> > Oh Chris... its not the input panel itself... its the button that you
>>> > click
>>> > to open it... it used to be a small button with the icon of a keyboard
>>> > and
>>> > pen sitting in the lower lefthand corner of th task bar... now its
>>> > about 4
>>> > inches wide and can't be moved so it covers the area where you would
>>> > usually
>>> > view the icons of minimized applications...
>>> >
>>> > "Chris H." wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> When you open the Tablet Input Panel (tap or wave the pen over the
>>> >> icon
>>> >> in
>>> >> the Taskbar), on the right side is a large "O" - not a zero - which
>>> >> you
>>> >> can
>>> >> tap with the pen. You immediately have several Options (hence the
>>> >> O),
>>> >> including Dock at Top of Screen, Dock at Bottom of Screen, and
>>> >> Undock.
>>> >> Choosing the latter will activate the Tablet Input Panel, but not
>>> >> anchored
>>> >> on any screen location.
>>> >>
>>> >> Undock means you'll have a small Tablet Access icon which will be
>>> >> on-screen
>>> >> only when you are using the pen AND the cursor is an a text input
>>> >> area.
>>> >> Otherwise it never shows. This allows you total freedom to use your
>>> >> pen
>>> >> for
>>> >> navigation, opening and closing programs, reading news messages and
>>> >> emails,
>>> >> etc., but the TIP is handy ONLY if you're going to input text.
>>> >>
>>> >> You do not need to open the Tablet Input Panel from the Taskbar any
>>> >> more,
>>> >> it
>>> >> will show up when appropriate anywhere on your screen in the
>>> >> proximity of
>>> >> the input area. Moving the pen away from the screen or moving to an
>>> >> area
>>> >> like scrolling a page in Internet Explorer, and the TIP and icon
>>> >> disappear
>>> >> from the screen. I've got some little tutorials on my web site in my
>>> >> signature line..
>>> >> --
>>> >> Chris H.
>>> >> Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
>>> >> Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
>>> >> Associate Expert
>>> >> Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> "MayHem" <MayHem@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> >> news:EA6BCA48-A545-4A64-92E7-84F38AE1AA52@microsoft.com...
>>> >> > Sure enough... Tablet PC edition 2005 SP2... How annoying... now I
>>> >> > cant
>>> >> > see
>>> >> > the icons of my open minimized applications because of this
>>> >> > monstrocity
>>> >> > of
>>> >> > a
>>> >> > button... Not sure how to set the dock/undoc option... could you
>>> >> > clue
>>> >> > me
>>> >> > to
>>> >> > that... thanks much, MayHem
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> > "Chris H." wrote:
>>> >> >
>>> >> >> Which version of the Tablet PC Edition are you running? Do you
>>> >> >> have
>>> >> >> XP
>>> >> >> SP2
>>> >> >> and the Tablet PC Edition 2005 installed? The latter does take up
>>> >> >> the
>>> >> >> entire width (either top or bottom of your screen, landscape or
>>> >> >> portrait,
>>> >> >> if
>>> >> >> you're using the Dock mode. If you have the 2005 version
>>> >> >> installed
>>> >> >> (new
>>> >> >> to
>>> >> >> you?) and set the Option on the Tablet Input Panel to Undock,
>>> >> >> you'll
>>> >> >> only
>>> >> >> have the floating icon (TIP Access icon) on-screen when you're
>>> >> >> using
>>> >> >> your
>>> >> >> pen and are in a text input area.
>>> >> >> --
>>> >> >> Chris H.
>>> >> >> Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
>>> >> >> Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
>>> >> >> Associate Expert
>>> >> >> Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> "MayHem" <MayHem@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> >> >> news:04B735F7-BCBB-4E2D-BC61-9CF8F3158F5A@microsoft.com...
>>> >> >> > my Tablet PC input panel button has quadrupaled in size and now
>>> >> >> > takes
>>> >> >> > up
>>> >> >> > the
>>> >> >> > full width of my taskbar. What can I do to get it down to its
>>> >> >> > regular
>>> >> >> > small
>>> >> >> > size?
>>> >> >> >
>>> >> >> > Coincidently... or not so... it happened after the last
>>> >> >> > Microsoft
>>> >> >> > update
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>