My start button works fine but nothing else shows up in the taskbar

The task bar is an important part of the Windows experience. Not only does it contain a variety of information including what time it is and how much battery life is left it's the way most Windows users open programs and documents. As such, the task bar disappearing is a stressful thing, but fixing this problem on your own is possible.

Auto-Hide Sometimes you may think your task bar has disappeared, but it's really just been set to "auto-hide." Move your mouse to the bottom of the screen and see if it pops up automatically. Then check all four sides of the screen. If the task bar was simply auto-hiding, disable this feature by right-clicking the task bar, clicking "Properties" and unchecking "Auto-hide the Taskbar." b> Reboot b> If your task bar disappears, and auto-hide isn't the culprit, the first thing you should do is reboot your computer this fixes the problems in most instances. Only one problem: because your task bar disappeared you can't access the "Start" menu in order to shut down the computer. Instead press "Alt," "Ctrl," and "Delete" at the same time and press "Restart" in the window that pops up after doing so. Your computer should restart, and in most cases your task bar should come back when it restarts. b> More Options b> If rebooting doesn't fix cause the task bar to reappear, your computer might have a problem starting explorer.exe, the program that displays the task bar and desktop icons in Windows. Press "Ctrl," "Shift," and "Esc" at the same time to bring up the System Manager. Then click "File," followed by "New Task (Run)" and type "explorer.exe" in the dialogue box that pops up. You now have your task bar and desktop icons back. Reboot to see if they stick around after rebooting. If not, repeat the process in the above paragraph. When you have you task bar back click "Start," then "Programs," then "Accessories," then "System Tools" and then "System Restore." Restore the computer to a time when everything was working fine by clicking that date on the calendar. Reboot to see if this fixes the problem. If none of this brought back your task bar permanently it may be time to run a repair install. Change My Task Bar b> In Windows operating systems, the taskbar shows your currently active windows and programs, shortcuts to your favorite programs, the time, your volume control, active programs and the "Start" button. You may want to change the taskbar so it has a different look or to customize it to suit your needs when using your computer. Windows XP users have fewer options than Windows Vista or Windows 7 users, but all operating system owners can make changes to the taskbar.

Right-click in your taskbar. Left-click on "Lock the taskbar" if it is currently checked. Otherwise, click back onto the taskbar. Click on any empty area of the taskbar. Drag the taskbar to the position (bottom, top, left or right side of the screen) you desire, and release it. Re the taskbar by moving your cursor to where the taskbar ends. Your cursor will change to a two-way arrow. Left-click and drag the taskbar until it reaches the you want. Move your cursor over the series of separator bumps between the Start button and the Quick Launch menu, and the Quick Launch menu and the active programs section of the taskbar, to alter the of the Quick Launch menu and the active programs area. Right-click the taskbar, and left-click on "Lock the taskbar" once you've completed the changes you wish to make. b> Change Taskbar Options b> Right-click on the taskbar, and left-click on "Properties." Modify the taskbar settings so that it appears the way you like. You can decide whether to show the Quick Launch menu (a series of icons for your most commonly used programs), to show thumbnails for your active programs in Windows 7 and Windows Vista and to group similar active programs, and to automatically hide the taskbar or to always have it on top of other windows. Click on the "Notification" tab in Windows 7 or Vista to modify the way the notification area to the far right appears. Stay on the taskbar tab in Windows XP. Hide inactive icons, and decide which information to show, including the clock or the volume, power and network icons in Windows 7 and Vista. Click on the "Customize" button to specify which programs or notifications should always show, never show or grow inactive with disuse. Click on the "Toolbars" tab in Windows 7 or Vista to specify which toolbars you wish to see in the taskbar. Your options will vary according to the programs you have installed on your computer but may include the Quick Launch, address bar and links toolbars. Click the "Apply" button, then "OK" once you have made the changes you desire. Hope this helps.

Press Ctrl + Esc Click the links for more info if that does not work.
http://ask-leo.com/my_taskbar_is_missing_and_i_have_no_start_button_what_do_i_do.html
http://petermartinconsult.supanet.com/computer/windows/taskbar.htm

this is because you have made changes in the properties window....just right click on desktop goto properties and uncheck the check mark near "use web page"... your desktop ll restore now....

First, right-click the taskbar. If "Lock the Taskbar" has a check mark next to it, the taskbar is locked. You can unlock it by clicking "Lock the Taskbar" again. Then, click an empty space on the taskbar, hold and drag the taskbar to one of the four edges of the desktop. When the taskbar is where you want it, release the mouse button.

When you say "after u start the computer" you mean before you log in? The taskbar never shows up until you're logged in, so that's the way it's supposed to work.

If you've logged in and you still can't see the taskbar, it's possible that you've configured the taskbar to "auto-hide." To see if that's what's happening, move the mouse all the way to the bottom of the screen, and the taskbar should pop into view. Unless you've moved the taskbar to the top or side - check by moving the mouse all the way to each edge of the screen until you see the taskbar.

Once you see the taskbar, you can right-click either on the "Start" button or on the clock at the opposite end of the taskbar, and select "Properties" from the menu to turn off auto-hide (if you want to - some people like it once they're used to it). If you want to turn it off, pick the "Taskbar" tab on the Properties dialog, and uncheck the "auto-hide the taskbar" checkbox. Then click OK, and the taskbar should stay visible.

Hope this helps.

it might be your taskbar is on auto hide try this



Show or hide the taskbar Applies to all editions of Windows Vista.
The taskbar is usually located at the bottom of your screen. It looks like this:
Taskbar
You can hide the taskbar to create more space. If you don't see the taskbar anywhere on the screen, it might be hidden.
Hide allShow allHide all To show the taskbar
• If the taskbar is hidden, point to where you last saw it to show it again. If you can't remember where you last saw it, try pointing to the bottom of the screen first, and then to the side or top of the screen, if necessary. You might need to move the pointer almost off the screen to show the taskbar.
To hide the taskbar
1. Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.
2. Clear the Lock the taskbar check box.
3. Select the Auto-hide the taskbar check box.
The taskbar is hidden from view. You can see it again by pointing to the place where you last saw it.
To turn off auto-hide
1. Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.
2. Clear the Auto-hide the taskbar check box.

3 things. If you hit the windows button does the taskbar show on the bottom? Also, right click in the middle of the desktop and click on "Personalize" (Vista) to change the screen saver and see if that fixes your problem. Assuming you can see the "Start" button, do the following: Right click on Start, click Properties, click on the Taskbar tab and make sure the box is checked next to "keep taskbar on top of all windows"

Did you right-click on the Start button and go to properties>taskbar page and check to see that the "Show Windows Preview" box is checked, under "Taskbar appearance"?

what happens when you right click on them?
also did you tru booting in safe mode?

click on start then go to setting then control panel in control panel go to sound and audio devices i n that you will see volume tab in volume ther is option called place volume icon in the task bar just select taht and apply it it will show spk icon on your task bar but be sure that your sound card is properly installed. pls get me back if you need further assistence. bye