Bug report: Unity losing Start menu at times

[HobbitFootAussi]

Simply look at the screenshot I've gone back and forth between Unity and Single Window mode several times.

[jgspda]

Check out this craziness (see the image): I was messing around, and I managed to get the whole taskbar under Unity!

I have my taskbar positioned on the top in Windows (which is why its on the top). Usually, I use a program called ObjectDock (it's basically a Mac OSX style dock / replacement for the Windows Start menu). Anyways, when you run ObjectDock, it auto-hides the taskbar. When you exit, it shows the Windows taskbar again.

ObjectDock looked like crud under Unity, so I exited the program while still in Unity....and like magic, my taskbar and start menu showed up.

I started using it while it was visible, and I've got to say, it's so much better than the VMWare pseudo-start menu (or the goofy "Launch Applications" window).

I'm kind of hoping they put this in as an option (to show or hide the Windows start menu / taskbar). This way, you can have access to the SysTray...which I use quite a bit.

[aanhorn]

Seconded, the option to display the taskbar would be much appreciated.

[rtgoodwin]

As I guess, i might think that explorer.exe got relaunched after OD exited, and Fusion saw it as a new app and put it outside the VM window.

[natestone]

I really prefer the WinXP Start Menu to the current VMware implementations.

Here's how to bring it up if you don't know how already.

1) Switch to Unity mode

2) Under the VMWare -> Applications Menu,

locate and open the "Programs" -> "Accessories" -> "Command Prompt"

3) Type "taskmgr" on the command prompt to bring up the windows task manager.

4) Select the "Processes" tab and then select "explorer.ext".

5) Click "End Process" to kill the current Explorer instance.

6) Choose "File" -> "New Task (run)" and type "explorer"

7) Click "OK" and the windows taskbar will pop onto your desktop.

Someone who is better at Windows than me can probably make a batch file or a small program to make this a one-click operation.

This works for me for the time being. Hopefully, this will just be an option in future releases. (Maybe it already is, but I couldn't find it).

Thanks,

--Nate

[Pat_Lee]

This works for me for the time being. Hopefully,

this will just be an option in future releases.

(Maybe it already is, but I couldn't find it).

There is an hidden, experimental change to show the taskbar included in RC1 . See the release notes for details on how to enable it.

We know there are redraw issues with Unity if you move the taskbar from the bottom of the screen f you enable this feature, but that is why it is an experimental unsupported feature at this time.

Pat

[barnys]

Pat, this is great and it makes me very happy... I used it today all day and it hasn't given me problems at all.

The only question I have is if there is a way to prevent the task bar from going under the dock.

See the picture attached to see what I mean.

Thanks,

[Pat_Lee]

Pat, this is great and it makes me very happy... I

used it today all day and it hasn't given me problems

at all.

The only question I have is if there is a way to

prevent the task bar from going under the dock.

There is no way to do that for VMware Fusion 1.0. It is something we will look into for future releases.

In the mean time when I want to use the task bar, I have set my dock to auto hide so I can access the Windows task bar or I move the dock the right of my screen.

Pat

[barnys]

Thanks for the quick reply. Well, as long as it is being considered for the future, I will be happy. Also a suggestion is to add an option to hide/unhide the windows task bar. Unfortunately even if you "batch file" the change under Windows, you still have to reboot the VM.

Thanks,

[admin]

While Pat's right and there's no way to do this, a workaround[/i] is to size your start menu as large as your dock, and set it to not autohide. Then when you enter Unity mode, it'll keep programs from using the space under the dock.