Task bar windows 7

[stonemason]

Has anyone had problems with slideshows created in older versions of PTE not covering the taskbar in windows 7? At one time you could go to the taskbar properties and uncheck "always on top" but Microsoft thought this was too useful and removed it from windows 7. It seems to affect shows created around 2007 and before so maybe someone can can workout what version of PTE was in use then. Just as an aside it also seems to apply to shows created with ProShow Gold. As some of the source files have been lost (none of them mine)any work around would be appreciated.

[Hawk]

Hi Geoff

It seems to affect shows created around 2007 and before so maybe someone can workout what version of PTE was in use then.

Geoff here are a few, I did not list them all.

Released dates

PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.5 (June 2, 2008)

PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.1 (December 13, 2007)

PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.0 (July 17, 2007)

PicturesToExe v4.48 (March 28, 2006)

PicturesToExe v4.47 (March 10, 2006)

PicturesToExe v4.46 (February 2, 2006)

PicturesToExe v4.45 (January 5, 2006)

Note:

I ran a couple of older files, listed on my ( XP ) system as - ( PTE file ) ( Modified ) Feb 17th 2004 and also one as ( Modified ) July 27th 2006

Both of the above ( EXE ) files along with all others in same folder were dated as ( Created ) Dec 18th 2008, but windows may have picked up on date I possibly backed them up on?.

I would not have revised either of these shows ( 800 x 600 ) with a newer version.

Both of the ( EXE ) 2004 & 2006 ran FULL screen on Windows 7 Home Premium.

[Conflow]

Geoff,

Here's a suggestion - Before now you RH/clicked Task/Bar-->Properties-->and Unticked "Always on Top".

Perhaps this will work:- Do the same as above but this time tick "Auto-Hide Taskbar".

Taskbar vanishes 'Off-Screen' but returns when you drop the Mouse-pointer below the Screen edge.

It works for XP, it may work for you.

Brian (Conflow)

[stonemason]

Hi Brian, I,ve tried that already, and it works to a certain extent, but leaves a bright line along the bottom of the screen. This is on a new 1920 x 1080 laptop our AV group uses to give slideshow evenings. I cannot test anything on my own slideshows, as I constantly update them all to the latest PTE version, the reason being I run my own slideshow evenings from a menu and this works better if they are all generated from the same version. Unfortunately this is not an option for some members of the group who have lost their source files. I will have to try some of the affected files on my computer to see if it's a laptop problem or something to do with the PTE and Proshow exe files. I'll let you know if I manage to solve it.

Hawk thanks for the info, it's very useful, I wish I was that good at record keeping.

Geoff

[Conflow]

Geoff,

Thats very strange because 1920x1080 is the Television HD-Standard 16:9 Format for TV-Sets and in my

experience I have never seen a Lapop-Monitor (Factory pre-configured) to 16:9 Format.

New Pc-Monitors or Laptops are usually factory-configured to 16:10 Format and that would create

the 'white-strip' across the bottom of the Screen because the screen-area is larger than 16:9.

Try this RH.Clk on the Desktop-Screen select 'Graphic-properties' then select 'Display-settings'

and in the 'Screen-resolution Box' see 1920x1080 now change that to the next lower value which should be

16:9 properties' now the Monitor will show your Videos without the white line. By the way you can set the

Laptop-Monitor to 'black-background' underneath the Desktop-Display then you get a 'black default strip'

which is less obstrusive than white. (All of this is reversible)

Brian (Conflow)

[stonemason]

Brian I think we may have a "light bulb" moment here. I was going on information received, as it's not my laptop. Like you I've never seen a laptop with 16:9 aspect ratio thay are, as you say 16:10. I will look into this further and let you know the results. Many thanks for your input, it's appreciated.

regards

Geoff

Brian just done a google search on 16:9 laptops and there would appear to be lots of them about, so maybe my info was correct, but I'll keep you updated.

[Ken Cox]

Brian I think we may have a "light bulb" moment here. I was going on information received, as it's not my laptop. Like you I've never seen a laptop with 16:9 aspect ratio thay are, as you say 16:10. I will look into this further and let you know the results. Many thanks for your input, it's appreciated.

regards

Geoff

Brian just done a google search on 16:9 laptops and there would appear to be lots of them about, so maybe my info was correct, but I'll keep you updated.

from my records

3:30 AM 14/12/2009

from hawk

Image Dimensions in Common Usage

16:9 ratio image sizes - from

http://local.wasp.uwa.edu.au/~pbourke/dataformats/imagedim/

-------------------------------------

1024x576 - 16/9 - WSVGA, HDTV / DVD

1280x720 - 16/9 Format 720p - HDTV - WXGA

1365x768 - 16:9 (nearly, 1.77734375) - NEC 61" plasma

1366x768 - 16:9 (nearly, 1.77864583) - WXGA, eg: Sanyo PLV70

1600x900 - 16:9

1920x1080 16/9 1080i format. HDTV, known as 1K

2048x1152 - 16:9

the toshiba came set as

1366x768 - 16:9 (nearly, 1.77864583) - WXGA, eg: Sanyo PLV70

and data sheet of our toshiba ws laptop

ken

satellite_A350-ST3601.pdf

[Conflow]

Geoff...I wrote:-

Thats very strange because 1920x1080 is the Television HD-Standard 16:9 Format for TV-Sets and in my

experience I have never seen a Lapop-Monitor (Factory pre-configured) to 16:9 Format.(Video)

New Pc-Monitors or Laptops are usually factory-configured to 16:10 Format and that would create

the 'white-strip' across the bottom of the Screen because the screen-area is larger than 16:9.

Try this RH.Clk on the Desktop-Screen select 'Graphic-properties' then select 'Display-settings' and in the

'Screen-resolution Box' see 1920x1080 (If it is there) now change that to the next lower value which should

be 16:10 properties' now the Monitor will show your Videos without the white line.

By the way you can set the Laptop-Monitor to 'black-background' underneath the Desktop-Display then you get

a 'black default strip'which is less obstrusive than white. (All of this is reversible)

Brian (Conflow)

Geoff,

I think you have fallen into a common misconception here ~ please re-read the above again ~ I was quite clearly

talking about the "Video-Format" Standard used by PCs & Laptops NOT the Physical 'Size-Ratio' of the Screen

which is nothing to do with your problem. If you go into 'Display-Settings it will show you its 'Native-resolution'

which you can change to suit the Video. (Formats listed below).

Important See Below

Brian (Conflow)

[aplman]

Geoff,

I think you have fallen into a common misconception here ~ please re-read the above again ~ I was quite clearly

talking about the "Video-Format" Standard used by PCs & Laptops NOT the Physical 'Size-Ratio' of the Screen

which is nothing to do with your problem. If you go into 'Display-Settings it will show you its 'Native-resolution'

which you can change to suit the Video. (Formats listed below).

Important See Below

Brian (Conflow)

This may be a more up-to-date view of the PC standards:

Click here

Seems 1920 x 1080 is known as "HD 1080".

Ken T. (APLman)

[Conflow]

This may be a more up-to-date view of the PC standards:

Click here

Seems 1920 x 1080 is known as "HD 1080".

Ken T. (APLman)

Hi Ken,

Yes its possible and I have that listing and have published it here a few times but that 1920x1080 Format

applies to TV-Sets and large LCD-Monitors. So far I have never seen that pixel-format on any Windows PCs

but that still doesn't solve Geoff's problem with the 'white-line' on the end of his Screen.

Do you have any suggestions ?

Brian (Conflow)

[stonemason]

Hi Brian & Ken

Thanks for the input, however I may not have explained myself very well. The white line I refered to is along the bottom of the screen and is what is left of the task bar after it auto hides (almost) the slideshows fill the screen to the sides and top OK, it's just what's left of the task bar I can't get rid of.

Geoff

[Conflow]

Hi Brian & Ken

Thanks for the input, however I may not have explained myself very well. The white line I refered to is along the bottom of the screen and is what is left of the task bar after it auto hides (almost) the slideshows fill the screen to the sides and top OK, it's just what's left of the task bar I can't get rid of.

Geoff

Geoff,

Yes I had appreciated that point since your 1st.Post ~ its the reason why I asked you to go into Display-Properties

and try other Screen-Size Formats an see what would work ? Also when you are in Display-Properties make sure its set

to "Full-Screen No Borders" and if that doesn't work I suggested that you alter the Desktop Background-Color to Black

instead of White (which is peeping thro') that should do the trick. You may have overlooked those points as there had

been other Posts in the interim. You will need to fiddle around with the Display-properties,viz:-

Start-->Control Panel-->select Display-->choice of Tags are:- 'Theme' and/or 'Appearance'

Brian (Conflow).

[Howard Bagshaw]

Geoff,

I'm not sure if this helps or not. I've just created a little PTE show using version 4.49 (the oldest I have) on my Windows 7 machine and it runs and covers the task bar without problem. Screen is a 1920x1200 monitor. I created two versions, with or without 'fit to screen' ticked. Both covered the task bar. My task bar is set so that none of the check boxes are ticked, ie does not 'autohide' and leave that one pixel line.

My only suggestions are that either the sequences have been created in an even earlier verion of PTE, or that they have been created within a previous verison of Windows and that has an effect, or the lap top's graphics card does not behave like mine.

Frustrating isn't it, regards Howard

[stonemason]

Thanks to all for the input and an update on where we are at the moment. I ran the suspect slideshows on two other widows 7 laptops this afternoon and they both ran flawlessly covering the task bar completely. So its a problem with that one particular laptop. I changed the resolution as Brian suggested but it made no difference. I have looked at every setting I can think of but to no avail, so it remains an irritating problem, which I have no idea how to solve.

Geoff

[nobeefstu]

Geoff,

The white line I refered to is along the bottom of the screen and is what is left of the task bar after it auto hides (almost) the slideshows fill the screen to the sides and top OK, it's just what's left of the task bar I can't get rid of.

Another test to try ... check the monitors own screen menu of settings that relate to Size & Position. Its possible you may be able to manually adjust it out.

So its a problem with that one particular laptop.

Its possibly a known issue of that particular brand/model and could have a Bios or system/hardware driver update that addresses it. Even though its a brand new machine ... the Bios and its other system drivers always need updating once the system is initially setup.

[Conflow]

Geoff,

Just a few "Wildcards" may I ask some questions because that 1920x1080 Screen really has me "bugged"

1)

Having opened 'Display-Properties' is 1920x1080 actually listed in the Size Selection-Window ?

2)

Could you establish the "genuine" Native Screen-resolution for that Win-7 Laptop ?

3)

By any 'wild-possibility' is that Win-7 running Parallels.5 for Mac-PC ?

4)

Has the owner ever installed (his own) Screen-Saver on the Win-7 ?

5)

Finally can you give me the Make & Model of the Win7 Laptop ?

I appreciate its your friends Laptop so I'm thinking it may have been fiddled with before it came

into your hands and obviously you dont know what happened prior to that. If you cant answer the

questions, dont worry, I can check some things up once I know the Make & Model. As Stu says

it could be a Bios-Bug but it would be nice to eliminate other possibilities first...so the questions.

Brian (Conflow)

[stonemason]

Hi Brian

Bit of mis-information I'm afraid, the laptop is older than I was told, about 18 months.

Model No SONY VAIO PCG-3J1M

Display resolutions offered

1920-1080 Native Screen Resolution

1280-720

800-600

This doesn't make much sense to me as the first two are 16:9 yet the third is 4:3, I will be interested to here your thoughts.

Geoff

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Geoff I've been away for a few days so am coming into this late, I've speed read some of the posts & hope what you are complaining of is a white line at the bottom of the screen when the task bar auto hides? If that is the problem have you tried grabbing the line & dragging it down until it disappears?

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Conflow]

Hi Brian

Bit of mis-information I'm afraid, the laptop is older than I was told, about 18 months.

Model No SONY VAIO PCG-3J1M

Display resolutions offered

1920-1080 Native Screen Resolution

1280-720

800-600

This doesn't make much sense to me as the first two are 16:9 yet the third is 4:3, I will be interested to here your thoughts.

Geoff

Jeff,

The Model No: you gave is a generic Sony/Batch No: and not the correct Model No: of the Laptop in question.

Sony were the 1st.to launch a Series of "Hybrid-Laptops" geared for 3-D Television HDD Viewing & Downloads.

That explains the choice of 1920x1080 HD-Screen Size.....its made for TV + Dolby-Sound and Blue-Ray utilities.

So I guess we were right about the TV end of things ~ It sure takes Sony to come up with the unexpected !!.

I have been on to the Sony Product-Search Centre (see Attached and Link below) to try and identify the Model and

find its Specifications. I'm afraid its back to your Friend to get the correct data, I suggest you forward this to them.

Sony Model Portfolio Link:-

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/index.aspx?old=y&m=0

Brian (Conflow)

[stonemason]

Brian

Model number is vgn-fw51jf the link below should take you to the specs page

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/specifications/index.aspx?m=VGN-FW51JF_H&l=en_GB

Eric

Yes tried that to no avail. It's a rogue as the slideshows should cover the task bar which they do on two other windows 7 laptops.

thanks both for your help

Geoff

[nobeefstu]

Geoff,

Bit of mis-information I'm afraid, the laptop is older than I was told, about 18 months.

Thats about the time frame Vaio had issues with possibly faulty video chipsets using Nvidia G84m/G86m. It may or not be related to your issue or model ... but its worth investigating to be sure.

[stonemason]

thanks for the info nobeefstu but this one has an ATI graphics card with the very latest drivers installed, so reasonably sure that's not the problem. I'm just about convinced that somwhere there is a damaged system file in windows, but no idea where or what, I guess if no solution comes from these dicussions then a complete re-install is the only option that will remain.

Geoff

[Conflow]

Geoff and Stu,

Geoff many thanks for getting the correct Sony Model No: for me and on foot of that I can report to you and Stu as follows:-

1)

Sony HD-Laptop with Windows-7 Manufactured by Sony. There is something wrong with the Specs as the printed claims dont

agree with Microsofts release dates for Windows-7 with Windows-Player 12. It seems to me as if this Laptop started life as

either a XP-64 Bit(Hybrid) Laptop or as a Vista-Laptop (more likely Vista) and there after Windows-7 was installed on it as a

'Retro-Fit' to the original Machine. Whether Sony U.K did this or who ?..I dont know !...

2)

Had it been a 'genuine' (New) Sony Windows-7 Laptop it would have been shipped together complete with "Microsoft-Player 12"

and Windows-7 (64 Bit) and would have been been Manufactured after 22/7/2009 with the earliest U.K.release in Spring 2010.

I suspect this particular Sony Laptop was Manufactured in late 2007 or early 2008 and was re-furbished from Stock and hit the

U.K sometime in mid 2008. (This is common practice amongst Manufacturers).

When all other things are considered, Stu's Manufacture/Date is probably correct.

3)

This Laptop has Windows-7 (Retro-Installed) but they forgot to replace "Microsoft Media-Player 11" which only has EVR

or Enhanced Video-Rendering available. Windows Player-11 is totally unsuitable for Windows-7 it should be Win-Player-12.

(That is according to Microsoft who make the Operating-System).

4)

Thats why the 2 other Windows-7 Machines worked perfectly but your's did not ~ its simply got the wrong Win-Player and

I suspect that many of its Drivers are still of Vista vintage.....It looks as if this needs a complete New 2010 Re-Install

(It might be worthwhile looking into the Machine-Log for data as I suspect this Laptop was one of the 1st.original batch).

Sorry for the bad news but you and Stu can check the facts for yourselves...

Brian (Conflow)

[stonemason]

Many thanks Brian for all your efforts on this, it's very much appreciated. I will go back to my friend now and tell him the only remaining option is a complete re-install. If he decides to do that then I will come back and let you know the results.

Once again many thanks

Geoff