Cannot get active desk top back

Coincidentally or not, after installing a new webcam to replace an existing,
earlier generation webcam of a different make, my computer suddenly notified
me that it was turning off the Active Desk Top. It replaced with a safe mode
desktop. Notwithstanding all attempts, including uninstalling the new webcam
and its driver, the pre-existing camera, trying to back to earlier safe
points, etc. nothing will restore the active desk top. Any ideas how to
proceed? taxguy

I would suggest trying a System Restore, to a point before the driver
install.

Of course this will make the webcam inoperable, but then perhaps you could
look on the manufacturer's site for an updated driver which is free from the
problem.

It's not at all unusual for buggy software to cause problems of this kind.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...emrestore.mspx

When you right-click a blank area on the desktop on a computer that runs
Windows XP, the shortcut menu does not display the Active Desktop command.
In Windows XP, Active Desktop is always turned on and you normally cannot
disable it. Active Desktop can be disabled, but you have to use TweakUI or
Group Policy (only with XP Pro) or change some settings in the registry.

If Show Desktop icons, Lock web items on Desktop and Run Desktop Cleanup
Wizard appear when you right click the Desktop and point to Arrange Icons By
then Active Desktop is enabled.

Right click Desktop | Properties | Desktop tab | Customize Desktop button

If you have the Web tab in Display Properties then Active Desktop is
enabled.

To add Web content to your desktop
1. Right-click a blank area on the desktop and then click Properties.
2. On the Desktop tab, click Customize Desktop.
3. On the Web tab, click New and then follow the instructions on your
screen.
4. To update the content, click the Synchronize button.
5. If you wish to disable Active Desktop, make sure all checkboxes in this
window are un-checked.

Notes
* You must be connected to the Internet to add active Web content to your
desktop.
* To browse Microsoft's Desktop Gallery Web site, in the New Desktop Item
Wizard, click Visit Gallery. The New Desktop Item Wizard opens when you
click New on the Web tab.
* To select a different Web site, type the Web site address, or click Browse
to locate it.

New button
[[Click to add a Web page or Web item (such as a stock ticker) to the Web
pages list. Follow the instructions on your screen.]]
-----------------------

[[SYMPTOMS
When you right-click a blank area on the desktop on a computer that runs
Windows XP Personal or Professional, the shortcut menu does not display the
Active Desktop command.

CAUSE
By default, Active Desktop is disabled. For more information, see the
"Enable Active Desktop" in Windows XP Help. ]]
from...
Active Desktop command is not on the shortcut menu when you right-click the
desktop
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290247

[[In Windows XP, Active Desktop is always turned on and cannot be
disabled.]]
from...
Your Desktop Icons Are Missing in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330170

[[ClassicShell setting allows you to remove the Active Desktop and Web view
features. If you enable this setting, it will disable the Active Desktop and
Web view. Also, users cannot configure their system to open items by
single-clicking (such as in Mouse in Control Panel). As a result, the user
interface looks and operates like the interface for Windows NT 4.0, and
users cannot restore the new features.]]
from...
"Single-click to open an item" in the Folder Options is grayed out
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555140

ClassicShell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Data type Range Default value
REG_DWORD 0 | 1 0

Description
Specifies whether Active Desktop, Web view, and thumbnail views are
disabled. This entry also specifies whether users can configure their system
to open items by single-clicking (such as in Mouse in Control Panel). When
this entry is set to 1, the user interface looks and operates like the
interface for Windows NT 4.0, and users cannot restore the features that are
new to Windows 2000.

This entry stores the setting of the Enable Classic Shell Group Policy.
Group Policy adds this entry to the registry with a value of 1 when you
enable the policy. If you disable the policy or set it to Not configured,
Group Policy deletes this entry from the registry, and the system behaves as
though the value is 0.

Value Meaning
0 (or not in the registry) The policy is disabled or not configured. The
system displays the new user interface
features designed for Windows2000.
1 The policy is enabled. The system
displays the user interface for
Windows NT 4.0, and users cannot restore
the new features.

Change method
To change the value of this entry, use Group Policy. This entry corresponds
to the Enable Classic Shell Group Policy (User Configuration\Administrative
Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer).

Note
This entry takes precedence over the value of the ForceActiveDesktopOn
entry. When the value of ClassicShell is 1, Active Desktop is disabled and
ForceActiveDesktopOn is ignored. ]]
from...
ClassicShell
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...asp?frame=true

[[Turn on Classic Shell

Administrative Template: System
Policy Node: USER
Policy Path: Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer
Supported On: At least Microsoft Windows 2000
Help/Explain Text: This setting allows you to remove the Active Desktop and
Web view features. If you enable this setting, it will disable the Active
Desktop and Web view. Also, users cannot configure their system to open
items by single-clicking (such as in Mouse in Control Panel). As a result,
the user interface looks and operates like the interface for Windows NT 4.0,
and users cannot restore the new features. Note: This setting takes
precedence over the Enable Active Desktop setting. If both policies are
enabled, Active Desktop is disabled. Also, see the Disable Active Desktop
setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Desktop\Active
Desktop and the Remove the Folder Options menu item from the Tools menu
setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows
Components\Windows Explorer.
Registry Settings:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Pol icies\Explorer
ClassicShell ]]
from...
Turn on Classic Shell
http://www.boyce.us/gp/gpcontent.asp?ID=539

[[Disable Active Desktop

Administrative Template: System
Policy Node: USER
Policy Path: Administrative Templates\Desktop\Active Desktop
Supported On: At least Microsoft Windows 2000
Help/Explain Text: Disables Active Desktop and prevents users from enabling
it. This setting prevents users from trying to enable or disable Active
Desktop while a policy controls it. If you disable this setting or do not
configure it, Active Desktop is disabled by default, but users can enable
it. Note: If both the Enable Active Desktop setting and the Disable Active
Desktop setting are enabled, the Disable Active Desktop setting is ignored.
If the Turn on Classic Shell setting (in User Configuration\Administrative
Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer) is enabled, Active Desktop is
disabled, and both these policies are ignored.
Registry Settings:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Pol icies\Explorer
NoActiveDesktop ]]
from...
Disable Active Desktop
http://www.boyce.us/gp/gpcontent.asp?ID=409

[[NoActiveDesktop
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Policies\Explorer

Data type Range Default value
REG_DWORD 0 | 1 0

Description
Disables Active Desktop and prevents users from enabling it.

This entry stores the setting of the Disable Active Desktop Group Policy.
Group Policy adds this entry to the registry with a value of 1 when you
enable the policy. If you disable the policy or set it to Not configured,
Group Policy deletes this entry from the registry, and the system behaves as
though the value is 0.

Value Meaning
0 (or not in the registry) The policy is disabled or not configured.
Active Desktop is disabled by
default, but users can enable it.
1 The policy is enabled. Active
Desktop is disabled, and users
cannot enable it.

When the value of this entry is 1, the system restricts access to the
following, in order to prevent users from trying to change the setting while
a policy is in effect:

* Removes Active Desktop from the context menu that appears when the user
right-clicks the desktop.
* Removes the Web tab from Display in Control Panel.
* Disables Enable Web content on my desktop on the General tab of the Folder
Options dialog box.

Change method
To change the value of this entry, use Group Policy. This entry corresponds
to the Disable Active Desktop Group Policy (User
Configuration\AdministrativeTemplates\Desktop\Acti ve Desktop).

Note
If both the ForceActiveDesktopOn entry and the NoActiveDesktop entry are set
to 1, the NoActiveDesktop entry is ignored. If the ClassicShell entry is set
to 1, then Active Desktop is disabled and both of these entries are ignored.

To make changes to this entry effective, you must log off of Windows 2000
and then log on again. ]]
from...
NoActiveDesktop
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...asp?frame=true

[[Enable Active Desktop

Administrative Template: System
Policy Node: USER
Policy Path: Administrative Templates\Desktop\Active Desktop
Supported On: At least Microsoft Windows 2000
Help/Explain Text: Enables Active Desktop and prevents users from disabling
it. This setting prevents users from trying to enable or disable Active
Desktop while a policy controls it. If you disable this setting or do not
configure it, Active Desktop is disabled by default, but users can enable
it. Note: If both the Enable Active Desktop setting and the Disable Active
Desktop setting are enabled, the Disable Active Desktop setting is ignored.
If the Turn on Classic Shell setting ( in User Configuration\Administrative
Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer) is enabled, Active Desktop is
disabled, and both of these policies are ignored.
Registry Settings:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Pol icies\Explorer
ForceActiveDesktopOn ]]
from...
Enable Active Desktop
http://www.boyce.us/gp/gpcontent.asp?ID=408

[[ ForceActiveDesktopOn
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Pol icies\Explorer

Data type Range Default value
REG_DWORD 0 | 1 0

Description
Enables Active Desktop and prevents users from disabling it.

This entry stores the setting of the Enable Active Desktop Group Policy.
Group Policy adds this entry to the registry with a value of 1 when you
enable the policy. If you disable the policy or set it to Not configured,
Group Policy deletes this entry from the registry, and the system behaves as
though the value is 0.

Value Meaning
0 (or not in the registry) The policy is disabled or not configured.
Active Desktop is disabled by
default, but users can enable it.
1 The policy is enabled. Active Desktop
is enabled, and users cannot disable
it.

When the value of this entry is 1, the system disables the following, in
order to prevent users from trying to change the setting while a policy is
in effect.

* Show Web Content on the context menu that appears when you right-click
the desktop.
* Show Web content on my Active Desktop on the Web tab in Display in
Control Panel.
* Use Windows classic desktop on the General tab of the Folder Options
dialog box.

Change method
To change the value of this entry, use Group Policy. This entry corresponds
to the Enable Active Desktop Group Policy (User
Configuration\AdministrativeTemplates\Desktop\Acti ve Desktop).

Note
If the values of both the ForceActiveDesktopOn and the NoActiveDesktop
entries are set to 1, the NoActiveDesktop entry is ignored. If the
ClassicShell entry is set to 1, then Active Desktop is disabled and both of
these entries are ignored.

To make changes to this entry effective, you must log off of Windows 2000
and then log on again.
from...
ForceActiveDesktopOn
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...ntry/93205.asp

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In ,
Robert Levine hunted and pecked:
Coincidentally or not, after installing a new webcam to replace an
existing, earlier generation webcam of a different make, my computer
suddenly notified me that it was turning off the Active Desk Top. It
replaced with a safe mode desktop. Notwithstanding all attempts,
including uninstalling the new webcam and its driver, the pre-existing
camera, trying to back to earlier safe points, etc. nothing will restore
the active desk top. Any ideas how to proceed? taxguy