Ctrl+Alt+Delete vs. Ctrl+Shift+Escape and Task Manager

I tried rebooting several times thinking that Task Mgr would come up but it didn't. But I found that when I hit CTrl+Shift+Escape several times (in anger to be honest), that Task Manager came up in its normal mode instead of the "Windows Security Dialogue Box" with Task Manager as one of the buttons. If I want to bring up the Windows Security Dialogue box it seems to come up with Ctrl+Alt+Delete and the desktop disappears (icons and taskbar) and if there's no crash, then the desktop comes back. If I want the regular task manager to come up its Ctrl+Shift+Escape or "taskmgr.exe" in the run box or a right click on the task bar, so in other words Ctrl+Shift +Escape several times got things back to normal.

One reason for wanting it around besides ending a program that hangs, is to avoid a dirty shut down or picking off a process that doesn't need to be running and stopping it from starting.

Does anyone know if there is any qualitative difference between Ctrl+Alt+Delete and Ctrl+Shift+Escape that would give me the different result and why the first couldn't bring up Task Manager, and the second could and how to bring back restart to the task manager tool bar?

Thanks,

Chad Harris
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"Chad Harris" wrote in message ...
Task Manager Won't Come Up. I've seen this before--sometimes a reboot helps--sometimes it'll come up one way but not the other but not this time.

The only thing that I changed (no software or hardware or hardware driver changes was to load a Stardocks skin). That's not it because it's never made a difference with TM in the past.

On this box: XPP SP2
This isn't a beta phenom because it has nothing to do with any beta build. It just began a couple hours ago. I did apply a couple Stardocks skins but I also took them off and it isn't impacted by that.

1) I tried everything offered on Kelly's site at http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_t.htm
There's a way to go straight to the task manager part Kelly's page, but I haven't cracked the code to do it yet.
When I can go to the subsections of her site like System Restore, then I can get a URL to go straight to the topic. Otherwise, a right click will get you the letter of A to Z but not the way to go to the Task Manager section of "T."

2) 3 ways to bring up TM: Hour glass tries to run and stops--I'm getting no error message and nothing Event Viewer.

Righ tclick task bar Won't
Ctrl+Alt+Delete Won't
Ctrl+Shift+Escape Won't

3) I tried all the regedits for enabling TM on Kelly's Tweaks.
4) I checked the registry key for Ctrl+Alt+Delete value is OK.
5) gpedit.msc--Ctrl+Alt+Delete--set correctly.

6) Virus--Not part of this problem.
7) TM is present in the System 32 folder and clicking on the iconnette there does nothing.

I rebooted twice--no change.

I could fish it out of the 1386 folder off the shiny thing that looks like a phonograph record that came with Win XP, but I doubt that'll help.

I have a second question: I noticed when I started using SP2--not a Beta question since it's also public, that often but not always restart was not on the Task Manager toolbar, but I had to do it off a pull down from hitting Ctrl+Alt+Delete, having the desktop icons disappear and a "Windows Security" dialogue box come up where I had to hit "Shut Down" and use the pull down there. I could go to the start menu, msconfig in the run box, or use a command to shut down or restart or make a button on the desktop to shut down.

Does anyone know why there is no restart option when I can bring up task manager?
Does anyone know a command that will restart, and does it have to be used from the dos prompt or can it be used in the run box as well?

Tia,

Chad Harris