The address bar of my IE8 has gone missing on my laptop which is Windows 7. I'm not familiar yet with this new OS and have no idea how to fix it. I tried various suggestions in the help box (the dialog box at the bottom of the Start icon) but it couldn't help me. The Uninstall section of CP does have a "Repair" button but IE8 is not listed like in XP.

I can open a site as long as it's in my Favorites but not otherwise. No idea how it disappeared as I don't use IE much, mainly just for Windows updates so I can't tell how long it's been AWOL.

Try pressing the F11 function key.

If that doesn't work, try these instructions:

It wasn't the F11 key, that made it worse.

I have only 3 bars in IE8:
The top one shows the address I'm viewing but I can't change anything.
The second one is the Menu bar.
The third is the tabs bar; and of course the status bar down the bottom.

I used to have the address bar between the 1st and 2nd bars.

I have disabled all the add-ons (most of them will stay off, too) but no change: still no address bar. I wonder what I did to make it disappear??

If you are comfortable editing the Registry, you can manually, or with an MS "FixIt" download, try the solution listed here: Menu bar, or the toolbar, or both, are missing.

Backup your Registry first so you can go back if this doesn't work, or causes problems.

Yes, I know that Win7 isn't listed among the Operating Systems that this applies to but IE8 is.

Jim.

Some days I can't take a trick. There was no ITBarLayout value in the WebBrowser subkey.

Try using the FixIt file. Download, then merge it into the Registry. It should then be there. Close, then re-open IE to see if the Address bar functions. You may also have to reboot.

Jim.

Sorry, I should have mentioned that I did use the Fixit file when I couldn't find the values, just in case and I rebooted as well but still no change.

I might install Avant Browser for now, until IE9 comes out which should fix the problem. It's not that important as I don't use IE much, just irritating. There should be a quick fix to restore this bar if it's that easy to get rid of it (whatever it was, and I have no idea).

You could try manually entering the values:  Here are mine:



Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar]
"Locked"=dword:00000001
"ShowDiscussionButton"="Yes"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\ShellBrowser]
"ITBar7Layout"=hex:13,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,10,00,00,00,\
 
1a,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,01,07,00,00,5e,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser]
"ITBar7Layout"=hex:13,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,10,00,01,00,\
 
1a,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,07,00,00,5e,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
 
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"ITBar7Height"=dword:0000001a
"{21FA44EF-376D-4D53-9B0F-8A89D3229068}"=hex:ef,44,fa,21,6d,37,53,4d,9b,0f,8a,\
  89,d3,22,90,68
"ITBar7Position"=dword:00000001
"{2318C2B1-4965-11D4-9B18-009027A5CD4F}"=hex:b1,c2,18,23,65,49,d4,11,9b,18,00,\
  90,27,a5,cd,4f
"ITBar7Height64"=dword:0000001a
"{D4027C7F-154A-4066-A1AD-4243D8127440}"=hex:7f,7c,02,d4,4a,15,66,40,a1,ad,42,\
  43,d8,12,74,40



Copy the above to Notepad.  Save the file.  Find the file in
Notepad and change the .txt extension to .reg.  To find the
newly created .reg file, you may have to change Notepad to
"Show all Files".

Merge the new .reg file into the Registry.  Check to see if
it's there, or close, then re-open IE.  

Make sure you've backed up the Registry in case this causes
problems.

Jim.

Well, I merged it successfully but alas, no change, even after
a reboot  :( 

I shouldn't have got out of bed today. I uninstalled IE8 and
went to the Microsoft site to download a fresh copy. I ended
up being talked into IE9 Beta but more to the point, as soon
as I uninstalled 8, all my desktop icons changed: they all
seem to have a second icon pasted on them. All except the
Computer, Network and Recycle Bin. Does Win7 have an icon
repair on it? Or is there a Win7 version of TweakUI which was
so good with all versions of Windows from 98 thru XP but will
not install on 7.

You could try this: Rebuild Windows 7 Icon Cache.

Jim.

Ah, that worked without a hitch. Thank you, Jim! Icons all restored.

Good.

The thought had crossed my mind that you were headed down the rabbit hole to a reinstall of Windows 7 with this latest problem on top of the previous issues.



Jim.

It had (briefly) crossed my mind, too but it's not so simple. I bought the laptop brand new for a song (under $200) but without a Win7 disk. I've asked for one but......

I can use Firefox or Avant for anything else except MS updates and that doesn't need the address bar. But there are 1 or 2 sites that insist on IE, that's why I wanted to fix it. I'll play around some more with this, perhaps IE9 will fix it eventually. If I do find a solution, I will post it on here for others, although I suspect that your solutions would have fixed most other people's who might have this problem, just that my registry didn't have an ITBarLayout value in it for some reason.

On your desktop, click Start, then Run (or search, or whatever it's called - my Start menu is modified.) Type in the website's address, click OK.

Maybe it will open in IE, or you may have to set IE temporarily as the default browser, before using Start/Run. Anyway, once the site opens in IE, add it to your Favorites. Then, when you need to, just visit the sites through your Favorites.

Jim.

Although the icons all restored, it didn't last very long. Now they are all corrupted again and no matter how many times I rename the icon cache and reboot, it doesn't resolve the problem.

One of the suggestions was to uninstall (and reinstall) MS Office. I tried that too but I just can't get clear icons. I even used the patch offered on that link but still no go. Am I condemned to a life with corrupted icons....at least till Windows 8?

Have you tried a "Reset"? Tools/Internet Options/Advanced, at the bottom there is a Reset button.

Thanks JMC but it's not that simple. If you read some earlier posts, my IE has gone bunkers. I have no toolbar nor any options to restore it. I can only use IE if I click on a Favorite.

In fact, I've just noticed, even the Fav is gone now. I have only the top bar (which shows you the site I'm seeing but can't change anything there) and another bar, heaven knows what it's called but it has 3 options on it: Bing (not my choice of search engines anyway), Ninemsn (a local TV station) and Hotmail (which I don't use). Them's my only options to use IE for. I've installed Avant Browser which can handle anything I need IE for but of course that doesn't have the same setup of Tools\Internet Options etc.

I am coming closer and closer to reinstalling the beast, which would be a shame but at present it controls me not the other way around.

Back when Win7 beta was released, I had a problem with my personalized desktop icons turning black. I made this note at the time - "Normal icon appearance can be restored by using Personalize, switching desktop background to High Contrast and then switching back to preferred background."

I haven't had the problem with the purchased Win 7, and it probably has nothing to do with your problem, but it's easy to try the "fix".

Jim.

It's not just the icons but also IE that needs fixing. I've decided to create a new account and have found the step-by-step description of how to set it up and transfer the old account settings over, which will save a lot of time.

But there's a snag (of course). When I tried to copy some of the files over from one user to the other, it says "You need permission to do this". How can I give permission from one user a/c to the other besides removing the password? None of the accounts have passwords on them at present to make the transfer simpler but it doesn't appear to be enough.

I might go back to Windows 95 where I didn't have these dumb problems like giving myself permissions.

Edit: I see you uninstalled IE 8.0, but got side tracked by installing IE 9.0 Beta.

I think I would try the uninstall and re-install of IE 8.0 again. Note: Make a system restore point first.

Method from MS:

Steps for Windows 7
Click here to view or hide detailed information

To uninstall Internet Explorer 8, follow these steps:

1. Close all programs.
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. Click Programs and Feature.
4. In the tasks pane, click Turn Windows features on or off.
5. In the list of windows features, clear the check box next to Internet Explorer 8.
6. You receive a warning message in a pop-up window. Click Yes.

Internet Explorer 8 will now be uninstalled. The system will restart after the (un)installation.

You can then reverse the procedure to re-install IE8 fresh or go to the IE8 homepage and download a fresh version from there.

I no longer have IE8 installed, it was replaced by IE9 beta. But things are even worse: there is no uninstall for IE9 anywhere, either in the Uninstall list nor under the Windows components. I cannot uninstall it and unless I do, I won't be able to reinstall IE8, an "older" version.

Thanks for that, Jim. I didn't find that, it was well hidden for some reason but it worked. Got IE8 back and......wait for it.......also got my toolbar back! But still no address bar, dang it.

But not the desktop icons. No matter how often I delete the icon cache it won't repair the icons. It's not the end of civilization as we know it but it is a pain in the butt. I'm working on creating a new user file and hoping something good happens meantime.

Clover, please tell me which version of W7 and 32 or 64 bit you have.

*****************
_z36

Win7 Home Premium V6.1.7600

In the Control Panel, click "System":

Oh sorry, I forgot to add it's a 32-bit version. I have no 64 bit computers at all. I must be tired, it's almost 3am, bed time methinks.

I can provide you with the direct link to download the iso so you can burn it and have an actual disk. You can link it to your product key on the laptop. I would still try to get one from the place you bought it though. 32 or 64?

*****************
_z36

Oops, 32 you say.

32bit Home Premium

Verify and burn the image with Imgburn. Dvd not CD

Edit: If your tired do it tomorrow, it could take a while to dl.

*****************
_z36

I might have it, there is a separate partition on the HD with all sorts of Toshiba files in it including an ISO to create a rescue disk (I assume this might be the OS) however I could use the link as a backup just in case, thanks.

If you'd like to email me, my address is 7nt@tpg.com.au

Cheers.

Yes, one or the other. At least you could do a repair install without destroying your data.

Make a backup image first with Macrium Reflect or similar program just to be on the safe side.

*****************
_z36

Try this, just to see what happens. Right click the IE toolbar, mouse over Customize, and then checkmark "Show Stop and Refresh Buttons before Address Bar". This should switch their location instantly with no need to restart IE. Remove the checkmark to return them to the right.

Jim.

It was already ticked, Jim. Neither ticking nor unticking does anything in its present state.

If you put your cursor to the top of the screen does it appear? If so, F11 may have been hit by mistake. That puts IE into full screen mode. Just hit F11 again and that will solve it.

MSU

Hmmm...just thought of something else that may work.

If change in IE 8.0 was fairly recent, try using System Restore.

You may have inadvertently changed a setting or installed some software or add-on that FUBAR'd IE 8.0. Check to see if you have any System Restore points saved before this issue arose.

Screenshot?

--------------------------------------
BANK OF AMERICA.COM ONLINE BANKING SUCKS IN THE HUGEST WAY IMAGINABLE

Newegg.com's new image gallery layout sucks in the hugest way imaginable too !
And now they're using JavaScript to "turn" pages to boot ! SUCKS

It's not that simple. This is happening on another computer which doesn't have any screen capture software installed and which I can't use to access this forum with.

Just open your own IE and imagine it without the address bar.

Where does the shortcut icon you click to open IE8 point to?

I'm running Win7 64-bit and can use either IE8 32-bit located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" or IE8 64-bit located at "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

Copy each location in turn, including the quotation marks, and enter them individually in Start>Run/Search/ or whatever it's called. Click OK to see if either of the two versions opens correctly with the address bar shown.

Jim.

Jim, I don't have 64-bit version ergo no choice as you've indicated but the properties of my IE are the standard address, i.e. C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe

"Version 8.0.7600.16385
Cipher strength: 256-bit
Product ID: 92318-600-0062445-60270
Update versions: 0"

The big black "Off" is part of the Windows Speech Recognition thinggy which stays on top of everything (inc. IE). I can log on to my computer via that speech thing, it memorises my voice and patterns so I don't need a password, or have both p/w and voice recognition protect the laptop. Useful when I go travelling but I turn it off at home where the cat is the only other living thing that could log on to the machine

OK.

Then, how about Add-ons. Click Tools>Manage Add-ons. Any unusual items? You can disable them, all, or one at a time, then close and reopen IE8 to see if the Address bar returns. (Right click each item and select Disable)

Grasping at straws really.

Jim.

You don't need screen capture software. Just hit the "Print Screen" button, open Paint, paste, save, attach the file to a post here.

MSU

Well, if it's that difficult to look at any IE header and just imagine it minus the address bar, fair enuff. I've found Paint (didn't even know I had it on Win7), captured it, fought my way through several "Access Denied" blocks trying to transfer it over to my XP machine which I'm using to write to this forum and eventually got it here to be able to upload it. Guess what? It looks just like your IE does without the address bar.

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

What's the big black button that says "Off"? I don't have one of those.

Jim.

I didn't say it was that difficult to imagine. However things do get lost in translation sometimes. And what you were describing may have not been exactly what the issue was. I'll also ask, what the heck is that big black bubble/button/whatever?

MSU

See reply #44.

Jim.

You're missing more than just the address bar. You're missing the whole Navigation bar, including forward and back buttons, refresh, stop and your search bar.



FireFox has a Navigation Toolbar that can be turned on and off. IE does not have this Option. Value has somehow been turned off in registry.

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

OK one last crack at this.

Copy and paste the following to Notepad. Save as an .reg file.
Then right click file and select Merge:





Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser]

"ITBar7Position"=dword:00000001

Without making Registry changes (or using some utility to do so?), I can get close to your screenshot.

Without going too far it looks like Registry settings can be set to hide (or display) various aspects of the browser window.

Starting at:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\InternetExplorer\Toolbars\Restrictions

--------------------------------------
BANK OF AMERICA.COM ONLINE BANKING SUCKS IN THE HUGEST WAY IMAGINABLE

Newegg.com's new image gallery layout sucks in the hugest way imaginable too !
And now they're using JavaScript to "turn" pages to boot ! SUCKS

Attachment #1, (png file)

PS: Any idea how to get the Favorites back on the same line as File . I know how I got it down there, but doesn't look as easy to move it back?


If you log in under a different User, does that User have the same issue with IE?

--------------------------------------
BANK OF AMERICA.COM ONLINE BANKING SUCKS IN THE HUGEST WAY IMAGINABLE

Newegg.com's new image gallery layout sucks in the hugest way imaginable too !
And now they're using JavaScript to "turn" pages to boot ! SUCKS

Eureka! Just about the same time as your posting, I reached the same section in this 200 page pdf of the Recovery disk. In the section you mentioned, (Policies\Internet Explorer) it had a value called NoNavBar=1. As soon as I changed that to 0, I got everything back. Thanks therube, it was probably a dead heat but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt

The $64 question is: how the blazes that changed to 1 because I didn't even know that value existed. But I sure will remember where it is from now on

Now, is there a similar registry setting to restore my icons back to normal? I'm uploading a pic of what has become of my desktop. If I can do that, I'll just about have my original computer back.

Attachment #1, (gif file)

"How To Purge & Rebuild The Icon Cache In Windows 7 or Vista"
http://www.winvistaclub.com/t71.html

--------------------------------------
BANK OF AMERICA.COM ONLINE BANKING SUCKS IN THE HUGEST WAY IMAGINABLE

Newegg.com's new image gallery layout sucks in the hugest way imaginable too !
And now they're using JavaScript to "turn" pages to boot ! SUCKS

I've tried all the suggestions that site had offered except Driver Mender. That's another one of those sneaky programs I hate - it says free download, then wants to charge you $$$ once you have ALREADY INSTALLED the damn thing, wasting your time having to uninstall it again. I have no time for programs that don't tell you up front what its intentions are and won't pay one penny that treats you like that. But thanks anyway.

HOO-BLUDDY-RAY! I can finally close this thread which was starting to reach Guinness Book of Records proportions. I have, after many many trials and tribulations, worked out how to restore my desktop icons. With the recovery of my Navigation Bar as well, I'm back to where I was before losing all my hair

In case anyone else has a similar problem, and for those who may have been following this saga without commenting, this is what I had done:

The icons were actually OVERLAYED, not corrupted. In my XP Registry Guide book it mentioned that overlays were covered in the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIcons. I took a chance that Win7 would be similar.

That registry item had a single value in it: 29 which actually referred to a subdirectory of C:\Program Files that did not exist. I tried changing the value to several other places including \System32\Shell32.dll but none of them fixed the problem, that is, until I just deleted the whole value. Then I got my clear icons back, with just the arrows on them (indicating that they were shortcuts). As I particularly hate those small arrows, I went to the registry again and under HKClassesRoot I deleted the "IsShortcut" value under both "lnkfile" and "piffile" and rebooted. Results: clean, clear icons without those little arrows. Good as new!

I would like to thank everybody who helped with these problems; I certainly had no idea when I first posted that the thread would grow to such a large size. I hope that it may serve to help others who end up with similar problems.