OneNote killed my language bar

[Alan]

OneNote is a yet another beta-quality release from MS.
Reminds me of the first version of Outlook, the one that
was "given away for free" back in '98 for us final users to
beta-test (of course MS will deny it was beta software...)

Little did I know that installing OneNote 2003 on my
Windows 2000 laptop would add a bunch of Office components,
including one that changed the behavior of my language bar
(my Windows 2000 language bar started acting more like
Windows XP's in that it could be restored to float around
or minimized into the taskbar). I hated the uninvited
change since I like Win 2000's language bar JUST FINE. But
the worst was yet to come. Though I didn't notice at
first, the control panel settings for "Keyboard" were also
changed by OneNote. The "Language Bar" button is now
greyed out. Somehow, the language bar now simply fails to
appear on my task bar, and since the control panel Keyboard
"Language Bar" button is greyed out, there's nothing I can
do to revive the bar.

The Language Bar is dead, long live Microsoft.

I even uninstalled darn OneNote (I was hoping it would undo
the damage) but it didn't help. Now I'm sorry I paid $15
for the "cost of media only" (since we have a
university-wide license). Since when do CDs cost $15 to press?

Any help resucitating my language bar from other equally
frustrated users will be much appreciated.

Alan

 

[Andrew Watt [MVP - InfoPath]]

OneNote is a yet another beta-quality release from MS.
Reminds me of the first version of Outlook, the one that
was "given away for free" back in '98 for us final users to
beta-test (of course MS will deny it was beta software...)

Little did I know that installing OneNote 2003 on my
Windows 2000 laptop would add a bunch of Office components,
including one that changed the behavior of my language bar
(my Windows 2000 language bar started acting more like
Windows XP's in that it could be restored to float around
or minimized into the taskbar). I hated the uninvited
change since I like Win 2000's language bar JUST FINE. But
the worst was yet to come. Though I didn't notice at
first, the control panel settings for "Keyboard" were also
changed by OneNote. The "Language Bar" button is now
greyed out. Somehow, the language bar now simply fails to
appear on my task bar, and since the control panel Keyboard
"Language Bar" button is greyed out, there's nothing I can
do to revive the bar.

The Language Bar is dead, long live Microsoft.

I even uninstalled darn OneNote (I was hoping it would undo
the damage) but it didn't help. Now I'm sorry I paid $15
for the "cost of media only" (since we have a
university-wide license). Since when do CDs cost $15 to press?

Any help resucitating my language bar from other equally
frustrated users will be much appreciated.

Alan

Alan,

This is the first time that I, personally, have heard of OneNote
changing the Language Bar settings. I have OneNote SP1 installed and
can access Language Bar settings without problem. Admittedly that is
on XP.

Did you install any other software around the same time?

I assume from the description that you tried the following (I think
Win2k was the same procedure)?
1. Open Control Panel
2. Select Regional and Language Options
3. Select the Languages tab
4. In the Text Services and Input Languages section click the Details
button
5. In the Preferences section click the Language Bar button
6. Elect to display the language bar

and that it failed at Step 5 because the Language Bar button is greyed
out. Right?

If you go into Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel is there any
indication that OneNote is still "there"? I assume not but it's always
worth looking.

One other question in my mind is whether your Windows 2000 is up to
date with the various security updates etc. Can you confirm that?

Andrew Watt
MVP - InfoPath

 

[Alan]

Andrew:

As I said, OneNote installed a bunch of additional Office
components, some of which may have messed up the keyboard
as I described originally. The change was immediate since
right after finishing the installation the
keyboard "window" was floating on the desktop, much to my
chagrin. When I "minimized" (aka, docked) the miniwindow,
I immediately saw the keyboard icon on the taskbar à la
Windows XP, rather than the familiar blue square with the
letters "EN" (for "ENglish", my default keyboard). Next
reboot the language bar was gone, and as I described the
Keyboard section at the Control Panel changed behavior
also (I don't remember what it was like before, but
the "properties" tab was undoubtedly changed... and
the "language bar" button permanently greyed out!) I did
not install any other software or made any other change
that could have possibly caused this highly bizarre
behavior. I run Win2K SP2 and regularly update/patch it.

I did, apparently successfully, uninstall EndNote (no
longer in Add/Remove Programs). That didn't change
anything. My computer is messed up because of an over-
liberal OneNote (or Office, call it whatever) that
believes that tweaking the OS at its will is fine just
because it's made by the same company. I feel positively
disgusted by the lack of quality, or shall I say of
respect for the final user?

In any case, thanks for your help, though I'm starting to
believe I'm very far from finding anything resembling a
solution.

Alan

 

[Andrew Watt [MVP - InfoPath]]

I run Win2K SP2 and regularly update/patch it.

Alan,

Windows 2000 is currently at SP4.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/default.asp

I don't know whether updating would benefit your current problem in
any way.

If it was me I think I would apply SP4 (after backing up important
data) on general grounds of security etc. But, at bottom, the choice
is yours, I guess.

The lack of responses from others makes me think that nobody else has
seen this language bar button problem. But you may want to wait and
see if there are more specific responses in the pipeline.

Andrew Watt
MVP - InfoPath