OFFXP: Language Bar Is Minimized or Closed If You Minimize or Close an Office Program

When you minimize or close an Office program, the Language bar may be minimized or may seem to disappear.

NOTE: The Language bar does not disappear; it is minimized to an indicator button in the status area on the Microsoft Windows taskbar (to the left of the clock). For example, an indicator button with EN (for the English Language) is displayed.

To resolve this behavior, use one of the following methods appropriate for your situation.

Method 1: After You Minimize a Program

When you minimize a program, you may need to restore the Language bar. To restore the Language bar, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the language indicator button (for the English U.S. language, the language indicator button is displayed as EN) in the status area of the Windows taskbar (left of the clock).
2. Click to select Show the Language bar on the shortcut menu that appears.
   
   NOTE: If the Show the Language bar selection is unavailable (appears dimmed), click in the program window, and then click to select Show the Language bar.

Method 2: After You Close a Program

When you close a program, you may need to restore the Language bar. To restore the Language bar after you close a program, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Text Services.
3. On the Settings tab, click Language Bar.
4. In the Language Bar Settings dialog box, click to select the Show the Language bar on the desktop check box, and then click OK.
5. Click OK to close the Text Services dialog box.

A Microsoft Office XP program must be open in order for the Show the Language bar option to be displayed when you right-click the language indicator button. If no Microsoft Office XP program is running, the Show the Language bar option is not available.

To have the Language bar open on the Windows desktop, a Microsoft Office XP program must be open. However, with Microsoft Outlook 2002, the Language bar reappears when a new e-mail message is opened if you are using Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages.

To close the Language bar, right-click the language indicator button on the Windows taskbar, and then click Close the Language bar.

When you minimize the Language bar (click Minimize on the Language bar), click OK if the following message appears:

You have minimized the Language bar. To restore it, just click the Language bar icon (near the clock) and select "Show the Language bar" from the pop-up menu.