Help : I’ve messed up my PhotoLab 2

[Thornton]

I’m hoping that someone can help with what is hopefully a simple issue, but one that I can’t resolve. I have PhotoLab 2 and I clicked on something in the top line of the program which maximised the display. I have now lost the entire top line, which has File, Edit, View, Help etc, and can’t seem to get it back. I’ve tried the Esc button to no avail. In fact I don’t seem able to even close the program.

Julian

[Thornton]

Fortunately I’ve sorted it out. I closed the program using Task Manager and when I re-opened it the display was back to normal. I’d still be interested if anyone knows how to do this the “official” way, however.

Julian

[DanK]

I don't know that program, but two possibilities come to mind:

1. Some programs have a full-screen mode in which things like menus are intentionally hidden. In the case of the programs I use that have this function, one or both of two actions reverse this: hitting <esc>, and hitting whatever keystroke causes the program to go to full-screen mode (which varies from program to program). You have to use the keystroke because the menus are hidden.

2. In rare cases, I have had programs that didn't correctly adapt to the screen dimensions, but this hasn't happened often.

[Thornton]

I don't know that program, but two possibilities come to mind:

1. Some programs have a full-screen mode in which things like menus are intentionally hidden. In the case of the programs I use that have this function, one or both of two actions reverse this: hitting <esc>, and hitting whatever keystroke causes the program to go to full-screen mode (which varies from program to program). You have to use the keystroke because the menus are hidden.

2. In rare cases, I have had programs that didn't correctly adapt to the screen dimensions, but this hasn't happened often.

Thank you Dan. I think that there may be an anomaly with the program because the F11 and F12 keys are supposed to be shortcuts to alter display size, but they simply seem to function as they normally do on my Dell laptop, to increase and decrease screen brightness.

Julian

[Thornton]

I’ve just found that I have to hit the Fn button and the F12 button together. The wonders of computers (or the laughable extent of my ignorance, more like!).

Julian

[DanK]

Ah, I should have thought. Every laptop I have ever used has duplicate functions for the F keys: one set that all computers using that OS share, and a second set for the laptop itself--e.g., changing screen brightness, duplicating the screen on an external display, turning wireless on and off, etc.

Many laptops let you decide which set will work without the Fn key. For example, my current Lenovo shipped set up so that the F keys would by default do the laptop specific things (as yours seems to be), and one needed to hold the Fn key to get the regular functions. I switched this so that the F keys, without the Fn key, work as they would on any computer.

[Thornton]

Ah, I should have thought. Every laptop I have ever used has duplicate functions for the F keys: one set that all computers using that OS share, and a second set for the laptop itself--e.g., changing screen brightness, duplicating the screen on an external display, turning wireless on and off, etc.

Many laptops let you decide which set will work without the Fn key. For example, my current Lenovo shipped set up so that the F keys would by default do the laptop specific things (as yours seems to be), and one needed to hold the Fn key to get the regular functions. I switched this so that the F keys, without the Fn key, work as they would on any computer.

It doesn’t help that the documentation with my Dell was minimal, presumably because this sort of thing is now almost second nature to many people. I don’t tend to make much use of shortcuts, but as you pointed out earlier, the problem arose that having lost myself the word headings, the only way back was through a keyboard shortcut. The shortcuts are handy, I’ll admit, but remembering them is the challenge. Must write a crib sheet!

Julian