My Start button and Task Bar disappeared

I need help
The kids played some game on the computer and ...My Start button and Task Bar disappeared... and here is the story, this is what I already tried...

1) First I tried to hover over the bottom (maybe someone minimized it ), including pressing the window button and ctrl+Esc and nothing.
2) When I try using safe mode I do see the start button and task bar... but when I go back to regular mode it is still missing.
3) I tried to start my computer with a clean startup (using msconfig) nothing happened .
4) I tried using
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_ed ... esktop.reg
I ran the download file - it updated the registry but nothing helped.

Does anyone have any ideas????
Please help
Thank you all.

Naomi

Go to the control panel, taskbar and startup. Is keep taskbar on top of other windows checked?

Also, make sure that that monitor setting weren't changed.

Drag the pointer around the perimeter of the monitor. It may have been docked to the side or the top.

Thank you all - This is what I did
I went to the control panal and clicked the taskbar and startup
--- nothing happened .
no menu opend up.. Any more ideas?
PS I also draged the cursor around the screem - it did not help !

Has the start menu been docked and set to not pop-up? Your cursor should switch to a set of arrows to indicate you can drag it.

does the start menu pop up when you press windows key? and are there icons on your desktop