[skipmar]

I don't know at what point the start button becomes inoperable, but when it does I can't access programs or turn the computer off in the normal way. I end up going to task manager and turning it off there. And then when it reboots, the quicklaunch menu has disappearred. I right click on the taskbar and unlock the taskbar, then right click again and restore the quicklaunch toolbar, but have to rearrange everything because it insists on starting with the calculator. Also, at the the time it reboots it takes several minutes to comeback up (for the hourglass to go away).
Another issue I have is the floating place bar, the vertical bar that shows where I am typing, or am supposed to be. If I'm typing and for some reason the place bar drifts off the page (I'm using a laptop but the touchpad is idled. it moves the cursor but not the place bar.) then whatever I type does not appear. I haven't yet figured out how the place bar gets moved. I think I may have changed some setting, but can't remember, or find out what it might have been.