Applications on a taskbar

[distoaddict]

which way are you adding items to the panel? by add to panel from right click on the panel itself or from the main gnome menu?

[garda]

I suspect this problem is related to input devices handling. Have you tried opening applications (or any other shortcuts) using an add-on mouse?

[garda]

What happens if you run programs by highlighting their shortcuts with the keyboard and pressing the Enter key?

[garda]

I would love to take a look at the page you linked to, but it keeps saying I have to log in to view it.

[pluraldave]

I would love to take a look at the page you linked to, but it keeps saying I have to log in to view it.

All running programs are shown twice on my taskbar and i dont know why. I had this problem a few months ago too and what I did to fix it was go in the registry/HCLM/SOFTWARE/MICROSOFT/WINDOWS/EXPLORER/STREAMS/DESKTOP
There were 2 keys here Default TaskBar and Default Taskbar Personal. After deleting the 2nd key the problem was fixed. A couple of weeks later i had the same problem on my 2nd pc. I did same thing fixed again. Now after a couple of months same problem appears and no personal key to delete this time. So i just deleted the Default Taskbar Key and problem is fixed. But what do i do if it happens again? Why is this happening? is there any other way to permanently fix it? cause i've had it again on the 2nd computer as well now. And i dont feel like deleting another registry key

Here is a picture of my taskbar if it helps u

delete the 0-193 keys .

have you checked the 2nd PC to see what keys and values that has ?

do both pc's have same O/S , Applications and updates installed ....

and sorry , should have asked this earlier , if you right click on the taskbar and go to toolbars do you have the following entries :

Address
Windows Media Player
Links
Language bar
Desktop
Quick Launch
---------------
New Toolbar

or are there any extra custom entries

I doubt this is useful, the "answer" ins't even an answer anyway if you'd got the problem on Windows and needed help.

@dtl: Does your panel look like the windows taskbar in the image above? Are the programs doubling up in two distinct regions like (App A)(App B)(App A)(App B) or are you getting (App A)(App A)(App B)(App B)? You haven't just added a second window list have you?

[garda]

If there is currently only one user account in your installation, create another one then log in to that new account to check whether the same oddity will show up there.

The only possible cause to this type of problem that springs into mind is messed up configuration settings or files -- thank gconf for that. If my speculation is true, you should not see the same symptom in the new account.

[garda]

I would try to purge then reinstall some packages relating to the panel applets if I were in your position. The packages in question are gnome-applets and gnome-applets-data.

Another option would be to move your files from the home directory of the old account to that of the new one, except the configuration files. This should not be hard nor time consuming since you are on a freshly installed system. But it is up to you to decide.

[pluraldave]

I think it's the A,B - A,B scenario . Have a look at my desktop

Screenshot-1.png

You've got 2 window lists there. If you zoom in/squint at the panel you can see there are little 3 pronged = type signs to the left of each window list. In your screen shot it looks like:
=(Skype)(Firefox)(ControlCentre)=(Skype)(Firefox)(ControlCentre)

You can remove the extra window list by right clicking on its = sign and choosing "remove from panel". I suggest you try removing the right hand window list by right clicking on the central = sign just to the left of the first repeated application button. (If you haven't already followed garda's advice.)