daughter got on computer & now I am missing my status bar

[Scud]

She might have messed up your screen resolution if she installed something, especially a screen saver or background. In XP: start menu - control panels - display: and on the top tabs "settings". Choose at least 800 x 600, but 1024x768 would probably be best. Higher still if you have a flat panel high-def monitor.

In Vista, start menu - control panel - personalization - display settings.

You can also reset the screen savers and background images in the same place.

Just remember what the settings are before you start screwing around, in case you have to put them back the way they were, but you can't do anything that can't be undone.