Drake Tax - Program, Document, or Screen Does Not Appear

Article #: 13571

Last Updated: October 18, 2024

 


Tags: Drake Tax

Drake Tax logo

Some reported issues:

  • When I go to Enhanced View mode, I see only the Drake Tax background screen. The Data entry or View/Print mode screen that lists and displays the return documents does not appear.

  • When I go to Basic View mode and open a document from the display, the document does not appear, but the screen dims a little.

  • After going to view mode, the software appears to freeze and looks grayed out, but I don't see the form view.

  • When I launch Drake Tax, the icon appears at the bottom of my page, but I do not see the program displayed on the screen.

In these cases, the missing screen or document is opening where you cannot see it - outside the area displayed by the monitor, but it may be visible only at the very edge of the monitor. Minimize all open applications to display the desktop, and then re-display Drake by itself. Examine the edges of the monitor (or monitors), particularly the lower screen boundary (where your task bar may cover the edge of the missing display). You may see the edge of your missing screen or document displayed there. If you can see it, you can drag it back into full view.

If the full program is not showing after opening, right-click on your Drake Tax icon and choose Properties. On the Shortcut tab, make sure that the Run option is set to Maximized.

Additional Troubleshooting

If you still experience this issue, check the following setting:

  • Open Windows task manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

  • Locate Drake Tax.

  • Click the arrow on the left to expand the listing details.

  • Right-click and choose Maximize.

  • This process should only have to be done one time on each computer experiencing the issue.

Otherwise, use these steps to move the document or screen back into view using your keyboard.

Enhanced View

  • Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

  • Expand the Drake Tax Software list.

  • Locate the item that says "Drake 2023 View/Print Client Return..."

  • Right-click, and choose Maximize.

Alternatively:

  • Close any return you are in. If you are in a return in Enhanced View and cannot close it from the Drake window, go directly to Task Manager and continue below.

  • Open any return and go to Enhanced View. Do not click anywhere on the screen, so as to preserve the existing focus on the missing View Mode screen.

  • Press and hold the Windows Key (or press the up, left or right arrow key until the missing screen appears.

  • If the Drake window resizes or shifts location instead of the missing screen,

    • Open Task Manager Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Locate Drake Tax Software, and choose Switch To.

    • Press and hold and press the up, left or right arrow key until the missing screen appears.

Note  If you do not have a key, use keyboard combination Alt + Space + M. Then press the up arrow key - this will attach the screen to your mouse pointer. Move your mouse around until you see the view window. Once the window is visible, left click one time to save the location.

Basic View

  • Close the return that you are in.

  • Open any return and go to Basic View.

  • Double-click a document to open it, and then do not click anywhere on the screen, so as to preserve the existing focus on the missing document display.

  • Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C while in Basic View mode to re-orient the view screen to the center of the monitor.

Other Options

If your keyboard does not have a windows key , or the above steps did not work, use this keyboard combination:

  • Press ALT + Space + M.

  • Release the key combination.

  • Then press the up arrow key - this will attach the screen to your mouse pointer.

  • Then move your mouse around until you see the view window.

  • Once the window is visible, left click one time to save the location.

Tip  This keyboard sequence uses the shortcut menu for whatever window is active.