Curiouser and curiouser ...

[Carol Haynes]

How do you stop right click menus and balloon tips in the system tray opening behind the task bar ???

Strange problem, but makes menu selection a good memory test 

[zridling]

Lots of ways!

Open Windows Explorer/Tools Menu/Folder Options/View tab/Advanced/Uncheck Popup Descriptions for Folder and Desktop Items.

TweakUI/Taskbar/Uncheck Enable Balloon Tips
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Or use this automated Registry edit:
Disable Balloon Tips or Disable All (Row 11)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Disable All includes: Balloon Tips, Folder Contents Info Tips, Explorer Pop-Ups, Show Info Tips, Start Menu and Notification Area.

[Carol Haynes]

I don't want to disable them ... or are you suggesting disable them all and then re-enable them?

The problem is that the Task Bar is on top of tray menus and balloon tips. Consequently some info and menu items are hidden from view.

I have tried setting the task bar not to be always on top (and that is a pain - and didn't make any difference anyway), I have also tried Autohide, but I don't really like that.

[Veign]

Not sure if this would help but try dragging the toolbar to a different location on the screen.  This may cause Windows to reset settings and resolve your issue.  Test at the new location and see if resolved, if so move back to where you have it.

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks, that seems to have cured it

[mouser]

clever idea 

[Sentinel]

This is another of those 'known' software bugs that Microsoft seem unable or unwilling to fix.  I get this sometimes, especially if my system has been running for some days/weeks.  As Veign mentioned, dragging the taskbar elsewhere and then back tends to fix it, otherwise the more extreme terminating and restarting explorer fixes it (which works rather nicely as a scheduled task but may mess up your taskbar icons in some cases).