Microsoft Office 2010 is running but wont display

After hours of trying to get my instance of Outlook to just show itself I finally found a solution I did not believe could be the answer, based on its simplicity, but yet it worked! Some how its seems to have found a screen size or setting that made it invisible.

First Attempt 

The first thing I tried gave me a nice command that I will try remember if anything else ever goes wrong with my Outlook... Type in the Start Menu Search Bar "outlook.exe /safe". This launches Outlook in safemode and helps with add-ins that have gone mad. This did not help me with my problem, but its a nice command to know.

Step 1: Push the windows key, or click on the windows icon in the bottom left.

 Step 2: Type "outlook.exe /safe" and push enter.

Second Attempt

The second attempt saw me disabling all non-Microsoft start-up services and programs. Again a nice trick to know if you ever want to disable annoying tasks that have installed them self and now forever run whenever your PC boots.
This method was called the clean-boot method and really made my PC start faster, but did not solve my original problem.

Test in Clean boot Mode

Let’s disable all startup items and third party services when booting. This method will help us determine if this issue is caused by a loading program or service. Please perform the following steps:

1. Click the Start Button type "msconfig" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box, and then press Enter.
Note: If prompted, please click Continue on the User Account Control (UAC) window.

2.  Click the "Services" tab, check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box and click "Disable All" (if it is not gray).
3. Click the "Startup" tab, click "Disable All" and click "OK".

Then, restart the computer. When the "System Configuration Utility" window appears, please check the "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts" box and click OK.

Note: Temporarily disabling the Startup Group only prevents the startup programs from loading at startup. This should not affect the system or other programs. We may still manually run these programs later.

How to return from the Clean Boot state 

After the troubleshooting, we can return from the clean boot state:

1. Click the Start Button type "msconfig" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box, and then press Enter.
Note: If prompted, please click Continue on the User Account Control (UAC) window.
2. On the "General" tab, click "Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services".
3. Click OK. Click Restart when you are prompted to restart your computer.

Final Attempt

My final attempt led me to this post on youtube. I read it and watched it and even though the poster said dont laugh at the discription of the solution, I found myself almost overlooking the solution because of its simplicity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdFtBIp80FM


Below is the description of what to as described on YouTube.

1. Right click on the Shortcut you use to launch Outlook 2010 and choose Properties.

2. On the Shortcut tab next to Run, change it from Normal window, to Maximized.

3. Click OK.
4. Launch Outlook normally using the shortcut you just edited. (If you edited the Start menu shortcut use ONLY it)
In my case Outlook launched fine, but maximized. Clicking the Restore button would send it irretrievably back to the Taskbar forcing me to force close.
5. With Outlook open and Maximized, right click in the Taskbar and choose Cascade Windows. And that is what solves the issue!

Now I can minimize, restore, maximize, restore all day long without trouble.
6. Final step is to right click on the previously edited Shortcut and change Run back to "Normal window".

I hope someone finds this as useful as I did!

What is FPGA?

A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing—hence "field-programmable". The FPGA configuration is generally specified using a hardware description language (HDL), similar to that used for an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (circuit diagrams were previously used to specify the configuration, as they were for ASICs, but this is increasingly rare). FPGAs can be used to implement any logical function that an ASIC could perform. The ability to update the functionality after shipping, partial re-configuration of a portion of the design[1] and the low non-recurring engineering costs relative to an ASIC design (notwithstanding the generally higher unit cost), offer advantages for many applications.


FPGAs contain programmable logic components called "logic blocks", and a hierarchy of re-configurable interconnects that allow the blocks to be "wired together"—somewhat like many (changeable) logic gates that can be inter-wired in (many) different configurations. Logic blocks can be configured to perform complex combinational functions, or merely simple logic gates like AND and XOR. In most FPGAs, the logic blocks also include memory elements, which may be simple flip-flops or more complete blocks of memory.

For more information regarding FPGA implementation and design see the Doulos page : FPGA

What is VHDL?

VHDL is the VHSIC Hardware Description Language. VHSIC is an abbreviation for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit. It can describe the behaviour and structure of electronic systems, but is particularly suited as a language to describe the structure and behaviour of digital electronic hardware designs, such as ASICs and FPGAs as well as conventional digital circuits.

VHDL is a notation, and is precisely and completely defined by the Language Reference Manual ( LRM ). This sets VHDL apart from other hardware description languages, which are to some extent defined in an ad hoc way by the behaviour of tools that use them. VHDL is an international standard, regulated by the IEEE. The definition of the language is non-proprietary.

VHDL is not an information model, a database schema, a simulator, a toolset or a methodology! However, a methodology and a toolset are essential for the effective use of VHDL.

Simulation and synthesis are the two main kinds of tools which operate on the VHDL language. The Language Reference Manual does not define a simulator, but unambiguously defines what each simulator must do with each part of the language.

VHDL does not constrain the user to one style of description. VHDL allows designs to be described using any methodology - top down, bottom up or middle out! VHDL can be used to describe hardware at the gate level or in a more abstract way. Successful high level design requires a language, a tool set and a suitable methodology. VHDL is the language, you choose the tools, and the methodology...

For more information regarding the use and implementation of VHDL go to the Doulos website: VHDL Designers Guide

What is Verilog?

Verilog is a Hardware Description Language (HDL). What this means is that it is a textual language for describing electronic circuits and systems. When applied to electronic design, Verilog is intended to be used for:

• verification through simulation, 
• timing analysis, 
• test analysis (testability analysis and fault grading), and
• logic synthesis. 

For a more verbose description of Verilog visit the wiki page which has a good overview of the history.

The standard also defines the Programming Language Interface, or PLI. This is a collection of software routines which permit a bidirectional interface between Verilog and other languages (usually C).

Note that VHDL is not an abbreviation for Verilog HDL - Verilog and VHDL are two different HDLs. They have more similarities than differences, however.

For some information regarding Verilog Design see the Doulos website: Verilog Designers Guide