Tools

[SleepyNerd]

When I first started up AfterEffects, the was a bar on the left which held all of the tools, like the magic eraser and shape tools. However, when i closed and reopened the app after restarting, it was no longer there. How do I get the toollist back?

[imeilfx]

In AE (like in most of Adobe software) you can rearange most of the panels/bars as you wish. So you probably closed that tool bar by mystake (but to be honnest in most workspace presets tool bar in AE is on top noi on the left hand side but that is not important).
To chose from avaliable workspaces you have to go to Window/workspace and chose one that will be best for you. Or if you wish to stay in that exact workspace - go to Reset "(here is the name of saved workspace) to Saved Layout. That should go to layout/workspace that you had when you first stared.

[SleepyNerd]

I clicked on reset to saved layout but the panel still wouldn't come up.

[imeilfx]

So chose any other workspace or just rearange and also - are you sure that you had that (from the picture) panel in vertical mode on the left? \Or maby you confusing it with Premiere Pro panels?