Elements 2021 not showing many tools

[tom86951]

Something happened to the tools I had available on my Elements 2019 -- most of them no longer show up -- see screenshot below.  I finally gave up and downloaded Elelment 2021 and it also has just those few tools available.  How to I get all the tools back.  I want to draw arrows, make shapes, etc.  This is a Windows 10 computer.

[Greg_S. · Accepted solution]

Your screenshot cuts off the most important area of the screen to answer your question.  You are in Quick Mode.  You need to be in the Expert Mode.

[ShelLuser]

First of all: I just noticed Greg's comment and he's right, when I switch to 'Fast mode' (or easy mode, whatever it's called) then my toolbox matches yours exactly.

I was going to ask if you're actually working on a new blank project because some specific projects can also change the toolbox based on what you need to work on that project. For example:

Here I'm working on a CD project and as you can this also changed the toolbox, even though I'm working in expert or advanced mode. So this could also be something to look out for, though it's not directly applicable to your current situation.

[tom86951]

Thanks, but that is the entire screen -- notice the little x in the upper right corner -- there is nothing cut off.  But you helped me figure it out.  For reasons I'll never understand, some of menu options get hidden under black-out areas unless/until I hover my mouse over it.  I went to where "expert" was supposed to be and sure enough it popped up, so I clicked that and got the tools back.  Thank you both! 

[Greg_S.]

If you have the Windows setting to Hide the Taskbar turned on, it may interfere with the Menus in Elements.  But since you have it figured out now, maybe that was not the case.  The fact that your original screenshot does not (clearly) display the controls in the Windows title bar suggests that the program does not have full focus and is perhaps why the Quick/Guided/Expert tabs did not show up.