Task Manager Change of Appearance

Hello group
My PC is run by WinXP SP2 and...
Just recently I noticed a queer change of my task managers appearance.
I never experience this kind of sudden change and is at a loss to how
to regain it.
It had lost its minimize/ maximize button and also the CPU activity
value is gone. It just a rectangular box with the task and status bar
on top and the end task and Switch and New Task.
Another thing, there was one software where I used the task manager to
maximize and when it was done. The middle icon( double square)
adjacent to the minimize(-) bar and maximize (square icon) is shaded
is not functioning anymore.
Is there anybody that is familiar with these peculiarity and can he or
she please tell me how to sort this out and regain the former
appearance and functionality of the task bar.
I have tried system restore and it did not change anything.
Please Help!
Roy