Windows task manager - several windows open on the bottom blue line of windows xp. (cant be closed....)

I assume you mean the "Taskbar".

Is there any text in those windows?

Do they come back if you restart the machine?

Taskbar - yes.
There is no text.
There on reboot also.

Have you scanned for malware?  Here are some useful tools:

Virus
Trend Micro online scan: http://housecall.trendmicro.com
AVG: http://free.grisoft.com
Avast: http://www.avast.com

Spyware
Ad-Aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
Spybot S&D: http://www.safer-networking.org
HijackThis: http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php

If possible update the scanners' definitions and boot in Safe Mode before scanning.  This prevents most malware from repairing itself.

Update ............

I remoted the users PC:
Update. (its not a virus I think)

Every time I hot ctrl / alt  / delete - I get a new tiny square / green gridded icon on the task bar near the time clock.
Everytime one more icon - Its a gauge for processor usage - give a % usage.
On the left in the task bar - I get a useless little menu item which says "pci"  PCI is the name I gave my new network PCI card.

The work around is to right click the green gridded icon and "close"

I cant bring up the normal windows task manager .........

Anyone any ideas?  I was using taskmon the other day ....... perhaps a side effect / bug?

or hit <ctrl-shift-esc> to open task manager

i seems as if your <ctrl>-<alt><del>  was re-routed to do something else. possibly when creating the shortcut for the process application  a shortcut key was put in for this?

ThanQ