Err... Got a Windows question for people...

Running Windows 2K SP4 (plus latest security fixes) Earlier today, I was resizing a window and accidentally grabbed the Taskbar instead, drawing it up to cover about 50% of the screen area. Of course, the desktop icons are now squished into the top 50% of the screen but my BIG QUESTION is this. Whenever I open an IE session from the IE icon or from the quick launch icon in the Taskbar, everything is fine -- I get a nice full-screen instance of IE. If I see a link I want to follow and right-click on it and ask IE: "Open in New Window", the #@$& new window that opens covers the top 50% of the screen instead of all of it. Some how, my raising the Taskbar caused Internet Explorer to limit its function. I have poked around the registry as much as I feel comfortable. Does anyone know how to get my child windows to open full-size? I am embarrassed for having to ask -- worked at MSFT for five years (perma and full-time) and was on the ship team for Windows 2K Datacenter but this just plain has me stumped...