taskbar window issue

Hello, this is my first post. I´m having trouble with the taskbar window "icon" size - it is set to "small icons", but somehow Windows 7 changed it to a "squared" icon only, with no label. I tried a lot of things but nothing works.
Here´s the screenshot:

image 1: "long" icons with labels. this is how it was supposed to be, and this is how it was until yesterday (this image I found on Google)
image 2: square icons with no label (this is my screenshot)
(remembering that this is not the quick launch bar, it´s the taskbar)

ps: it is already set to "never combine"

Please help me fix this.
Thanks.

thanks, Jerry.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that it is already set to "never combine". This is why it's intrigating me.

Yes. No success..

Hello again, Jerry.
It found no errors. But I had to restore, no success because I´m having exactly this problem:

1- Left navigation pane missing
2- Unable to restore system

This is really frustrating.

ps: the restoration to 16 december solved the taskbar window issue.

Thaks Kado, but doing this did not solve the problem.

Well, after an intensive Google search, I found out that my problem was caused by two modifications I´ve made in my computer: 1- registry edit to remove libraries folder; 2- explorerframe.dll edit to install W7 themes.

System restoration did not solve the problem, system file checker also didn´t. So I had to reinstall W7.

Everything is ok now, but one lesson learned: NEVER, never mess with system files to change themes or anything else. I prefer to use a horrible-baby-blue original W7 theme that works than a beautiful custom theme full of bugs.