Help! Im running XP and start menu/desktop icons have disappeared!!!

Carolinemur

Hi,

I really need any help I can get on this one...

I have a pc with Windows XP on it and basically the start menu and all my desktop icons have disappeared!:(

I can still see the desktop background (which is one of my photos) but that is ALL that I can see when I log on. I'm not sure what caused this and don't really care once I can fix it..

The computer still seems to be functioning properly whereas I can access most things through task manager (i.e. hitting control + alt + delete).
I have been on to a few forums and tried quite a few things to fix this but so far, nothing has worked.:(

I have tried pressing control + escape and that didnt work!

I also tried going into task manager and going to "new task (run...)", typed in explorer.exe and pressed return. When I done this, the start menu re-appeared just for a second, and then disappeared again!! I tried again and the same thing happened.

I eventually tried to do a system restore through the safe mode. Again, I was unsuccessful. It would only allow me to restore to a point 2-3 days previous and it said that it could not restore as nothing had been changed?!

I'm far from a computer expert, I know just the basics but I still have my Reinstallation CD that I got from Dell when I bought the pc. I tried to do an update with this. I didn't want to fully reinstall xp as I was afraid I'd lose all my saved stuff!!! After the update, the desktop is the exact same - no start menu, no icons.:(

Also, I can't seem to be able to access windows media player and internet explorer anymore? I'm convinced these are all linked to the one problem.

ANY ides, suggestions, help or advice would be highly appreciated - it's wrecking my head at this stage!!!!:rolleyes: Thanks in advance..

Fol20

your taskbar might be hidden...try and put your mouse close to the bottom of the screen and it might pop up again..

Carolinemur

Thanks, tried that but it doesn't work. When I right-click on the desktop nothing happens either! Think the problem lies a bit deeper than that.

the_syco

Sounds like it hasn't started up ok. Restart the PC, and see what happens.

Sherifu

Did you recently install anything?

Carolinemur

Happened a couple of days ago so has been restarted quite a few times and no joy.

I can't think of anything that I installed recently?! I did run a "C Cleaner" though, but have done this many times before just to get rid of cookies, recycle bin and temporary files/junk. The computer was left on and my 3 year old son may have gotten at it without me realising so I guess anything could have caused it!

Kimbot

Sounds like a virus.

vibe666

before you go to "start > run > explorer.exe" go into task manager to the processes tab and kill any existing explorer.exe processes and THEN do "start > run > explorer.exe" and see what happens.

also worth a try is regclean. it's an old windows tool, but it's still pretty handy and does a decent job of cleaning crap from the registry.

Carolinemur

Appreciate the advice! In the processes tab there is no explorer.exe running at all and even when I try to run explorer.exe, the start menu displays very briefly and then disappears again :mad: Very annoying!!:rolleyes:

As I said, I don't know much about computers but could it be just something like one of the drivers were deleted? I'm not even too sure what that means but hoping it would be something like that as opposed to a virus:(... am I just clutching at straws here??

Anti

This very much sounds like a virus. The quickest way to solve this would be to move any files you need onto a usb key or an external hard drive. Then go into your bios and select your cd/dvd drive as the first boot device, plut the windows cd into the drive and boot up and follow the reinstallation procedure.

This is probably not the answer you want, but it will have your system up and running again in just over an hour. But the files you have backed up could be possibly corrupted/infected. I would reccomend you boot into safe mode to scan the key/hdd before you start moving the files back over.

Deliverance XXV

If it viral or spyware/malware/adware related, you should really consider posting a Hijack This log over on the Virus & Malware Removal forum and asking for help.
If you don't know how to go about posting a Hijack This log just ask over there and they will go over the steps with you.

Link to Virus & Malware Removal forum

calex71

Edit: I just saw you already tried safe mode

Tough job to do if you have to do everything from taskmanager

does windows explorer open if you press "windows key + E"

as others say its most likely a virus,

however if you can browse to c:\ documents and settings you should see a folder with your user name
is it named exactly like your user name you use to log in or does it have something like .bak or .old after it?

irlrobins

Prob best off in the Virus forum....moving.....

ActorSeeksJob

Do this

Please download Deckard's System Scanner (DSS) and save it to your Desktop.

• Close all other windows before proceeding.
• Double-click on dss.exe and follow the prompts.
• If your anti-virus or firewall complains, please allow this script to run as it is not malicious.
• When it has finished, dss will open two Notepads main.txt and extra.txt -- please copy (CTRL+A and then CTRL+C) and paste (CTRL+V) the contents of main.txt and extra.txt in your next reply.

BuddhaJoe

Just an idea. Go to control panel -> display -> desktop -> customize desktop -> web and deselect any webpages listed there. This prob wont make any difference but the only reason I can think of that would explain you not being able to right click on your desktop would be the presence of a html page there.