Start button, Taskbar and Desktop icons missing

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Hi,

Whenever I start up my computer, I can no longer see the Start button, the
Taskbar or any of my Desktop icons.

I have tried system restore but there were no valid restore points, and
re-installing Windows from the CD has not solved the problem.

Has anybody got any ideas about how to fix this?

The system also seems to be running more slowly, and on some occasions it
will automatically restart about 10 minutes after I have turned it on. I've
run a virus update (with updated virus definitions) but it has not found
anything.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

http://support.microsoft.com/defau [...] -us;318027
Taskbar Is Missing When You Log On to Windows

and/or

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Line 117 – Restore Taskbar and Start Menu

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

or Line #195 "Restore Desktop Icons and Taskbar"
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm



"chile_paul" <chile_paul@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E06428E1-2A4C-42D3-A135-1497FFA910A8@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> Whenever I start up my computer, I can no longer see the Start button, the
> Taskbar or any of my Desktop icons.
>
> I have tried system restore but there were no valid restore points, and
> re-installing Windows from the CD has not solved the problem.
>
> Has anybody got any ideas about how to fix this?
>
> The system also seems to be running more slowly, and on some occasions it
> will automatically restart about 10 minutes after I have turned it on. I've
> run a virus update (with updated virus definitions) but it has not found
> anything.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Thanks for eveyboy's advice. Unfortunately - this has not solved the problem
yet.

Firstly I tried to run explorer.exe, however the computer reported an error
saying that it could not find the file (I also tried running it from the C
prompt as well to see if this made a difference but it still could not find
the file). I can see the file listed in the directory so I'm not sure what
the problem is with this.

I have also tried to run a clean boot, however the problem still occurs even
with only the minimum set of drivers loaded. I have also tried to re-install
Windows XP from the CD (again no success!!) and I have tried loading the
files that TaurArian suggested but no change.

Does anyody have any other suggestions?

"Galen" wrote:

> In news:E06428E1-2A4C-42D3-A135-1497FFA910A8@microsoft.com,
> chile_paul <chile_paul@discussions.microsoft.com> had this to say:
>
> My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Whenever I start up my computer, I can no longer see the Start
> > button, the Taskbar or any of my Desktop icons.
> >
> > I have tried system restore but there were no valid restore points,
> > and re-installing Windows from the CD has not solved the problem.
> >
> > Has anybody got any ideas about how to fix this?
> >
> > The system also seems to be running more slowly, and on some
> > occasions it will automatically restart about 10 minutes after I have
> > turned it on. I've run a virus update (with updated virus
> > definitions) but it has not found anything.
>
> Press CTRL + ALT + DEL > File > New Task > type "explorer.exe" and hit
> enter. That should bring up your desktop and the rest.
>
> Then take a peek here:
>
> Malware Cleaning :
> http://www.kgiii.info/windows/all/ [...] refix.html
>
> Following that clean your temp internet files, temp files, and the like.
> Maybe a good defrag and a chkdsk as well of your main drive.
>
> When that's done if you still have trouble when you boot up feed us more
> information.
>
> Galen
> --
>
> "And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
> with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
> very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
> made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."
>
> Sherlock Holmes
>
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Dear Galen:

I came across this thread and hoped it would solve my problem, but so far no
luck.

My daughter attempted to download a program from a survey company, and she
said it didn't go smoothly....as soon as she attempted to stop it all, the
task bar and start button disappeared (much like this chile_paul's problem).
A;so, Windows Explorer will not work (even when I type in explorer.exe, as
you suggested)

Her desktop computer is running on a network with my desktop computer (both
in our home), and the exact same problem she has on her computer is now
plaguing mine.

I can actually get to my programs through the convoluted use of
Ctrl-Alt-Del, and at one point I did a "clean boot" and the start menu and
task bar and Windows Explorer showed up, but then I went back to "normal"
startup and they all disappeared again.

I manually removed the items from my startup folder, trying to see if I
could pinpoint the problem, but it never started correctly....

Then I tried another "clean boot", but this time, the start menu and task
bar didn't show up.

I also tried all of the Kellys-Korner sites you suggested, but although they
indicate that they "fixed" the problem, I still can't see my start
button/menu and task bar.

I use Norton Antivirus and Adaware and Spybot, but I don't know if they are
helping in this instance.

I do not have SP2, would this be a time to try to load that and see if it
fixes the problems?



"Galen" wrote:

> In news:E06428E1-2A4C-42D3-A135-1497FFA910A8@microsoft.com,
> chile_paul <chile_paul@discussions.microsoft.com> had this to say:
>
> My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Whenever I start up my computer, I can no longer see the Start
> > button, the Taskbar or any of my Desktop icons.
> >
> > I have tried system restore but there were no valid restore points,
> > and re-installing Windows from the CD has not solved the problem.
> >
> > Has anybody got any ideas about how to fix this?
> >
> > The system also seems to be running more slowly, and on some
> > occasions it will automatically restart about 10 minutes after I have
> > turned it on. I've run a virus update (with updated virus
> > definitions) but it has not found anything.
>
> Press CTRL + ALT + DEL > File > New Task > type "explorer.exe" and hit
> enter. That should bring up your desktop and the rest.
>
> Then take a peek here:
>
> Malware Cleaning :
> http://www.kgiii.info/windows/all/ [...] refix.html
>
> Following that clean your temp internet files, temp files, and the like.
> Maybe a good defrag and a chkdsk as well of your main drive.
>
> When that's done if you still have trouble when you boot up feed us more
> information.
>
> Galen
> --
>
> "And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
> with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
> very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
> made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."
>
> Sherlock Holmes
>
>
>

Think I may have found an alternate, It appears that if you rename the explorer.exe file and execute it manually through command prompt, it runs, and atleast gives you the explorer window. I was able to get to the Control panel. Here's what i did. First off thinking that maybe the explorer.exe file was corrupted, grabbed a flash drive and made a copy of the Explorer.exe off of a good known pc. After that was on the drive Plugged that into the Non Functional PC. With the drive in place, Ran Notepad.exe. Inside of Notepad, I Clicked Open, Went to the Flash drive, selected show all files, and found the file. I right clicked and copied that Explorer.exe file. Now went into the Windows directory on C:\ and found the existing Explorer.exe file, renamed it to Explorerold.exe and then pasted the copied file in the same directory. First i tried running Explorer.exe, it still failed but for kicks, Ran the Explorerold.exe and was able to get the explorer screen. Maybe this will help someone else further down the road looking to correct the same issue.

instual quick heal version latest updates and make a bootable cd
to boot scan
Go quick heal menu>tool>make emargency cd..
he will ask for o/s cd.. put
then blank cd..
write
ok
boot from cd
it will boot like windows xp wait for action
it automatically scan u r system