The start menu and Icons are missing from my desktop

p4christ

Distinguished
Dec 19, 2009
3
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18,510
the start menu and Icons are missing from my desktop, how can I getthem back. There is a pop-up "Privacy center" that won't let me do anything, I can't get to the control panel either?
 
Go into BIOS. Set the first boot device to DVD. Insert the XP installation disk and Save and Exit. When prompted to 'Press any key to boot to CD' do so. After the installation files load up, choose the first instance of the Repair console 'repair'. Type in sfc /scannow and hit enter. Hopefully the repair will fix any corrupyed OS files causing the problem.
 

GeneralUSA

Distinguished
May 27, 2011
8
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18,510
Badge, even today your sage advice still works. Thank you. I corrupted my Show Desktop using a registry repair, because my computer bogging so bad that my next step was to reinstall XP. I'm sure I have other issues not yet discovered since the "registry repair" tool. Looking for about three days for your logical answer. Haven't tried yet ... but makes since. Have to dig out my OS disk (have both original OS and a Windows XP install disk), then the proof will be in the pudding. Awesome tip because I just complained to Microsoft that they need some way to allow folk to simply go back to factory default in OS without having to reinstall and completely wipe the drive clean.