No desktop icons \ Explorer Hangs

[Mikel]

Recently experienced number of problems on XP prof sp1
(not Networked)
1. log on and no desktop icons appear , just wallpaper
2. windows explorer hangs when browsing folders (usually
personal \ shared documents)
3. Can access IE hompage but then nothing responds

have ran msconfig + there appears to be no pattern as to
when it works \when it doesnt i.e. it may have worked with
a few services selected but next time boot up problem re-
appears

No restore points avialable

Leaning towards flattening PC + re-install XP but any
advice appreciated

 

[Guest]

I too ran into this, and what seems to have worked for me,
was the Setup/boot from CD Rom, and choose New install,
and later when it asks (2nd time) about repair (since it
finds an Existing version) I chose Repair. When it
reinstalled, to repair existing files, the new install was
actually the original info, repaired. It was still a mess
of sorts I had been dealing with, but the profile icons,
etc, returned for my next attack to the system.

I can't say it truly worked, but I got my profiles and
icons back. Maybe someone better versed in recovering the
install, can advise based on my observations, which
basically were made under considerable stress, at the
time. Hope I've not wasted your time,

(M Kelley