SERIOUS prob w Taskbar and Icons missing.. ANYONE

[Guest]

Hi all...

This has become a little epidemic with WinXP and the problem with a missing
taskbar and desktop icons. Believe, I've dug DEEP to look for this one, and
it's bugging the CRAP outta me for a week now. Even worse, there are plenty
of people around the net having the exact same problem!

Kelly's 'cute' little fixes won't work, scrubbing the registry (tweaks,
fixes, cleaning), reinstalls, removing hardware, safe mode, removing all
non-critical services, reinstalling WinXP (Repair of course), upgrading IE,
etc.. etc... nothing works! I don't get it!

This is the issue: no taskbar, no icons. Explorer.exe won't run, IE won't
run. Ctrl-Atl-Del will allow access to EVERY OTHER PROGRAM which runs fine.
Perfectly fine. Even ones that depend on connections to networks and the
internet.

This IS driving me insane. I swear. I'm just short of a reinstall (or a
straightjacket), which I sooo don't wanna do. Even more desperate, I'm
willing to call and pay MS to help me through this. I've resolved EVERY
problem I've ever had with any ver. of Windows, cept this one. wow.. what a
beeyatch. Let's talk about it, maybe we can help each other:
imtigger(at)pacbell(dot)net. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

just to confirm with everyone willing to bless me with some help...

None of the Kelly fixes works.
None of Microsofts "suggestions" works, all of them refer either to an
additional video device, a registry fix that didn't work, and mostly refers
to people with this issue only in regular mode, not safe mode. My taskbar
doesn't appear in either safe or normal mode.
I've never had a virus, malware or trojan... and I've rescanned, and deleted
all antivirus programs and scanners (from startup).
I've changed video cards and removed all other devices and drivers not
needed for startup and display.
I'm stressed... truly.

 

[Guest]

Sorry, I'm going to add the search term task bar (and taskbar) to this, so
others with the same issue can help me and each other. thanx.

 

[Brian A.]

Without knowing exactly everything you tried, disregard if it's a repeat.

Look in Services and see if SSDP Discovery Service is running and if so Disable it.
Check if UPnP is running and if it is Disable it.

If you can get to your Display properties, drop your resolution down a notch.

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

 

[Guest]

Hi
Press WinKey+R and now type in Explorer.exe
i hope this resolves ur problem

 

[Guest]

I do appreciate your help, but as noted, explorer.exe doesn't work... which
I believe is the root of this issue.

Thanks.

 

[Dannie]

Not sure if updated windows with KB908531 but if so I'm not a betting man
but I'd bet if you deleted KB908531 your troubles might go away.
Dan

 

[Guest]

Now I see why you're not a betting man... you lost!

I 'had' an installation of SP1 on there, then after many, many (many) tries
with various fixes... and no results, I gave a shot to an OEM version of
WinXP Pro SP2 I had here... and still nothing. I believe the update you
describe was probably embedded in the SP2 install and doesn't show as a
separate item.

Thanks anyway... I'm seconds away from my "final" solution, and I sooo
didn't wanna go there. I'm going to run a copy of PC Relocator I have, save
all my installed programs (and settings, email, etc..) to a 500Gig external I
have, then wipe the drive and do a fresh install. Thereafter, I'll restore
my programs from PC Relocator.

Again... I soooo don't want to go there. Help!!

Dan B
Carlsbad, CA