Start button, Taskbar and Desktop icons missing

[Guest]

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.

 

[Galen]

In chile_paul <[email protected]> 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/general/malwarefix.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

 

[TaurArian]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-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

 

[Guest]

This may pertain to you, it may not. I just had a user install the SBC-Yahoo
DSL software on their XP Pro SP 2 computer and upon logging in all of the
desktop items would appear for a brief moment and then disappear. Attempts to
run explorer would fail with no error messages nor event log entries made. I
followed the instructions for performing a clean boot and eventually found
the culprit. An additional application called IP Insight was installed along
with the rest of the SBC suite, and removing it fixed the problem.

 

[Guest]

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?

 

[Guest]

I eventually managed to resolve the problem by opening the Add/Remove
Programs wizard and deleting all the Windows Hotfix files. On rebooting
everything returned to normal

 

[Guest]

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?