Desktop Gone..sometimes!

[Homer]

Windows XP Pro..all updates as of 6.16.06:
P4, 2.66 Socket 478
1 GB Crucial RAM

About 3 or 4 times a week, when I start my system I have no icons on my
desktop...only the wallpaper. Mouse moves but right or left click does
nothing. I can bring up the task list but Explorer.exe is running. I
sometimes have to reboot 3 or 4 times to finally get the stupid thing
running. I replaced the Hard Drive, thinking that might be it but the
problem persists so it is software somehow. I have also disabled everything
I can in MSCONFIG startup and that was no help.

Any ideas? I really, REALLY hate to totally reinstall Windows but that may
be my last resort.

 

[Guest]

Try this instead:
http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897

 

[Homer]

http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=1894
00897

Yep. I have done that before. Here is what really bugs me and I have had
it happen to me:

The last paragraph of his article:

"If all has gone as planned, you'll find all the user accounts and
passwords intact, all the hardware devices set up as before, and all the
previously installed software still installed and configured. In fact, if
all has gone as planned, the only significant change will be that whatever
problem your copy of XP was previously experiencing will now be gone!"

Note the "If all has gone as planned" phrase.....