orange2310 said:
My xp home sp1 updated to sp2 using the cd. Now upon reboot, there are no
icons except the wall paperon the desktop. When I tried to reboot in Safe
mode using the Administrator, there are no icons also, only a black screen
with the 4 'safe mode' words at the corners. Before sp2, there are icons in
both Normal and Safe mode, Please advice how can I get this hp back to
normacy. Thanks
First off, do you have current backups of all your important files? If you
don't, that should be your first priority. The easiest way to do that is to take
the hard drive out of the problem computer and install it as a slave drive in a
working system. You will probably have to take ownership of the files in order
to recover them.
"Access is Denied" Error Message When You Try to Open a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881
How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421
That said, are you able to start the computer in Safe Mode with command prompt?
If so, you might be able to use the procedure outlined in this article to roll
your computer back to the state it was in before you installed SP2.
How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304449
Since I've never tried this procedure, I can't vouch for its effectiveness, but
you might want to consider running the steps outlined in the Using the Recovery
Console in this article. I'd file this one under course of last resort.
How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875350/en-us
If all else fails, this might be your only option.
Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP
How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
Good luck
Nepatsfan
