UPDATE your antivirus software and run a full system scan.
UPDATE whatever anti-spyware applications that you have and run a full
system scan with each one.
You might want to start in Safe Mode to run your antivirus and anti-spyware
software.
Running a full system antivirus scan or anti-spyware scan in Safe Mode can
be a good idea. Some viruses and other malware like to conceal themselves
in areas Windows protects while using them. Safe mode will prevent those
applications access and therefore unprotect the viruses or other malware
allowing for easier removal.
How to start Windows in Safe Mode Windows XP
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtutorial=61#winxo
-----
msconfig.exe is the System Configuration Utility and you can use it for
troubleshooting startup.
See these topics in System Configuration Utility HELP:
To create a clean environment for troubleshooting
To isolate problems using Selective Startup options
To isolate problems using system startup options
To isolate problems using the Startup tab
Identifying problems using system file tabs
For System Configuration Utility HELP...
Paste the following line into Start | Run and click OK...
hh msconfig.chm::/msconfig_usage.htm
Or just open msconfig and click on the Help button.
Or %windir%\Help\msconfig.chm
Or you can see the same articles online here...
System Configuration Utility overview
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/msconfig_usage.mspx
You can try disabling half of the startup entries, reboot and see if you
still have whatever problem.
After rebooting, if you do not have whatever problem, you have narrowed it
down to that half of the disabled items. Depending on how many startups you
have, you can re-enable some and reboot. Or re-enable one item at a time
and reboot. Keep doing one or the other until you have found the culprit.
After rebooting, if you still have whatever problem after disabling the
first half of the startup items, re-enable that half and disable the second
half and reboot. Depending on how many startups you have, you can re-enable
some and reboot. Or re-enable one item at a time and reboot. Keep doing
one or the other until you have found the culprit.
-----
Do NOT use msconfig to change your services.
Use services.msc *NOT* msconfig.exe!
Start | Run | Type: services.msc | Click OK
Why can't I use msconfig to change my services?
[[The reason is because with msconfig and Hardware Profiles, you can disable
services that may be vital to boot your system. With the management console
(services.msc) you cannot. Also, msconfig, while unchecking the box, is
disabling the service.
The "Disable All" button also scares me. It should not even be there as no
reason exists to justify disabling "everything."]]
Why can't I use msconfig to change my services?
http://web.archive.org/web/20041128011231/www.blackviper.com/AskBV/XP25.htm
-----
How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560
How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
Mat said:
Hi Wesley,
thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I didn't have luck with these steps.
I can boot in safe mode and log on. This works fine. Under the user
Administrator I created a new user account (also an administrator) and
rebooted, this time in normal mode. It didn't change the problem I'm
having.
I also used the "Taskbar missing"-script under a safe-mode adminostrator.
But it didn't help as well.
Strangely, if I boot i normal mode log on as an administrator and see the
background picture, I can open the task manager and can choose File->Open
and search for executable programs. If I search under "office" (? don't
know the correct phrase for that in the english version of XP) for
programs the taskbar reappears but everything is extremely slow/frozen
and there's only action if I try to look under "office" - and then also
not much. I cannot even see the contents o office.
Would it help if I go back with a system restore? Are registry keys also
restored? Unfortunately my last backup is quite a while ago. I can't
imagine what has been screwed up, since I only granted write access and
took it away after executing RegMon from Sysinternals and the dictionary
I tried to get to run.
Would be very grateful for further assistance,
Mat
Wesley Vogel said:
This behavior can occur if the Windows settings for a particular user
account are corrupted.
Taskbar Is Missing When You Log On to Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318027
Also...
[[To use the VBS Files: Download .vbs file and save it to your hard drive
(you may want to right click and use Save Target As). Double click the
vbs file. You will be prompted when the script is done. ]]
Taskbar is Missing
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/xp_taskbar_desktop_fixall.vbs
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
Mat said:
Hi,
I've got a big problem, because I can't access any program anymore
(except the task manager).
What I did: I was working under a user with limited rights (Windows XP
Media Center Edition) and tried to get to run a program under such an
account. After giving special rights to the group, that this user
belongs, for specific keys (which RegMon showed me) I granted this group
rights for all of the Root_Classes and HKLM in the registry (while being
logged on as limited user, regedit being executed with
administrator-rights). This didn't help so I took away the rights again
and logged off. After that time I can log in but nothing starts. The
only thing I see is the background picture and the only process that
starts is explorer (I can see that in task manager), but the task bar
doesn't show up, and nothing else as well.
I would be so grateful for any help, that doesn't say install everything
again from new.
Best,
Mat
