Explorer.exe won't start

[Guest]

Hi, while removing a spyware/virus I seem to have messed something up.

On bootup, my desktop background appears, but no icons appear, and no
taskbar. I can bring up the taskmgr and can see that the explorer.exe
process is NOT running. I cannot start explorer.exe via the "new task"
option. It tells me that it is not found (but I can see it does exist by
running a dir from a command prompt). I've tried re-installing XP (not a
"fresh", just an update/repair), but still no icons/taskbar.

PLEASE HELP....I don't want to wipe out all my data and apps to install
cleanly again!!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Terry]

open task manager go to file hit new task and type in explorer.exe and see
if this works good luck.

 

[Guest]

Explorer Crashes - No Desktop Icons and/or Start Button

Control/Alt/Delete - When the Windows Task Manager dialog box appears,
select the File menu and then New Task (Run). When the Create New Task dialog
box appears, type in Explorer and press the OK button. Windows Explorer
should restart complete with the Start button.

 

[Guest]

No, trying to get it to run from a command (or "RUn") doesn't work....In
fact, it tells me explorer.exe cannot be found. Yet it is in my systems
folder , and that folder is in my path...

VERY WEIRD.

(sorry, should've mentioned that in my first post).

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP\)]

You're user profile might be damaged. Try treating as such as instructed in
the following Knowledge Base Articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q318011
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811151

--

Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/communities/mvp.aspx
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

 

[Guest]

Hi Michael, thanks for the reply. I did try that and unfortunately it didn't
do it. All the profiles on the machine behaved the same way. And I created
a new temp profile and it too behaved the same way.

Whatever I messed up, seemed to affect every user on the machine :-(

I am currently re-installing a fresh copy of XP. I've given up trying to
correct it.

It really didn't seem like it should've been that difficult a thing to
correct, but obviously it was. I really found it odd that when I tried to
run "explorer.exe" it said it couldn't locate the file. The file did exist
where it was supposed to be. Very weird. And again, the behavior was
consistent across profiles.

Thanks to all who replied.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP\)]

I probably should have had you run some virus scans and scans for malware.
Beyond that there are also other things I might have offered, assuming you
have a retail version of XP or some equivalent with such options, such as
the System File Checker and a repair install.

I hope the current reinstall you are attempting works out for you. You
didn't say whether or not this is a clean install or if you are installing
over the top of the current installation.

--

Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/communities/mvp.aspx
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/