Lost desktop icons and taskbar

[stoner]

good morning all,
i seem to have a problem here..... i've lost all desktop icons and the
taskbar.
i created a new profile and it has the same issue.... i conected my hard
drive to another computer as a slave and ran AVG on it and found 900+
infections........ simple question.... is the windows toast now? do i have
to reformat or can i restore my desktop from a system restore? (after i make
sure all viruses and malware are gone)? is there a way to do a system
restore from a command prompt?

thanks

 

[Guest]

If AVG found that many infections, the files in System Restore are also
probably infected.

I would use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to save the settings and
any uninfected data files to a recordable CD/DVD and the format the drive and
reinstall XP. Then you ca restore the files and settings from the the CD/DVD.

See this page on the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard:

http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/Files_and_Settings_Transfer.htm

Eric,
PC Buyer Beware!
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE]

good morning all,
i seem to have a problem here..... i've lost all desktop icons and the
taskbar.
i created a new profile and it has the same issue.... i conected my
hard drive to another computer as a slave and ran AVG on it and found
900+ infections........ simple question.... is the windows toast now?
do i have to reformat or can i restore my desktop from a system
restore? (after i make sure all viruses and malware are gone)? is
there a way to do a system restore from a command prompt?

thanks

Restore Desktop Icons and Taskbar: Line 195 at
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

 

[stoner]

thanks frank,
line 195, when i click on it, it wants to download a vbs file.......... what
do i do with that? i am not using the corrupted computer....

 

[stoner]

another option??
can i connect the hard drive to another computer and just copy over the
entire documents and settings folder (giving me all my documents and email
settings...) then format the hard drive and then replace the d&s folder?

 

[Guest]

stoner,
Here's a little something you can try:

1>Download the antivirus Antivir from www.free-av.com
2>Install it and run a full scan of that HDD
3>After all viruses are cleaned reboot from that hdd and then apply the
registry edit mentioned by frank ie

Restore Desktop Icons and Taskbar: Line 195 at
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

After this run anti spyware scans. The recommended ones would be Ad Aware
and Spybot

Hope this helps
yogi

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE]

thanks frank,
line 195, when i click on it, it wants to download a vbs
file.......... what do i do with that? i am not using the corrupted
computer....

You download the file and transfer it to the other computer where you run
it.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

 

[Rock]

good morning all,
i seem to have a problem here..... i've lost all desktop icons and the
taskbar.
i created a new profile and it has the same issue.... i conected my hard
drive to another computer as a slave and ran AVG on it and found 900+
infections........ simple question.... is the windows toast now? do i have
to reformat or can i restore my desktop from a system restore? (after i make
sure all viruses and malware are gone)? is there a way to do a system
restore from a command prompt?

thanks

If there are that many infectors on the system, no matter what you do
now to recover things, and even if you are able to, you need to examine
your computing habits so the infection doesn't start again or you'll
just be in the same dismal situation.

http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/before_you_plug_in.html#III

http://www.cablemodemhelp.com/xpsurvivalguide.pdf

 

[Rock]

good morning all,
i seem to have a problem here..... i've lost all desktop icons and the
taskbar.
i created a new profile and it has the same issue.... i conected my hard
drive to another computer as a slave and ran AVG on it and found 900+
infections........ simple question.... is the windows toast now? do i have
to reformat or can i restore my desktop from a system restore? (after i make
sure all viruses and malware are gone)? is there a way to do a system
restore from a command prompt?

thanks

Forgot to add these:

THE PARASITE FIGHT
Finding, Removing & Protecting Yourself From Scumware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Richard Harper’s Guide to Cleaning Pests
http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

good morning all,
i seem to have a problem here..... i've lost all desktop icons and the
taskbar.
i created a new profile and it has the same issue.... i conected my
hard drive to another computer as a slave and ran AVG on it and found
900+ infections........ simple question.... is the windows toast now?
do i have to reformat or can i restore my desktop from a system
restore? (after i make sure all viruses and malware are gone)? is
there a way to do a system restore from a command prompt?

I am hardly ever in favor of doing a format and clean reinstallation of
Windows, but if you have that many infections, I wouldn't even consider any
other alternative. Nothing else is likely to solve your problems.

And after reinstalling, be sure to run an anti-virus program, a firewall,
and esveral anti-spyware programs, and keep all of them up to date.
Otherwise you will shortly find yourself in the same situation.

 

[stoner]

You guys are the BEST!!!!
Yogi, installing the free-av.com did the trick.. it found 14 trojan
infections, deleted them and then when i rebooted, Spybot started (it
crashed after finding 32 instances of malware). once i ctl-alt-del to close
spybot, all of the desktop icons showed up!!! OH YEAH!!!! i am a happy
camper now!!!

Everyone... have a great holiday (or at least what is left of it!!!!)