No desktop icons or Start menu

[Guest]

Hi, I am assisting friends with a problem via long distance phone support.
They are running XP home edition. From what I am able to determine everything
had been running fine and there had been no recent software installations.
Not sure what windows updates have been applied but believe auto updates are
enabled. After re-booting and getting to the Users menu, selection is made
and then only the users desktop background shows. No desktop icons, no Start
Menu or Task Bar shows. The Task Manager can be opened and a dozen or more
Processes are running.
Attempted to run System Restore from the Task Manager and also from Safe
Mode but get the following notice: "System Restore not able to protect your
computer. Please restart your computer and run System Restore again."
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Decoder...

 

[TaurArian [MVP]]

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Line 117 – Restore Taskbar and Start Menu

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

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

See MVP Bert Kinney's System Restore web page at
http://bertk.mvps.org/index.html