windows xp home only displays wallpaper

[zol]

Hi,

I have a laptop with Windows XP Home (no SP's). Somehow, it got infected
with something (through pen drive which got infected from other PC) and when
it starts and inside the Windows Home desktop, only the wallpaper is shown.

The start taskbar (at the bottom) and the existing icons and shortcuts are
missing. Never had this problem before.

(I have been using avg 7.5 all this while and always update it.)

I have boot up in Safe Mode to scan and clean the virus/trojan horse/ worm
found.

I have tried repair install the existing windows using the Windows XP Home
installation CD but there is a missing file during the copying stage. To be
exact (during Installing Devices stage):

"Error loading setupEAKDLL.dll
The specified module could not be found."

So, I have no options and just continue.

What should I do to fix this problem since my desktop is still missing icons
and start taskbar ?

-- Thanks in advance.

 

[Lagged]

Hold ctrl-alt-delete to bring up taskmanager click file then new task type
explore.exe and there yah go

 

[Gary Brandenburg]

Hi,

I have a laptop with Windows XP Home (no SP's). Somehow, it got infected
with something (through pen drive which got infected from other PC) and when
it starts and inside the Windows Home desktop, only the wallpaper is shown.

The start taskbar (at the bottom) and the existing icons and shortcuts are
missing. Never had this problem before.

(I have been using avg 7.5 all this while and always update it.)

I have boot up in Safe Mode to scan and clean the virus/trojan horse/ worm
found.

I have tried repair install the existing windows using the Windows XP Home
installation CD but there is a missing file during the copying stage. To be
exact (during Installing Devices stage):

"Error loading setupEAKDLL.dll
The specified module could not be found."

So, I have no options and just continue.

What should I do to fix this problem since my desktop is still missing icons
and start taskbar ?

-- Thanks in advance.

Support for AVG 7.5 ends in about a month:
http://freeforum.avg.com/read.php?1,136697,backpage=,sv=

Just wondering why one would elect to continue running an AV program that's so
outdated & on the way out.
(8.0 was just updated this past week)

The error message seems to be something to do with their Easy Access Keyboard so it
seems strange to be occurring on a laptop:
http://www.google.com/search?q=setu...-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

(the simplicity of Google)

~Gary

 

[Gerry]

zol

You should update to AVG 8.

What anti-spyware protection do you have?

I suggest you download and run Spybot S & D (freeware version). There
is a freeware version buried in this link:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
1.32 -freeware (if you upgrade you pay).
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html

Run Malwarebytes' in safe mode and turn off your current anti-virus
before you do to avoid a conflict. Disregard the invitation on the web
site regarding the Registry Optimiser -a Registry Optimiser is not a
helpful utility.

Have a look in the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for
Errors and Warnings and post copies here. Don't post any more than 48
hours ago.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hi,

I have a laptop with Windows XP Home (no SP's).

If you run without Service Packs, you are courting getting infected.
Windows XP is up to SP3. You should always stay up to date with
Service Packs as they are released.

Somehow, it got infected
with something

With what? How do you know?

(through pen drive which got infected from other PC) and when
it starts and inside the Windows Home desktop, only the wallpaper is shown.

The start taskbar (at the bottom) and the existing icons and shortcuts are
missing. Never had this problem before.

(I have been using avg 7.5 all this while and always update it.)

AVG is an anti-virus program. Is that the only security software you
run? If you don't also run anti-spyware software, you are courting
getting infected.

I have boot up in Safe Mode to scan and clean the virus/trojan horse/ worm
found.

With AVG? Depending on what the infection is, AVG may or may not be
able to handle it.

I have tried repair install the existing windows using the Windows XP Home
installation CD but there is a missing file during the copying stage. To be
exact (during Installing Devices stage):

"Error loading setupEAKDLL.dll
The specified module could not be found."

So, I have no options and just continue.

What should I do to fix this problem since my desktop is still missing icons
and start taskbar ?

Follow Gerry's advice, in another message in this thread.

But also be aware that a malware infection can do so much damage that
it's not possible to repair it. It's extremely important to *prevent*
malware infection, not just remove it after you're gotten infected. So
it may be necessary to do a clean reinstallation of Windows to get
yourself back to normal.

 

[zol]

Hi,
I have tried that but windows gave the message cannot find the
C:\windows\explorer.exe file although the file exists.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Press the WinKey+E key-combination to bring up Explorer (Windows - all
versions).
If this does not work there is something seriously wrong with your operating
system.

 

[Elmo]

Hi,
I have tried that but windows gave the message cannot find the
C:\windows\explorer.exe file although the file exists.

Perhaps you typed Explore.exe

It should be Explorer.exe as you typed..

Also, see this thread:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/86497-45-windows-find-explorer

 

[zol]

Hi,
Seems managed to fix the problem from advised given
by the link.

(Just for information, the deleted key value "Debugger" in explorer.exe
registry entry in my registry is C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Common\svchost.exe)

Thanks a lot everyone especially to Elmo for providing the link.
(Almost given up hope to save my notebook.)