WIndows XP programs won't start & icons are default

[jpoules]

Greetings...

I have a Windows XP Pro PC being used as a peer server in a small
office. Recently the office experienced a power outage. After power was
restored, everything appeared to work normally until we tried logging
on to the XP PC. All of the desktop and start menu icons had changed to
default icons with the exception of IE and Outlook Express. The only
program that runs is IE, everything else doesn't respond or in the case
of Control Panel, says a "shortcut can't be created here..."

I couldn't even get RUN>CMD or RUN>COMMAND to work. I was able to open
a command prompt through Task Manager and discovered that most programs
will start from the command prompt. I have run current spyware and
virus scans, both were clean.

I also found some KB articles that discuss similiar problems and
require registry edits to fix, but I am unable to import REG files into
the registry nor can I create keys manually. When I create a key, the
message is "Cannot create key: Error while opening key shell."
Importing keys gives the message "Some keys are open by the system or
other processes".

Meanwhile, six users are happily running two server based programs and
accessing their documents without any issues.

Any help welcome.

Thanks

 

[Elmo]

Greetings...

I have a Windows XP Pro PC being used as a peer server in a small
office. Recently the office experienced a power outage. After power was
restored, everything appeared to work normally until we tried logging
on to the XP PC. All of the desktop and start menu icons had changed to
default icons with the exception of IE and Outlook Express. The only
program that runs is IE, everything else doesn't respond or in the case
of Control Panel, says a "shortcut can't be created here..."

I couldn't even get RUN>CMD or RUN>COMMAND to work. I was able to open
a command prompt through Task Manager and discovered that most programs
will start from the command prompt. I have run current spyware and
virus scans, both were clean.

I also found some KB articles that discuss similiar problems and
require registry edits to fix, but I am unable to import REG files into
the registry nor can I create keys manually. When I create a key, the
message is "Cannot create key: Error while opening key shell."
Importing keys gives the message "Some keys are open by the system or
other processes".

Meanwhile, six users are happily running two server based programs and
accessing their documents without any issues.

Any help welcome.

Did you try a System Restore point?

 

[jpoules]

I just get a blank white screen when I try System Restore.

 

[Elmo]

I just get a blank white screen when I try System Restore.

Hopefully one of these will help then.

Repair Install
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

System Restore fails to restore
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/srfail.html