XP Home desktop has no icons.

[Clive James]

Like other unfortunates I got the w32blaster worm which I have removed.

After applying SP1, the w32blaster worm patch and updating Norton anti-virus
I can only run XP Home in safe mode.

When I try to start up in normal mode the system seems to go through the
regular start-up process but there are no desk-top icons. I removed the
desktop theme (modified) file to see if somehow the icons where "underneath"
the desktop theme image, but they weren't.

So I can only run my computer in safe mode.

Unfortunately when I bought my Compaq laptop the version of Windows XP home
that was shipped is a version that can only be restored by overwriting the
hard disk. This would mean having to copy all my data file (in safe mode)
onto a
CD before reinstalling the OS.

Is there any way to fix this XP Home problem without having to reinstall the
complete OS?

 

[who me?]

Have you check to see if you have the "desktop Icons hidden"? That is an
option in XP.
Right-mouse click on the desktop, left click on "arrange icons" and look for
a check mark in front of "hide desktop icons".
Some of us like a nice clean desktop without all the sticky notes.