WIN XP Start Issues - No Desktop

**101RRS** · 27th April 2010, 11:05 AM

I went to start up my PC this morning and it was a bit slower than normal. Then a windows logon window popped up that never has come up before. It had my name as the user and asked for a password - as I do not have a password I just hit enter and windows continued to load. The desktop background came up and the sound that windows makes when it has finished loading also sounded - however there were no desktop icons or windows toolbars across the bottom. I tried a restart a few times with the same result.

As I have no Icons or taskbars I cannot actually use the computer - cannot go back to a restore point or anything. I know the computer itself is working as it is on a network and I can still access some shared files via my laptop on the network.

Before I do a reload (which I really do not want to do - any ideas on how I can get my desktop and taskbars back?

Thanks

Garry

It'sNotWorthComplaining! · 27th April 2010, 11:18 AM

Try loading it in safe mode and see if you can fix it from there.

**Ferret** · 27th April 2010, 12:09 PM

Maybe your 'user profile' is corrupt, so you have effectively created and become a new user now.

If you use google with key words like "XP user profile missing recover" you will find information on recovering your old profile.

**Ferret** · 27th April 2010, 02:40 PM

Another thought - right clicking on the desktop will show a menu. The top item on this menu is 'Arrange Icon'. This leads to a sub menu which will have an item labelled 'Show Desktop Icons". Make sure that is 'ticked' by clicking on it.

If this item is not ticked you will see a blank desk top. But I don't think it would explain the lack of 'tool bars' at the bottom that you see.

**HangOver** · 28th April 2010, 09:21 PM

try just pressing the WINDOWS button it might popup the windows menu?

MAYBE, just maybe your task bar is minimised at the bottom of the screen , try hovering your coursor just at the bottom of the screen, if you get a double headed arrow click and drag up.
Worth a shot

**101RRS** · 28th April 2010, 09:59 PM

Thanks for all the advice but nothing works - there is little that can be done without the windows task bar - windows is running in the background but with out the desk top interface there is nothing I can do - a restore would fix it but there is nothing to activate it.

So I tried a repair with the XP disk but it would not read some of the files on the disk so repair did not work. Therefore I have done a clean install on my internal backuo hard drive using the original C drive as the backup - will be just a matter of reloading all my software on the new drive etc - a pain but at least it will get the system back up and running.

Thanks

Garry

**HangOver** · 28th April 2010, 10:19 PM

i just rememebered at the would be desk top do a CTRL+ALT+DEL
File then new task, type in explorer.exe then enter

again its worth a go

oops too late lol

**101RRS** · 28th April 2010, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by HangOver

i just rememebered at the would be desk top do a CTRL+ALT+DEL
File then new task, type in explorer.exe then enter

again its worth a go

oops too late lol

Thanks - but I had already tried CTRL+ALT+DEL but nothing happened.

Cheers

Garry

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