[daddy_ray]

Checking this PC out for a friend. It boots up, I log in, and the background picture shows up but nothing else. No start bar, no desktop icons. Can't hit the start button option from the keyboard either. Can't right click the desktop. Nothing. I can use Ctrl,Alt,Del, then I use task manager to browse his PC a little thats about the only way I can get around his PC right now. Also, he does not even have an XP cd. Anyone ever had this problem ?

[Gl\l0m!$h]

i havent but it sounds like it is explorer.exe go into the task manager and look in processes for explorer or exploer.exe if it is not there there then there is your problem this prcoess is what makes the start bar and desktop icons appear unfortunatly the only way i know of replacing it in the windows directory is getting it off the cd sorry

[daddy_ray]

explorer.exe is running. Any other ideas ?

[-AnGuiSh-]

Have you tried booting in safe mode? Killing explorer.exe then re-running it? Have you tried waiting for it to load? Some times if you install something new' it'll hinder the boot process...Especially if the files bad then you'll end up waiting with just the background.

If anything else. Go into the Task Manager and click "New Process" Then type "Regedit" then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Microsoft> Windows>CurrentVersion> Run - and delete any suspect files that u dont need, Then restart - If it don't work then your probably going to need to install Windows all over again.

[ShoobieRat]

Most likely, you've got something playing around with the system during boot-up. Have you installed anything lately that requires a reboot? Anything messing with the registry? Depending on how slow the machine is, you may just have to wait (like 5-15 minutes) for the PC to work itself out. Clicking and repeatedly hitting ctrl+alt+del will only agrivate the system further. Chill out and let it sit for a while and see what happens. Grab a coke. Watch the news. Go so far as to let it go for a day. It may just have some major crap to sort out. Depends on how you screwed it up in the first place.

[Lone Wolf]

Originally posted by -AnGuiSh-
If anything else. Go into the Task Manager and click "New Process" Then type "Regedit" then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Microsoft> Windows>CurrentVersion> Run - and delete any suspect files that u dont need, Then restart - If it don't work then your probably going to need to install Windows all over again.

Well that's the most round-about way of starting the registry. lol.

You could also simply go to Start | Run and type regedit in the run command line. Does the same thing but does it faster w/ fewer mouse clicks.

Editing that Run registry key isn't going to solve this problem most likely. I suspect a system file has become corrupt or it may perhaps be spyware/virus related.

Since you're running XP, you could try 1) restoring the PC back to a known good working point. or 2) type SFC in the run command line. Also have you done a full virus scan of the system?

[rakesh_1024]

Try doing a System Restore.
I had the same problem. I did a format.

[Lone Wolf]

Daddy_ray,

I have a better idea. If you do not have previously restored point to revert back to, you could try using the Recovery Console (as long as you have the XP CD).