Re: windows xp desktop and start menu..gone!

In W2000 there's a setting in group policy that prevents the desktop from
appearing. Probably in XP as well. i'd tell you where it is, but those
memory cells seem to lack charge. Run gpedit.msc and look for it. If you
can't find it there, look for entries in the registry having to do with
desktop.

good luck!


"Drew" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Hi All:
>
> I have a problem on a PC that I've never ran across before. System
> was running Windows XP with Service Pack One. I installed Service
> Pack 2. The installation seemed to work fine with no errors. When
> prompted to reboot, I did so. The computer came back to the logon
> screen fine where I click the username to log on with.
>
> After doing that, all I get is the custom wallpaper the user had set.
> There is no desktop, no system tray, and no start menu. Just the
> background and the mouse cursor.
>
> I can press Ctrl Alt Delete and use New Task to run some things like
> regedit, notepad, and even a 'cmd' prompt.
>
> However, explorer just doesn't seem to be getting started on the
> computer. I went to a command prompt via the New Task method. I
> verified that explorer.exe is in the c:\windows folder and that its
> file size and date stamp match those of explorer.exe from another XP
> service pack 2 machine that works fine. They match.
>
> I've also tried doing New Task and running "explorer", "explorer.exe",
> and even "c:\windows\explorer.exe". With each, Windows says that it
> cannot find the file, make sure you typed name correctly, etc.
>
> However, other stuff like regedit, appwiz.cpl, notepad, cmd work. I
> also have noticed that iexplore.exe also gets the not found error.
> These are the only two things that don't seem to work.
>
> Also, I can boot the computer in safe mode. But I get the same
> results. Log in screen works fine but explorer just doesn't start and
> Windows says the file isn't found if I try and run it from Task
> Manager/New Task.
>
> Can anyone advise? I've also been able to start Ad Aware and Hijack
> This via the New Task and have ran them. Both run cleanly. Any help
> is much appreciated!
>
> Drew
>

MF

Well, DOH! I looked. UserConfig\AdminTemplates\Desktop or\Startmenu And
Taskbar.

This has to be a long shot, because I can't see how SP 2 would turn any of
these on, but a couple of those settings will provide your symptoms. Make
sure everything is set to "Not Configured."



"MF" <> wrote in message
news:ZtWdnSAhvMa0a1vfRVn-...
> In W2000 there's a setting in group policy that prevents the desktop from
> appearing. Probably in XP as well. i'd tell you where it is, but those
> memory cells seem to lack charge. Run gpedit.msc and look for it. If you
> can't find it there, look for entries in the registry having to do with
> desktop.
>
> good luck!
>
>
> "Drew" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>> Hi All:
>>
>> I have a problem on a PC that I've never ran across before. System
>> was running Windows XP with Service Pack One. I installed Service
>> Pack 2. The installation seemed to work fine with no errors. When
>> prompted to reboot, I did so. The computer came back to the logon
>> screen fine where I click the username to log on with.
>>
>> After doing that, all I get is the custom wallpaper the user had set.
>> There is no desktop, no system tray, and no start menu. Just the
>> background and the mouse cursor.
>>
>> I can press Ctrl Alt Delete and use New Task to run some things like
>> regedit, notepad, and even a 'cmd' prompt.
>>
>> However, explorer just doesn't seem to be getting started on the
>> computer. I went to a command prompt via the New Task method. I
>> verified that explorer.exe is in the c:\windows folder and that its
>> file size and date stamp match those of explorer.exe from another XP
>> service pack 2 machine that works fine. They match.
>>
>> I've also tried doing New Task and running "explorer", "explorer.exe",
>> and even "c:\windows\explorer.exe". With each, Windows says that it
>> cannot find the file, make sure you typed name correctly, etc.
>>
>> However, other stuff like regedit, appwiz.cpl, notepad, cmd work. I
>> also have noticed that iexplore.exe also gets the not found error.
>> These are the only two things that don't seem to work.
>>
>> Also, I can boot the computer in safe mode. But I get the same
>> results. Log in screen works fine but explorer just doesn't start and
>> Windows says the file isn't found if I try and run it from Task
>> Manager/New Task.
>>
>> Can anyone advise? I've also been able to start Ad Aware and Hijack
>> This via the New Task and have ran them. Both run cleanly. Any help
>> is much appreciated!
>>
>> Drew
>>
>
>

MF

Strange indeed. Did you try installing SP2 again? If not, try it.

Run regedit and look for "desktop". And search on "Hide". See if you can
find anything that looks like it will turn off the desktop. If you do,
export the key to back it up, then change the value data.

So what do we know? That the file works under another name. So we can
assume it's complete and not corrupt. You've said the permissions are okay,
and that the path includes the directory it's in. Well, edit the path
statement and put in a direct reference to it, and make sure that your
pathext statement includes .exe files. (It probably does.) And, just to be
sure on the permissions, give everyone full controll and give system full
controll, if not already there.

If all of that is okay or doesn't solve anything, run that rundll32 command
(can't recall it) that registers executables - generally dlls but what the
hell, give it a try. Have it register explorer.exe.

btw, what if you log on as another user? and what users exist on the
machine? you can run compmgmt.msc to bring up the computer management
interface.

And -
there's this article regarding W98 that seems like it may apply to all
versions of winwhenwill it work -
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;306599

This relates explorer trying to run something that isn't there and getting
too confused to continue, To check on this, look at all the places files can
be started from.

btw - any norton software on the machine? remove or disable it.

Another link to look at
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;883791

To cut this short, go to microsoft.com and search on "explorer.exe" with the
quotes and look thru the results.

Don't forget to post the answer when you find it .

As the brits would say, frustrating, what?


"Drew" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Acck..I forgot about gpedit.msc. Got into group policy using that.
> Everything there is set to Not Configured..not only in the ones you
> mentioned but all the way down thru the list. All of its Not
> Configured.
>
> Strage mystery!
>
> Drew
>
>
>
> On Sat, 2 Jul 2005 16:23:59 -0400, "MF"
> <> wrote:
>
>>Well, DOH! I looked. UserConfig\AdminTemplates\Desktop or\Startmenu And
>>Taskbar.
>>
>>This has to be a long shot, because I can't see how SP 2 would turn any of
>>these on, but a couple of those settings will provide your symptoms. Make
>>sure everything is set to "Not Configured."
>>
>>
>>
>>"MF" <> wrote in message
>>news:ZtWdnSAhvMa0a1vfRVn-...
>>> In W2000 there's a setting in group policy that prevents the desktop
>>> from
>>> appearing. Probably in XP as well. i'd tell you where it is, but those
>>> memory cells seem to lack charge. Run gpedit.msc and look for it. If
>>> you
>>> can't find it there, look for entries in the registry having to do with
>>> desktop.
>>>
>>> good luck!
>>>
>>>
>>> "Drew" <> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>>>
>>>> Hi All:
>>>>
>>>> I have a problem on a PC that I've never ran across before. System
>>>> was running Windows XP with Service Pack One. I installed Service
>>>> Pack 2. The installation seemed to work fine with no errors. When
>>>> prompted to reboot, I did so. The computer came back to the logon
>>>> screen fine where I click the username to log on with.
>>>>
>>>> After doing that, all I get is the custom wallpaper the user had set.
>>>> There is no desktop, no system tray, and no start menu. Just the
>>>> background and the mouse cursor.
>>>>
>>>> I can press Ctrl Alt Delete and use New Task to run some things like
>>>> regedit, notepad, and even a 'cmd' prompt.
>>>>
>>>> However, explorer just doesn't seem to be getting started on the
>>>> computer. I went to a command prompt via the New Task method. I
>>>> verified that explorer.exe is in the c:\windows folder and that its
>>>> file size and date stamp match those of explorer.exe from another XP
>>>> service pack 2 machine that works fine. They match.
>>>>
>>>> I've also tried doing New Task and running "explorer", "explorer.exe",
>>>> and even "c:\windows\explorer.exe". With each, Windows says that it
>>>> cannot find the file, make sure you typed name correctly, etc.
>>>>
>>>> However, other stuff like regedit, appwiz.cpl, notepad, cmd work. I
>>>> also have noticed that iexplore.exe also gets the not found error.
>>>> These are the only two things that don't seem to work.
>>>>
>>>> Also, I can boot the computer in safe mode. But I get the same
>>>> results. Log in screen works fine but explorer just doesn't start and
>>>> Windows says the file isn't found if I try and run it from Task
>>>> Manager/New Task.
>>>>
>>>> Can anyone advise? I've also been able to start Ad Aware and Hijack
>>>> This via the New Task and have ran them. Both run cleanly. Any help
>>>> is much appreciated!
>>>>
>>>> Drew
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>

MF