Computer will not show icons and start menu

Asked By 230 points N/A Posted on -
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My windows XP crashed and now it will not go beyond the desktop background. Last I remember I shut down my computer perfectly but when the next morning I restarted it the windows won’t even start up I mean it shows the login area and I login to it but after that the mouse shows the working icon and my taskbar and my icons on the desktop won’t show up.

I will use system restore but I don’t know how to access that with my computer in this state. Is there any way to correct this without losing my data?

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Answered By 200 points N/A #106955

Computer will not show icons and start menu

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Task Manager:

  • Did you try using shortcut keys?
  • Try to get the task manager. Use the shortcut CTRL +ALT + DELETE keys.
  • When the Windows Task manager window appears.
  • Click File and select New Task (Run).
  • Then you will be get a Create New Task dialog box.
  • Type 'explorer.exe' on the text box provided and click OK.
  • Did you receive your desktop back.

If not try to press windows key.

System Restore:

  • This mess happens because of a virus infection on your system. When you receive your desktop, first thing to do is full scan on your system to remove that horrible virus. Keep your virus guard up to date.
  • If you want a system restore you can find it by using Run dialog box.
  • Try to press Windows key + R.
  • Type C:WindowsSystem32Restorerstrui.exe on the text box provided. And then you go for the system restore.

Right Click:

  • Did you right click and check whether the application menu appears.
  • If it appears select the Arrange Icons by.
  • Did you see a tick on the Show Icons options?

Check Disk:

  • Put your windows CD on the drive and restart the machine. Boot the machine using CD. Try to use the feature repair/scan/ CHKDSK.

Safe Mode:

  • Booting the machine in safe mode.
  • Try to press F8 when the machine starts but after the BIOS POST (Power on Self Test).
  • Safe Mode booting means that it includes only the necessary files to run windows. The other advanced features are left out. So when a spyware is running, it should disappear when run in a safe mode.
  • On the Windows Advanced Options Menu, select Safe Mode and carry out the procedure to work on the safe mode.
  • [Hope you are smart in working with DOS commands].
  • When the safe mode appears.
  • Click start.
  • Click run.
  • Type cmd in the text box provided and OK.
  • Change the root dir into the windows dir (use the command cd C:Windows ).
  • Type the attributes -s -h boot.ini end enter.
  • This will remove the hidden attributes and system attributes from the boot.ini.
  • From the Run dialog box type notepad C:boot.ini
  • So the boot.ini file will open up with a notepad.
  • [Boot loader].
  • Timeout=30.
  • Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS.
  • [Operating systems].
  • Multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
  • Copy the path of the OS which is under the [operating systems] and paste it again.
  • From the newly pasted one remove the switch.
  • /Noexecute=option
  • Save your change and restart the computer.
  • On the startup menu, select the second OS item where you had removed the /noexecute=option
  • There you go. Try to find the malware from here. After you find the malware restart the machine, boot from other OS, and remove the changes you have done to boot.ini file. Restore the hidden attributes and system attributes by typing +s +h boot.ini as same as before.
  • As you say the login screen appear, I guess there is not critical damage to your machine. So a registry cleaning is also being a valuable solution. This is simply mess cause from a malware or a virus.
Answered By 0 points N/A #106957

Computer will not show icons and start menu

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You can go to the task manager by clicking on CTL, ALT and DELETE go to processes and see which program is running and might be causing this problem.

If there is any program running, right click on the program and end the process if this does not solve the problem hit the shutdown button. After it shuts down, click again on the button to start and press on F8 button this will give you the option of the last known working configuration.

Click on it and this will restore the computer to a previous configuration that worked.

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