Boot up problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill Ridgeway
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Bill Ridgeway

I have a client whose computer (WindowsXP Pro) boots up only as far as to
the desktop background but no more - no icons.

Booting to safe mode, diagnostics, or last known good boot-up doesn't make
any difference.

Anyone got any ideas on how to resolve this please.

Many thanks.

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
 
Your question is not quite clear. Do you want to see your desktop icons?
Right-click the desktop, click "Arrange Icons By...', click "Show Desktop
Icons".

OR... do you mean you don't get any Start Menu, taskbar etc? Please clarify.

John
 
Hi.. Hmmm.. Can you make new icons for him? Just drag a file from explorer
to his desktop and create shortcut.. Then sign off/on and see if that one
stays? Maybe something happened to the "C:\Documents and Settings\(user
name)\Desktop" folder? Like it got erased and there are no icons to
display? If you navigate to that location, is there anything there? That's
wierd as for NO icons to be displayed, "C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Desktop" would need to be empty as well.

Does the start menu and everything else work OK? Just no icons?

How about if you right click on desktop, click properties, click the desktop
tab and then the "Customize Desktop" button, are any of the desktop icons
flagged?
 
Sorry if I wasn't clear. When I said <<boots up only as far as to the
desktop background but no more - no icons>> I meant just that. No icons.
No task bar. Nothing more to do other than to switch off! It freezes.

Regards.

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
 
Taskbar Is Missing When You Log On to Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318027

Start Menu and Windows Task Bar Are Missing After You Upgrade to Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;818150

In Windows, why do my Start button and Taskbar seem to be missing?
http://kb.indiana.edu/data/abhv.html?cust=838017.91984.30

Also here...
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Read the instructions at the top.
164. Restore Taskbar to Default Functionality

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Bill; can you get ctrl+alt+del to show anything?... if yes, clic on
taskmanager and select New Task and type Explorer.exe.... if you get nothing
with ctr+alt+del or Explorer.exe produces nothing, it's probably a hardware
related issue.... in that case start removing unnecesary hardware devices
untill you have a normal logon.


------------------------------------
 
Hope the other replies get you sorted out Bill. If not, I had the same
problem just after installing a Windows Update (God, the problems I've had
with Windows Update but that's another story). The only solution was to go
back to a previous Restore point in Safe Mode. If you can't even get into
Safe Mode then it's a repair installation I'm afraid.

I hope you sort out your client's problem.

John
 
Thanks John.

Unfortunately, I cannot get passed the Desktop background so cannot do a
<Cntrl><Alt>Del> to get into Task Manager let alone to a previous Restore
point. I'm beginning to think that I need to temporarily install his HD in
my computer to check for spyware and viruses (resolution of which may still
corpse the computer) or (even worse without a backup) re-install Windows XP.

I'm still open to any other suggestions though.

Regards.

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
 
Bill: With your client's HD instaled as slave on your computer, if it's
running the NTFS file system, you can take Ownership of the drive and backup
his important files.. If it runs the FAT232 files system you shouldn't have
any trouble accessing the slave hard drive.

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421
Describes how to take ownership of files or folders that you may not have
permissions for if you are an administrator for that computer.

How to set, view, change, or remove file and folder permissions in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418
Explains how to set and modify permissions in Windows XP.

How to set, view, change, or remove special permissions for files and
folders in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308419
Describes how to configure special permissions for files and folders in
Windows XP.

Or you could try and access the system by means of the Recovery Console with
the Windows XP CD, and try to perform a repair of some sort, some startup
problems are related to registry corruption, some to incompatable drivers or
services, and some to spyware damage to the registry. Here are solutions
for each of the said problems which show symptoms related to startup
problems all of which can be repaired trhough the Recovery Console.

How to Disable a Service or Device that Prevents Windows from Starting
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en;310602

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from
starting.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307545

Read; Blazefind Problem
http://rickrogers.org/fixes.htm

Hope any of these help.

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