Task bar has disappeared

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Todal
  • Start date Start date
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The Todal

Can anyone help? This has me stumped.

I have Windows XP SP3, fully up to date and with all the latest patches. I
had an infection of Trojans a couple of days ago, which I think was fully
eradicated by AVG and Spyware Doctor together.

On booting up my machine this morning, I had no taskbar and an empty desktop
consisting of no icons at all. And to answer the obvious queries: I tried
the keyboard shortcut keys which didn't work, and yes, I did reboot a few
times, into Safe mode also, where there was exactly the same problem. I ran
Chkdsk and scandisk and virus-checked once again.

I created a new account and logged into that new account - still no taskbar
and no icons on the desktop.

The computer can be made to work by using Ctrl+Alt+Delete to call up the
Task Manager, then using "new task" and browsing to whatever program I want
to run. But that isn't a very easy way of using one's computer.

I have also tried "repairing" the Windows installation by booting from my XP
installation disk and opting for "repair" instead of format and install.
Absolutely no difference, except that I think it downgraded my installation
to SP2.

The ultimate solution will be to format the disk and reinstall XP but surely
there ought to be another option! Views?
 
On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:30:27 +0100, The Todal wrote in
Can anyone help? This has me stumped.

I have Windows XP SP3, fully up to date and with all the latest patches. I
had an infection of Trojans a couple of days ago, which I think was fully
eradicated by AVG and Spyware Doctor together.

On booting up my machine this morning, I had no taskbar and an empty desktop
consisting of no icons at all. And to answer the obvious queries: I tried
the keyboard shortcut keys which didn't work, and yes, I did reboot a few
times, into Safe mode also, where there was exactly the same problem. I ran
Chkdsk and scandisk and virus-checked once again.

I created a new account and logged into that new account - still no taskbar
and no icons on the desktop.

The computer can be made to work by using Ctrl+Alt+Delete to call up the
Task Manager, then using "new task" and browsing to whatever program I want
to run. But that isn't a very easy way of using one's computer.

I have also tried "repairing" the Windows installation by booting from my XP
installation disk and opting for "repair" instead of format and install.
Absolutely no difference, except that I think it downgraded my installation
to SP2.

The ultimate solution will be to format the disk and reinstall XP but surely
there ought to be another option! Views?
Click to expand...

Have you tried loading task manager and then going to "File" > "New Task -
(Run)" and typing "explorer" in it? When I lose the desktop that brings it
back.
 
MikeT said:
On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:30:27 +0100, The Todal wrote in


Have you tried loading task manager and then going to "File" > "New
Task - (Run)" and typing "explorer" in it? When I lose the desktop
that brings it back.
Click to expand...

Strangely, that results in an error message that it cannot find such a
program.
 
On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:46:16 +0100, The Todal wrote in
Strangely, that results in an error message that it cannot find such a
program.
Click to expand...

There should be at least two copies. One in "Windows" and another in
Windows\system32\dllcache. That your system cannot seem to find one is
significant, but I've no idea why it's gone awol.
 
The said:
Strangely, that results in an error message that it cannot find such a
program.
Click to expand...

Try a different account. If you only created one, boot into Safe Mode and
use the Administrator account.
 
Can anyone help? This has me stumped.

I have Windows XP SP3, fully up to date and with all the latest patches. I
had an infection of Trojans a couple of days ago, which I think was fully
eradicated by AVG and Spyware Doctor together.

On booting up my machine this morning, I had no taskbar and an empty desktop
consisting of no icons at all. And to answer the obvious queries: I tried
the keyboard shortcut keys which didn't work, and yes, I did reboot a few
times, into Safe mode also, where there was exactly the same problem. I ran
Chkdsk and scandisk and virus-checked once again.

I created a new account and logged into that new account - still no taskbar
and no icons on the desktop.

The computer can be made to work by using Ctrl+Alt+Delete to call up the
Task Manager, then using "new task" and browsing to whatever program I want
to run. But that isn't a very easy way of using one's computer.

I have also tried "repairing" the Windows installation by booting from my XP
installation disk and opting for "repair" instead of format and install.
Absolutely no difference, except that I think it downgraded my installation
to SP2.

The ultimate solution will be to format the disk and reinstall XP but surely
there ought to be another option! Views?
Click to expand...
Your desktop shortcut files must have been moved or deleted. If you
can get to "My Computer" you can browse from there to the appropriate
disk and thence to "Documents and Settings", to the appropriate User
or Account, then to "Desktop". That's where they should be - each is a
file of type *.lnk (that'a a lower-case ell) with type description
"Shortcut". If they aren't there, try searching on that filetype to
find where they've gone, and put them back where they should be.

If that doesn't work, you can create new shortcuts quite easily, but
you'll have to do them one at a time. Find the appropriate program
file, right-click on its name, and select "create shortcut". That
leaves you with a file in the same folder called "Shortcut to [program
name]", which you can move to the desktop. The easiest way is to
rightclick on the name of the shortcut file, select "Cut", go to the
desktop, rightclick again and select "Paste". A clickable icon then
appears. I don't have XP, but this has worked on every version of
Windows I've used.
 
Don Aitken said:
Your desktop shortcut files must have been moved or deleted. If you
can get to "My Computer" you can browse from there to the appropriate
disk and thence to "Documents and Settings", to the appropriate User
or Account, then to "Desktop". That's where they should be - each is a
file of type *.lnk (that'a a lower-case ell) with type description
"Shortcut". If they aren't there, try searching on that filetype to
find where they've gone, and put them back where they should be.
Click to expand...

The shortcuts are all there (in that Desktop directory) but not on the
actual desktop.

Also, if I try creating new desktop shortcuts (selecting an exe file and
right clicking and selecting "send to desktop (shortcut)" although there is
no error message, the desktop remains totally empty.

And it's the absence of the Windows taskbar that is more of a problem
anyway.
 
On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:47:45 +0100 Don Aitken (e-mail address removed) the
Suffusive Ferret Think Tank Expansion Committee member wrote in
Can anyone help? This has me stumped.

I have Windows XP SP3, fully up to date and with all the latest patches. I
had an infection of Trojans a couple of days ago, which I think was fully
eradicated by AVG and Spyware Doctor together.

On booting up my machine this morning, I had no taskbar and an empty
desktop
consisting of no icons at all. And to answer the obvious queries: I tried
the keyboard shortcut keys which didn't work, and yes, I did reboot a few
times, into Safe mode also, where there was exactly the same problem. I
ran
Chkdsk and scandisk and virus-checked once again.

I created a new account and logged into that new account - still no
taskbar
and no icons on the desktop.

The computer can be made to work by using Ctrl+Alt+Delete to call up the
Task Manager, then using "new task" and browsing to whatever program I
want
to run. But that isn't a very easy way of using one's computer.

I have also tried "repairing" the Windows installation by booting from my
XP
installation disk and opting for "repair" instead of format and install.
Absolutely no difference, except that I think it downgraded my
installation
to SP2.

The ultimate solution will be to format the disk and reinstall XP but
surely
there ought to be another option! Views?
Click to expand...
Your desktop shortcut files must have been moved or deleted. If you
can get to "My Computer" you can browse from there to the appropriate
disk and thence to "Documents and Settings", to the appropriate User
or Account, then to "Desktop". That's where they should be - each is a
file of type *.lnk (that'a a lower-case ell) with type description
"Shortcut". If they aren't there, try searching on that filetype to
find where they've gone, and put them back where they should be.

If that doesn't work, you can create new shortcuts quite easily, but
you'll have to do them one at a time. Find the appropriate program
file, right-click on its name, and select "create shortcut". That
leaves you with a file in the same folder called "Shortcut to [program
name]", which you can move to the desktop. The easiest way is to
rightclick on the name of the shortcut file, select "Cut", go to the
desktop, rightclick again and select "Paste". A clickable icon then
appears. I don't have XP, but this has worked on every version of
Windows I've used.
Click to expand...

Why the **** did you bother posting?

--
Lunch was nice; Ugly dromedary camel genitalia and house sparrow snot
preserve accentuated with reprehensible phlegm inside decaying dead
animals under infected mouse cancer next to imperfect head louse snot
with corn seasoning con run down aborted feotus and bladder vinaigrette
in grisly flamingo infection and capybara puddings dressing, cooked in a
circulating tureen brimming with bloody spinach, tiny specks of reptile
egg and hodgepodge of ligament, tea, a side of melanoma and a tumbler of
limpid eyeball fluid.
 
On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:30:27 +0100 The Todal (e-mail address removed) the
Tuppeny Clitoris Commissioning Research Trust member wrote in
Can anyone help? This has me stumped.

I have Windows XP SP3, fully up to date and with all the latest patches. I
had an infection of Trojans a couple of days ago, which I think was fully
eradicated by AVG and Spyware Doctor together.

On booting up my machine this morning, I had no taskbar and an empty
desktop consisting of no icons at all. And to answer the obvious queries:
I tried the keyboard shortcut keys which didn't work, and yes, I did
reboot a few times, into Safe mode also, where there was exactly the same
problem. I ran Chkdsk and scandisk and virus-checked once again.

I created a new account and logged into that new account - still no
taskbar and no icons on the desktop.

The computer can be made to work by using Ctrl+Alt+Delete to call up the
Task Manager, then using "new task" and browsing to whatever program I
want to run. But that isn't a very easy way of using one's computer.

I have also tried "repairing" the Windows installation by booting from my
XP installation disk and opting for "repair" instead of format and
install. Absolutely no difference, except that I think it downgraded my
installation to SP2.

The ultimate solution will be to format the disk and reinstall XP but
surely there ought to be another option! Views?
Click to expand...

That's what you get for running crap like Spyware Doctor.
You need to go into safe mode as administrator to see how far the damage has
gone.
If the administrator account looks OK then you'll be able to find a good
copy of explorer somewhere.
If not then you'll need to expand one from your installation disk.

Ignore much of what was written by all those stupid cunts giving you the
run-around, they like to waste peoples time.
 
I suspect the real problem is that you have a virus the cure for which is:


There are 2 registry keys in the registry that are causing the problem.
It affects the explorer.exe and iexplorer.exe files.

This is the key that needs to be deleted...

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image
File Execution Options\explorer.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image
File Execution Options\iexplorer.exe

Once these keys are deleted the desktop and internet explorer should
come back to life.



A (very) little more information is available at:
http://www.neowin.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t389006.html
which is where the information above comes from.


Good luck
 
Nick Austin said:
As already said all symptoms point to explorer.exe not running. It
also handles the notification area, start menu, clock (if enabled)
and Windows Shares (plus other miscellaneous stuff) so you'll find
that all these have stopped working.

It's just possible that the PATH environment is corrupted. If
this is so then the "New Task" dialog won't find commands unless
you specify the full path as well. e.g. c:\windows\explorer.exe

Failing that from Task Manager you can run CMD.EXE which will give
you a command prompt. It'll be easier to poke around the system
and copy files if needed. For starters I'd do the following to
confirm that explorer.exe really is missing:
CD C:\WINDOWS
DIR EXPLORER.EXE /S
Click to expand...

In fact I ended up sending the machine to a consultant. Turned out it was a
virus/trojan, and that my AVG wasn't yet aware of it. I think (but am not
sure) they remedied it by eradicating the infection.

Many thanks for all the kind advice - and maybe others will find this thread
useful.
 
Mike Tullett said:
The use of the System File Checker Tool(SFC) may be useful in restoring
it.
There's more info on it here.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/222193
Click to expand...

That's very helpful. The computer has been returned, and although the
taskbar is back (the virus/trojan having been removed) there may be a few
remaining problems. For a start, I can't defrag because the defrag program
is mysteriously gone.
 
That's as may be - I pay a subscription for my AVG! Is the paid version any
better than the free one, though? It comes up for renewal soon. I wonder
which rival product would be best, preferably without any bloatware built
in?
Click to expand...
I use Avast free - gives audio and visual warnings .
 
The said:
That's as may be - I pay a subscription for my AVG! Is the paid
version any better than the free one, though? It comes up for renewal
soon. I wonder which rival product would be best, preferably without
any bloatware built in?
Click to expand...

AVG paid or free share the "missing real viruses" and "false positives"
problems. The top-rated AV is NOD32; Kaspersky rates in second place.
 
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