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XP Pro, SP3, current updates, Thinkpad T60p at 2 GHZ. Me? I have decades of computering and a fried noggin.

Despite my very short memory I could swear that I have, in the past, been able to right click on my desktop then click Properties and get to a dialog with which I could change background pictures.

Today I went to do it and found no such dialog, which was, I thought, supposed to be on a tab there.

Have I lost my mind or part of my operating system?

 

Hello,
If you right click on the desktop and select properties, is there a desktop tab?

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/2-blog-pics/winxp-display-properties-desktop.jpg

 

Ah, I knew there was supposed to be something I couldn't exactly remember. No, there is now no Desktop tab.

So it's a little of both. My memory is shot, but I also am missing part of my OS.

Now I have the huge question. Where did it go and how do I get it back. This is really weird.

 

Here is a link that should help. At the bottom of the page is a reg file you can download. Copy to your desktop and double click it.

If you do not want to use the regfile, because you have XP pro, you can also use this method.

1) Go to Start --> Run, type "gpedit.msc" without quotes, and press the Enter button
2) Group Policy opens, you should see Local Computer Policy, Computer Configuration and User Configuration
3) On the left panel, expand User Configuration field, Administrative Templates, Control Panel, and click on Display
4) On the right panel, you should see the field called "Hide Desktop tab". It should be set to either "Not configured" or "Disabled"
5) If it is set to "Enabled", change the setting now.
6) Refresh the desktop, and the Desktop tab should be back, unless there're some other configuration problems

http://www.tips4pc.com/images/desktop%20tab%20missing1.PNG

 

I appreciate this help, but the problem is apparently deeper than that.

I first tried going into the group policy thing. Everything there, including Hide Desktop Tab, was set to "Not Configured," but I went through all three settings several times and it never affected it. I went through the registry operation and confirmed that the setting was there (It was not there before) and set to zero. But no joy. Desktop Tab is still not there, (I tried rebooting) so it must be, as you said, some configuration problem elsewhere.

I'll run another test on my hard drive, but I ran one a couple weeks ago and it was 99%. I also did a memory test overnight and found nothing. So there's a booger man to be found.

 

I have read that this problem could also be malware related. You might want to go to the Malware Removal Forum and see if your logs are clean.

 

Well, there has been a development and I have it fixed now.

The magic was another setting in Group Policy. From Administrative Templates it goes through Windows Components and Windows Explorer to "Turn On Classic Shell." It was already set to Not Configured, but I turned it on then off again and now I have my desktop tab back.

FYI

I can't say it was _not_ malware, but considering that I am running three of the best anti-malware programs out there regularly, I'm not ready to say it was either.

 

Glad you got it fixed and thanks for the update.