desktop has no icons or start menu

Here is the information I got from C:\WINDOWS\i386\explorer...
Type of file: shortcut
description: Windows Explorer
location: C:\i386
size: 1.42 KB (1,463 bytes)
size on disk: 4.00 KB (4096 bytes)
created: Friday August 30, 2002
modified:June 09, 2005
Accessed: June 20, 2005

I tried opening task manager and running explorer.exe. No desktop. A window popped up advising me the file can not be found. Whether I type it in or navigate to it, "File can not be found"
Then I tried it in safe mode. No desktop in safe mode, just a black screen with safe mode written in the four corners and Microsoft in the upper left hand corner. Again, I could not open explorer in safe mode either. I got the same message, "file could not be found".

Thanks again so much for your help and patience!

 

I found explorer.exe in service pack files\i386. I copied to C:\Windows and tried to open it that way and got the same window. "Can not find file."

 

A window pops up that reads "Windows cannot find c:\windows\explorer.exe. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button, and then click Search."
To get to explorer.exe, I opened the task manager, run, chose c:\, then windows, Service Pack Files, i386, then explorer.exe.
I tried to left click on explorer.exe and get the window telling me it can't be found. Then I right clicked and tried to open, same thing. Then I right clicked and tried "run as", it asks me what user, I select my own name and "OK", and I get the same window " Windows cannot..."
To copy it, I right clicked and chose "copy" then I went back to C:\ and right clicked on an empty space in C:\windows, and chose "paste". Then I tried to open it. Got the same message, "Windows cannot find..."
Hope this is clear.

 

Time to check your registry.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command

What does it say on the right?


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\shell\open\command

What does it say on the right?

 

Went into regedit and looked where you told me to... Here it is
Name- Default
Type- reg_sz
Data: "%1"%*
That's what it said. What I typed next to data, is percent symbols, although, it looks like 96 to me. (I could have been staring at the computer screen too long.)
Is the code cracked?

 

No, its correct, if, and only if, it looks like this:


"%1" %*

Note the space? it must be there. Check both of your keys.

 

Oops. I didn't add in there that they both listed the same information to the right. In other words, the name, type and data information was exactly the same.

 

The space is there.

 

Someone suggested that I download the Service Pack 2 again. What do you think?

 

I don't agree.

Did you ever end up trying safe mode?

 

Yes, I did and no desktop or task bar. Is there anything esle I can do?

 

What is the size of your explorer.exe in C:\windows

 

.98 MB
size on disk is the same= .98 MB

 

1,032,192 bytes

 

That file size is the same as mine.....

Okay, if you can get into task manager try going into the command shell.

I.E. File, Run, cmd (press enter)
type in the following:

cd\windows (press enter)
explorer.exe (press enter)

anything happen?

What about....
copy explorer.exe explorer.com (press enter)

now:

explorer.com (press enter)

anything?

What about:

copy explorer.exe test.exe (press enter)
copy explorer.exe test.com (press enter)
enter:

test.exe (press enter)

anything?

Whatabout:

test.com (press enter)

I've seen some viruses in the past that mess with this stuff...usually change the extension to .com fixes these issues or renaming the file....

well, not fixes, but gets you in the right direction....

 

Matacumbie dropped this off in a PM to me. I know its an outside forum, but its always good to give credit to those who have better ideas than we can come up with

Please back up any registry keys you delete or modify!

http://forums.techguy.org/history/t-370715.html

 

OK, theefool, I did what you suggested, and here is what happened...
when I typed in CD|Windows.exe
the computer reply was " The system cannot find the file C:\windows\explorer.exe

I typed in copy explorer.exe explorer.com
the reply was "1 file(s) copied"

I typed in copy explorer.exe test.exe
the reply was " 1 file(s) copied"

I typed in copy explorer.exe test.com
the reply was "1 file(s) copied"

I typed in test.exe
and it opened My Documents

I typed in test.com
and it opened My Documents in another window.

Did it do what it was supposed to do? I'm thinking it probably didn't, because I used a link from Adrynelyne and read through a forum that listed what I'm dealing with and this step was done there and the person who did it had the same result I did. And still no desk top.

 

Adrynelyne, I took the link you gave me and read all of the posts. It sounds like what I've been experiencing (what an experience!). Before I deleted the registry keys, however, I wanted to make sure I created the back up like I should. I went to the string and clicked it, then went to file, export, named the file and saved that "selected extension". It saved it to My Documents. Then I looked in help topics to see if I could find how to restore it if I needed to. Couldn't find it. So, did I backup the correct way?

 

IT WORKED!!!!! Hugs and kisess to you all! Thank you so much for ALL OF YOUR HELP! I have a desktop and it's BEAUTIFUL!!! And, I have a taskbar, that works!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I just had to delete those 2 registry keys. Only took about, what, 6 weeks? Thanks for your perserverence!

I'm going to do all the scans over and one more question, Service Pack 3 is available....should I download it?

 

No kidding. I tip my hat to Matacumbie on this one BIG TIME. He always seems to bail me out of the sticky ones!


A definite asset to MG

 

For WinXP there's only Service Pack 2 and per your last HJT it appears your already up-to-date.