BleepingComputer.com: No desktop icons at start-up windows XP

lance, thanks, I tried what you said, but I now have 2 explore.exe s ' (explorer.exe and explorer2.exe) , should I delete one before I restart?

yes delete your original

also its been about 6 months since ive done this so i can't remember if it was the EXPLORER file under LOCAL DISK (C:)/WINDOWS or if it was the EXPLORER file in REGISTRY that you need to change the name. Restart your comp and if it doesnt work then Try changing the name of the file under NEW TASK: REGEDIT then registry and look for your EXPLORER file in there and rename it to EXPLORER2 there.

This post has been edited by lance79: 02 October 2009 - 04:55 PM

Thanks Lance!!! You the man. Im back working, but now I cant get my mcafee antivirus program working, it states ; one or more problems requires your response.

lance79, on Oct 2 2009, 04:44 PM, said:

I've lost my desktop icons and start menu several times in the past.
SYSTEM RESTORE has ALWAYS fixed it for me.
Having said that, it might not work for everyone but I throw out the suggestion as something to try.
And if you read the entire topic, you will also notice that Bleeping Computer Advisor hamluis suggested the same thing.
Neither of us would never recommend something that would not work at all for anyone.
Just because something else worked for you does not make someone else's suggestions wrong. We give suggestions based on what has worked for us and for others. This is what makes BC the best place for helping others. We all have ideas and we post them and one of them will hopefully be the solution.

I did notice that the desktop issue is resolved, thanks to your input. Excellent job helping rebuz to solve the problem.
Your suggestion is something I never would have thought of, and I'll file it away for future reference.

This post has been edited by Queen-Evie: 02 October 2009 - 06:09 PM

rebuz, on Oct 2 2009, 05:14 PM, said:

rebuz has a seperate topic for the McAfee issue.
All replies regarding McAfee should be made here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic261800.html

Your very welcome rebuz i am happy to help i know how frusterating it is to not have them. @ Queen sorry if it sounded offensive it wasnt meant to be i just have had the problem a few times myself and i was never able to restore.

I missed some activity here, but in the reading was the solution to:

copy explorer.exe to explorer2.exe
delete explorer.exe
modify some registry setting to read explorer2.exe (what was the change)?

That's the solution?

When you tried this:

Quote

Did you get the error trying to use TM to get into the c:\windows folder and explorer.exe was there just fine, or did the folder open and you got the error trying to launch explorer.exe? Was explorer.exe ever missing from the Windows folder in the first place, or it is there, but will not launch? That is what I wanted to know.

Explorer.exe should work, but doesn't, so making a copy and adjusting the registry to use the copy does work and the original explorer.exe still does not work and that is okay with everybody?

The original problem of explorer.exe is still unresolved? explorer.exe will not run, but explorer2.exe will run? Doesn't that mean that something is keeping explorer.exe from running?

I did not have time to flesh out my other idea yesterday, that fixes things so explorer.exe works like it should with no copying. Do I need to keep looking for it or is everybody okay with the way things are?

What do you remember doing between the time it worked and the time it did not? Do you have IE8 installed and did this coincide with any IE8 business?

What are your current AV tools?

Now that you are "fixed" I would do this:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

These can be uninstalled later if desired.

This post has been edited by joseibarra: 03 October 2009 - 07:27 AM