All of desktop gone except wallpaper

Can you still boot to Safe Mode? I

If you have a corrupted account (user profile) where things are all messed up when you login or you can't login then follow the directions here to create a new account and copy all your user data over to it:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811151

Or follow these directions posted in GeeksToGo.com

• Boot to Safe Mode, login as Administrator
• Show hidden files by opening My Computer, Tools menu, View tab, check Show Hidden Files/Folders and uncheck Hide extensions for known filetypes. Click Apply then OK.
• Create a new Administrator level account via Control Panel / User Accounts.. Pick a good name as you will be keeping it.
• Reboot the computer.
• Login with the new account so the folder structure under Documents and Settings gets created, then log off.
• Boot to Safe Mode, login as Administrator
• Browse to c:\documents and settings\OldUserAccount
• Select everything in that folder except the three files called ntuser.dat, ntuser.dat.log, and ntuser.ini.
• Copy all those files into c:\documents and settings\NewUserAccount. Reply Yes or Yes to all when duplicate folders or files are found.
• Reboot the computer and login with your New user account.

Once you confirm that all your documents are located in My Documents of the New user, you can delete the old profile.

…and good evening, again! No, apparently I cannot get into Safe Mode. Or at least, only into the equivalent of my absent desktop and Start button, etc. Please have a look at my first post in this thread, 'way above. Which reminds me, I appreciate both-a-yas sticking to this problem. I can try booting up again, of course, and see if the Binary Gods have frivolously changed anything….

Sorry, this thread is getting long and I forgot you can't get to Safe Mode.

What is the make and model of your computer?

Do you have an XP Install CD or manufacturers recovery CD? If so, it's about time to save your data then try a Repair Install. If that doesn't work, then you will have to do a Clean Install which means loss of all data and installed programs.

To save your data, try booting a Linux "Live" CD like Puppy Linux or mounting the drive in another computer as a slave and backing up your data that way.

See this post by Happyrck on GeeksToGo for Puppy Linux:
http://www.geekstogo.com/…..=findpost&am…21#entry1197721

Get the latest version available as the one he recommends is no longer easy to find.

You can use any Windows computer to create the bootable CD, then boot it in the one you are having problems with.

I can provide good directions for doing a Repair or Clean Install once I know what whether you have a XP CD or Mfgrs recovery CD or not.

@Ztruker Would a extraction of a new Explorer.exe file from a CD or service pack do the trick?

I'm in the midst of evening chores, but I wil be back at this in awhile. Will look at my CD collection. My wife has a similar computer, but both are from eBay resellers, so I forget what we have. Per question above, are any of those missing critical files downloadable from somewhere? P.S., ironically, this all began as I was starting an online backup. For that matter, supposedly that backup continues as we type, so in a couple more days I should have most files backed up. This is a Dell Vostro 200.

Per question above, are any of those missing critical files downloadable from somewhere?

It is possible to extract a new Explorer.Exe from either a CD or Servicepack. But both have to contain the SP you currently have installed and in case of a CD, same windows edition as well, so Home for a Home edition, etc.

But that is, if it is only Explorer.exe that is corrupt of course.


Regards

Certainly worth a try extracting a copy from an XP CD, but since it's in the right location and has the same size as mine, I doubt very much it's corrupted.

Also, if you do find a usable XP CD, try this.

Boot normally.
Use File / Run from Task Manager and enter:

sfc /scannow

If that works, you will be prompted to put the XP CD in if a missing or corrupted XP system file is found.
If it doesn't work, then a Repair or Clean Install is your only remaining option that I can see.

but since it's in the right location and has the same size as mine, I doubt very much it's corrupted.

Just wondering, because I am far from certain on this, but the size should be as mine and not yours…You got Pro on your machine, I got Home. Denno uses Home edition. It would seem logical to me anyways

But as there may be more to it than just Explorer.exe, a repair install might be the only good surefire option here.

I have CD for XP Home, SP 1a, came w/my couple-years-old computer; XP Home, SP 2, came w/wife's. I think SP 3 is what is installed. Currently trying suggestion from post #22. OK — a weirdness. And if this were some mystery novel, it would clear up the whole thing….. Freecell is working, but not adding to my string of won games. Stuck on 21, should be 23. Well, the box where it was checking windows files has disappeared. That means it didn't arrive at anything missing? Just repeated the process, ditto. To get ahead of things… I have, for instance, Acronis. A year or so ago I made a copy of my HD onto an external HD using that. If I had my druthers, I'd do that again, rather than run a batch of CD copies. Suppose this raises the question of restoring whatever the problem is. Of course, a Carbonite backup is supposedly in progress, and will copy whatever it defaults to — My Documents and I suppose settings like browser bookmarks. Does not save programs. Rambling a bit, here, I recall in past years reinstalling Windows and it didn't affect files and programs. I also recall, if you will permit me to be compulsive, a very stupid event where I was in California, alone with my dad's computer, discovered it had some currently-rampant virus, called the ISP help line — lemme see……oh, can't think of it — was solemnly assured that the only cure was a hard drive partition. Fortunately, Dad only had about 3 documents stored on the machine. Got home, had same virus on my computer, went to Symantec website, downloaded the fix, and was done with the problem in 5 minutes. stuff!!! Begging y'all's pardon. So —- remember, I am being compulsive, not disrespectful — we really have to move on to DRASTIC MEASURES? And — whattheheck happened, anyway? What relationship to Carbonite install? (this happened minutes afterward). Just "one of those computer anomalies?" Or something explicable? How come not findable? Why doesn't someone have a program that susses out what is wrong in every case? The HD is so much less complex than a brain. Or, probably, a clam. Just (teeth) chattering on, here. Please try and reassure me if you can! Denno

Hi Denno

Well, the box where it was checking windows files has disappeared. That means it didn't arrive at anything missing?

I take it you mean the scan box from the system file checker (SFC) ? It doesn't leave a log or anything visible as to what it did, if anything.

I recall in past years reinstalling Windows and it didn't affect files and programs

That would be a repair install, as the one mentioned by Ztruker. A repair install "only" wipes updates / Hotfixes + servicepack. It leaves anything else alone. It installs windows on the current one, and nothing else, opposed to a destructive install, where one is formatting the HD, wiping it of any data.

We are normally cautious with recommending reapir installs, as they can bring along their own problems, and not all repairs are equally succesfull. But the thing is, that your Explorer.exe is corrupted, of that I have no doubt. Problem is, if there is anything else going on as well, restoring your explorer will only be part of the solution. Then begins the next steps of troubleshooting, and no one can tell how lengthy a affair that will be. With a repair, we can set a ca. timeline on how fast your PC might be up and running again, provided it is succesful of course. It is your call ultimately, and I don't mind try help you through it, I am on the board anyways.

So —- remember, I am being compulsive, not disrespectful — we really have to move on to DRASTIC MEASURES?

As said above, your machine, your call

And — whattheheck happened, anyway? What relationship to Carbonite install?

Hard to tell. Corrupt installer, bad program coding, program incompabilities, lack of correct selective MS updates (Like .Net.Framework version X ), and many reasons more. If we had the answer right away, we wouldn't be troubleshooting it

So basically, you got to weigh your options. Try to extract the explorer.exe from a servicepack 3 (since you got only SP 1 and 2) or do a repair install. If you decide to try and extract it, you need to have some sort of external drive, as you need to extract it from there. A option could be to try and extract, and if unsuccesful at this, then do the repair….

I am sorry that I can't present for you, some more or easier options.


Regards

Thanks for your thorough reply.

Here's a website says I can download explorer.exe
http://www.4shared.com/file/34375021/6d61ad1d/explorer.html
here's another:
http://www.dll-files-download.com/E/2008-01-13/4968.html
Would these be the right version?
Or pull it off my wife's computer?
What do I do with it if I download it?
Actually, I don't know if I can access a place to put it, not having Windows Explorer.

Oh, yeah…what about a rescue disk? Or is that tantamount to a repair install?

Will this do as a method for trying to replace the file and see what happens?

The file from 4shared I wouldn't install, unless you speak spanish….Its a spanish version.

As for the other, I can't say. Normally you have to install / extract a explorer that corresponds with the servicepack installed, to my knowledge that is. Someone may correct me on this, but that is how I was taught about it But there is no such info as to what version it is.

If you and your wife have the same servicepack and windows version installed, I can't see why not. But you will need a external drive for this.

Actually, I don't know if I can access a place to put it, not having Windows Explorer

See above. The extraction itself is through the command prompt.

Oh, yeah…what about a rescue disk? Or is that tantamount to a repair install?

Using a rescue disc, will wipe your data, as in a destructive install.


Regards

"Duh" Department: If this disk can be read as a slave (?) what if I got myself a new HD and installed that w/OS and had the current one as file storage? Or copy files over to new one? "Replacing file dept:" Can we find the SP on this disk, or not w/o Control Panel? I will check the version on wife's computer. Anyhow, seems like trying that replacement first can't hurt even if it doesn't help. (?) #2 step = repair install #3 step = new master HD if that will indeed work. Probably have to wrap it for tonight (depending on insomnia!) Will check back tomorrow. We are 5-6 hours apart in time zones, I think. Glad there is an overlap in functioning hours! Regards, Denno

I was not able to download explorer.exe from http://www.dll-files-download.com/E/2008-01-13/4968.html, so I'm not sure if it's a valid site or a bogus site trying to foist some malware on people. I tried it with FireFox, IE, Opera and SeaMonkey, with no success.

Your best bet would be to extract it form the SP2 XP CD you have and see if that works.

First, back up the existing explorer.exe. From Task Manager, New Task (Run), enter:

copy c:\windows\explorer.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe.sav

Now put the XP SP2 CD in the drive, then From Task Manager, New Task (Run), enter:

expand -r x:\i386\explorer.ex_ c:\windows

x: is the CD drive letter. That will replace the one in c:\windows with the one from the CD.

If that completes okay, from Task Manager, New Task (Run)., enter explorer, see if it works now.

Hi Ztruker Comes up a message "Windows cannot find copy…." etc. Guess it's treating it as a file, not a command? I got to computers just late enough to be alarmed by DOS but not to have to learn much, and believe me I've forgotten pretty well. OK…I opened cmd and then put in the copy command, says it did it.