Windows XP blank desktop?

D

DellAxim

Gawd
Joined
Feb 14, 2003
Messages
999
I have an older Dell laptop with XP pro. Yesterday I downloaded some windows updates, and then it asked to be restarted. After I did, it just starts up with a completely blank desktop - it shows the wallpaper and that's it. Restart, same thing.

It was a pretty fresh install of XP. Any idea why it's doing this?
 
Double click desktop or right click and select 'show icons'.

There was an app that did that (Stardock app, I believe) that caused the icons to disappear. Pretty fresh install, though....

Can you navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\user\Desktop and see things that should be there?
 
Ur_Mom said:
Double click desktop or right click and select 'show icons'.

Can you navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\user\Desktop and see things that should be there?
Click to expand...
Neither click does anything. In the desktop folder I see a Chrome shortcut, but that's it. There should be a couple files on the desktop.

jojo69 said:
legit copy?
Click to expand...
Yep.

tricky0502 said:
Ctl alt del, file, run, explorer.exe, enter
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That pops up the my documents folder, still no start menu. Seems like anything I open here works fine though.
 
Yeah sounds like a virus
Best thing to do first is backup data if you need any either with a bootcd/Ubcd/Linux/external hdd/you could also run a cd that can clean up virus like Kaspersky Virus cd
If you have another computer and a flash drive
Download MalwareBtyes
Then boot to windows
Ctrl+Alt+Delete -as above
Task Manager
File New Task
Navigate to Flash Drive Run Malware Bytes Install Run
Unfortunately you would have to do the same to scan perhaps

Their is also combofix which runs directly,but you should try malwarebtyes first
Also remember backup before running either
Combofix is safe but it can do strange things

It could also be something in your msconfig
Startup causing the issue also
But it does sound like a virus as mention by the poster above

Goodluck
 
DellAxim said:
I have an older Dell laptop with XP pro. Yesterday I downloaded some windows updates, and then it asked to be restarted. After I did, it just starts up with a completely blank desktop - it shows the wallpaper and that's it. Restart, same thing.

It was a pretty fresh install of XP. Any idea why it's doing this?
Click to expand...

Might be a virus, but since it was right after an update, you might have gotten corrupted files. Did you run "sfc /scannow" (without the quotes)?
 
I remember my sister having the same issue. Turns out that Windows Update kinda screwed with her profile. She had two "XXXuser" accounts after the upgrade, one blank and one with her data. I just moved all the data to the new desktop since I was 1,200 miles away working remotely and couldn't be bothered to research why it happened.
 
Alright, I ended up reinstalling XP, (again!) spent about 4 hours downloading/installing updates, and here I am in the same god damn spot! It's doing the exact same thing again! It can't be a virus...I have only downloaded official MS stuff. Any idea what to try next before I throw this thing in the dumpster?

Thanks for the help everyone.
 
If one of the updates is doing it, reinstall, do blocks of updates (20ish at a time) and at some point it will do it again and you'll know one of the remaining updates is the culprit.

Tho I have no idea why it would do that. If you have no Start menu, explorer.exe is definitely broken.
 
jojo69 said:
he tried that
Click to expand...

actually he didn't amd that is why i asked. Sometimes when the system gets corrupted you can get to safe mode and then delete the PCI bus and reboot. That will effectively reinstall all of his drivers and he can get his dekstop back
 
create a new user, then log in with that account, and see what happens.
It's possible, although not too likely in your case, that the profile got corrupt.

if you bring up task manager, do you see the explorer.exe process running?
Have you tried running the System File Checker (sfc) yet?
 
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