[tst]

hi guys...i have exactly the same problem--for just about 2 weeks i've been looking for a solution, which is how i found this thread. i had posted the following in computing net's forum so i figured i'd just share what i know so far hoping somebody can think of something i haven't tried yet. --must say right off-- I DO NOT have a XP CD-Rom -- outlined below:

i have no desktop, no taskbars, no explorer in my task manager. i can't right click on desktop-no menu pops up. am running what i can through task manager> file> run or within open dialog boxes. i have tried to open explorer.exe & i watch it popup in the task manager & just as quickly dissappear. the funniest thing to me is that i can run Internet Explorer but not Windows Explorer. but IE has it's problems even though...no java/not running scripts it seems. i can't get into my web-based email except for yahoo & i have to do that using yahoo's old layout. i've tried all four users and none of them have desktops. i tried them all in safe mode with the same result. Last Known Good Config didn't change anything. Every System Restore Point i had is gone! i don't have my XP disks to repair or reinstall-they were stolen along with my briefcase. also i have no backup abiities--no tape or zip or cd burner...i know...i know. so, as you can see, i'm really worried for myself? any help anyone can spare would be greatly appreciated. i'm running windows xp home on a hp pavilion N3310 laptop, 500mhz, 184 ram. thxs tst :-(

followup...just remembered...i can't 'search' or 'find' within an IE page either. when using IE the favorites button bong's when clicked - can't add or access them - but they're there. have been able to bring up the sndvol.exe & adjust volume. haven't tried any control panel functions cuz i haven't figured out how to get to it. have verified that the items on the user's desktops are in the actual folder & can "open" those i've tried-they're just not showing on the desktop. i can't get anything in the 'explorer bar'-the panel popups up on the left side but it's empty...so no folder tree, nor history, nor media player, etc. thought i'd add what i, of course, conveniently remembered after i had posted. want to give y'all as much info as possible to best help me. thxs so much in advance...tst

someone asked me about what i'd done right before and I answered:

as far as: "did you just install any program just before this happened? If so remove it..."--no i believe i had downloaded an mp3 after which i shut her down completely & left the house to run some errands. when i came back quite a bit later, i started up, booted no problem that i could see, then when i clicked on user icon on welcome splash i saw a dialog box briefly flash on screen that said something like "...blah blah problem..blah..registry.. blah.. has been successfully replaced..." it all happened so fast & i wasn't expecting it so that's my best recollection. i didn't have to click anything to close this message, nor was i given a choice in the matter, which i wasn't very happy about. thxs..tst

another member replied with this:
This happened to me last week when I installed a program lost my desktop completely.
What I did is rebooted pressed f8 and selected safe mode.
then i went in to start run typed msconfig
i changed the start up to normal load all start up items, devices etc.
Applied and exited..
If you can get in that way I would run Adaware immediately and a virus scan.

i replied back that i tried his suggestion to no avail and ran adaware & spybot S&D and came up clean. i then posted:

just remembered stuff i tried that i should tell you about. i tried to setup a new user account to see if it would open normally. couldn't access the 'user account'...is it applet? i got the window to open but just like on the 'organize favorites' nothing is in the box. also like that on the 'explorer bar' no foldertree, etal. i seem able to open most of the control panel components separately...i know i was able to open the internet cpl & display cpls. tried changing the display settings like wallpaper & theme & such to see if that helped but in my heart i know this has got something to do with the shell...& maybe the java machine? whatever it is that runs these scripts. well that's all i can add from messing around with it earlier today.

ok...now that brings us up to today right before i found y'all here. i was so amazed when i read the original post because it is so right dead on. exactly the same from what i read. if you've read this far down, i think you probably agree with me. one of the reply's said to check the event viewer. which blew me away cuz i just got into it last night and was about to post about that to the other forum. it indicates the entry about the "registry problem...successfully replaced" verbage but i couldn't see anything else that set off any flags. one difference from mine & the original poster's is that when that notification appeared after i clicked on a "user" icon on the welcome screen, there the problem was...no desktop...no taskbars, etc. i think the first poster said that they enjoyed a few more days of functionality before the dissappearance of desktop, etal. i know all of this is disjointed but unfortunately for y'all i put it down as my poor fryed brain thinks of them & there it's not very organized i'm afraid so i apologize. wanted to share that once i click on a "user icon" on the welcome splash...it appears to be loading as normal but then it 'hangs' for an inordinate amount of time. i mean very very noticeable from how it always has. i've been trying to find out exactly what windows does step by step through the boot process & then entering windows but haven't had any luck yet. like, when exactly does windows explorer shell load? ok, now back to the event viewer, i had thought i had found another way into "user accounts" from an article & followed the instructions which got me into the event viewer but the instructions said to go to "local users/groups" or something like that i can't remember exactly but that was not listed. i've tried checking the microsoft site but unfortunately i can't access most of what they have to offer support-wise cause they use scripts or whatever it's called & most urls come up with blank pages. i searched the knowledge base using google site: feature ...i'm nothing if not resourceful! lol...workarounds my specialty! but not having windows explorer is a real drag--i am used to working with the folder explorer bar's tree view. i shouldn't complain cause it could be worse...i could be stuck with a blue screen/white letters and a C: prompt! been there & done that!

any help y'all could spare would be greatly appreciated. if nothing else i wanted to share my situation to acknowledge that this poster's situation is not unique to him...that there is more than one of these incidents. unfortunately, probably more to come. thxs everyone...tst