No desktop icons and iexplore.exe application error

[slvrvet]

I am running windows 2000 and have or had all the service packs and updates current. I say "had" because when I ran my backups it may have deleted some of the updates --- I have no way of telling since MS won't let me update my PC without Internet Explorer.

I have no desktop icons and when I try to start internet explorer I get a message saying
IEXPLORE.EXE Application error
Appliction failed to initialize properly (0xc0000022)

This started a couple of weeks ago -- I truned on and started up my PC and had no desktop but did have the iexplore error message when I tried to get on the internet - I hadn't installed anything new.

Working through Windows Task Manager-New task I can get to almost all my software, I ran virus scans and anti-spyware and found nothing - my IE is / was version 6. I went back to prior backups - as far as I had which was 3-4 months and that didn't help (made no difference).

I do have the install W2k disk - but am concerned that if I use it I will have to reinstall all my programs -- I am not a gamer, and have a lot of business and investing programs - most were downloaded from the internet over several years (none real recent).


I do have W2k on another PC so I could transfer a file or files from my working PC to the desktop it that would help.

Neither explore.exe nor iexplore.exe are listed under Task Manager Processes yet they are both listed on my working PC.

[DaveC2003]

Try repairing the operating system.

Link below has instructions to do this (including screenshots).

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/windows2000/Repair/

[slvrvet]

Repairing W2K worked -- sort of -- I now have my desktop icons back but can't get Internet Explorer to work --- repairing it and reinstalling it did not work -- and it seems I am supposed to uninstall all the service packs in order to get rid of IE --- but the service packs are not listed in Add / remove Programs.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated!!

[Jungle Jim]

1. Download the latest version of IE here: http://tinyurl.com/dc9ypu
2. Right click>Arrange icons by> make sure Show Desktop Icons has a check next to it
3. Hold Ctrl+alt+delete and go into the Processes tab and check if explorer.exe is running, if not go to the Applications tab and press New Task... then type explorer.exe

[slvrvet]

I am running Windows 2000 and it appears the latest version of IE that I can use is IE 6 -- which I have downloaded and it will not install. The IE icon is on my desktop but will not open and I can't uninstall it?