Okay.. I figured out the Start > Shutdown > SHIFT+CTRL+ALT+Cancel'
method

when you have the Shutdown dialog open, you hold the SHIFT+CTRL+ALT
keys down --- then click Cancel

this will kill Explorer.exe. Then you would CTRL+ALT+DELETE to get
Task Manager.. to restart Explorer.

you might as well just do that in the first place and End Process on
explorer.exe.
Then go to File, select New Task (Run...).
Then enter C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe and click OK.

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else--

here is a nifty tool to restart Explorer.exe (and IExplorer.exe) if
you manually edit the Registry...

[url]http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/restart_explorer.html[/url]

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* the GPEDIT.MSC tool makes the change immeditately.

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I tested both methods in Vista and XP. works fine.

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confused yet? sorry... It a process of discovery for me as an
intermediate user