WIN XP Media Edition..

Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop icons and
the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access task manager,no
other programs are available.

To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the second or
third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar are present.

Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

"mike" <mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:243836A3-7DC5-4408-B644-3B270E09D016@microsoft.com
> WIN XP Media Edition..
>
> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop icons
> and the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access task
> manager,no other programs are available.
>
> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the
> second or third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar
> are present.
>
> Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

Probably happened after a Windows Update, eh? I hate those things, they
screw up more things than they fix. Usually they will fix it next month,
if you want to wait it out.

Although if you get tired of this Windows Updates screws up the Desktop
nonsense (like I did), may I suggest Aston Shell.

http://www.astonshell.com/aston/

--
Bill

Hello,

Have you located which process hangs the whole system in Task Manager >
Processes (tab)? Look for the row taking up the most CPU.

You might also want to do a malware/spyware scan - I recommend
http://www.superantispyware.com

A workaround when the problem occurs is to access task manager and End Task
EXPLORER.EXE in Process tab. Then go to File > Run > type 'Explorer' > OK.



--
Singapore Website Design
http://www.bootstrike.com/Webdesign/
Singapore Web Hosting
http://www.bootstrike.com/WinXP/faq.html
Windows XP FAQ

"mike" <mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:243836A3-7DC5-4408-B644-3B270E09D016@microsoft.com...
> WIN XP Media Edition..
>
> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop icons and
> the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access task manager,no
> other programs are available.
>
> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the second
> or
> third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar are present.
>
> Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

Well explorer should restart itself. I don't think you have to manually
restart it after you end it.

--
Bill

"SingaporeWebDesign" <SingaporeWebDesign_ng2@bootstrike.com> wrote in
message news:upLkdTChHHA.4064@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl
> Hello,
>
> Have you located which process hangs the whole system in Task Manager
> > Processes (tab)? Look for the row taking up the most CPU.
>
> You might also want to do a malware/spyware scan - I recommend
> http://www.superantispyware.com
>
> A workaround when the problem occurs is to access task manager and
> End Task EXPLORER.EXE in Process tab. Then go to File > Run > type
> 'Explorer' > OK.
>
>
>
> "mike" <mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:243836A3-7DC5-4408-B644-3B270E09D016@microsoft.com...
>> WIN XP Media Edition..
>>
>> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop
>> icons and the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access
>> task manager,no other programs are available.
>>
>> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the
>> second or
>> third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar are
>> present. Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

Hello BillW50 and SingaporeWebDesign,

The PC is only 5 days old.Before I connected yo the internet I deactivated
automatic updates.The only updates present are the ones included with SP2.

The replacement desktops sounds interesting,but I will check for which
process is causing the problems vis task manager first.

Is there a known update which causes an error like this,if yes is there an
update to correct it?.

Thank you both for your help.Cheers,Mike

"mike" wrote:

> WIN XP Media Edition..
>
> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop icons and
> the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access task manager,no
> other programs are available.
>
> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the second or
> third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar are present.
>
> Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

Hello,

No, explorer will not restart itself if you end task it. Might have been in
the Win9x days, but not in XP.

--
Singapore Website Design
http://www.bootstrike.com/Webdesign/
Singapore Web Hosting
http://www.bootstrike.com/WinXP/faq.html
Windows XP FAQ

"BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote in message
news:eowRNxChHHA.4520@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Well explorer should restart itself. I don't think you have to manually
> restart it after you end it.
>
> --
> Bill
>
> "SingaporeWebDesign" <SingaporeWebDesign_ng2@bootstrike.com> wrote in
> message news:upLkdTChHHA.4064@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl
>> Hello,
>>
>> Have you located which process hangs the whole system in Task Manager
>> > Processes (tab)? Look for the row taking up the most CPU.
>>
>> You might also want to do a malware/spyware scan - I recommend
>> http://www.superantispyware.com
>>
>> A workaround when the problem occurs is to access task manager and
>> End Task EXPLORER.EXE in Process tab. Then go to File > Run > type
>> 'Explorer' > OK.
>>
>>
>>
>> "mike" <mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:243836A3-7DC5-4408-B644-3B270E09D016@microsoft.com...
>>> WIN XP Media Edition..
>>>
>>> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop
>>> icons and the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access
>>> task manager,no other programs are available.
>>>
>>> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the
>>> second or
>>> third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar are
>>> present. Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you
>

Oh okay, I believe you. Thanks! ;)

--
Bill

"SingaporeWebDesign" <SingaporeWebDesign_ng2@bootstrike.com> wrote in
message news:%23kZizJDhHHA.5008@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl
> Hello,
>
> No, explorer will not restart itself if you end task it. Might have
> been in the Win9x days, but not in XP.
>
>
> "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote in message
> news:eowRNxChHHA.4520@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Well explorer should restart itself. I don't think you have to
>> manually restart it after you end it.
>>
>> --
>> Bill
>>
>> "SingaporeWebDesign" <SingaporeWebDesign_ng2@bootstrike.com> wrote in
>> message news:upLkdTChHHA.4064@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> Have you located which process hangs the whole system in Task
>>> Manager
>>>> Processes (tab)? Look for the row taking up the most CPU.
>>>
>>> You might also want to do a malware/spyware scan - I recommend
>>> http://www.superantispyware.com
>>>
>>> A workaround when the problem occurs is to access task manager and
>>> End Task EXPLORER.EXE in Process tab. Then go to File > Run > type
>>> 'Explorer' > OK.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "mike" <mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:243836A3-7DC5-4408-B644-3B270E09D016@microsoft.com...
>>>> WIN XP Media Edition..
>>>>
>>>> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop
>>>> icons and the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only
>>>> access task manager,no other programs are available.
>>>>
>>>> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the
>>>> second or
>>>> third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar are
>>>> present. Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

Yes some updates will fix these sort of problems. Although I don't know
what they are offhand. And yes, killing Explorer (it is being used as
the shell (desktop, taskbar, etc) should restart it (you may have to
restart it manually). And this often corrects the problem.

Keep in mind, there could be a startup program that is causing Explorer
to hang too. You know how to enable/disable startup programs with
MSCONFIG right? Another thing to check, is if safe mode works okay. This
disables all startups and many drivers.

--
Bill

"mike" <mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F4D63727-B52C-4B02-8811-6518434C29BB@microsoft.com
> Hello BillW50 and SingaporeWebDesign,
>
> The PC is only 5 days old.Before I connected yo the internet I
> deactivated automatic updates.The only updates present are the ones
> included with SP2.
>
> The replacement desktops sounds interesting,but I will check for which
> process is causing the problems vis task manager first.
>
> Is there a known update which causes an error like this,if yes is
> there an update to correct it?.
>
> Thank you both for your help.Cheers,Mike
>
> "mike" wrote:
>
>> WIN XP Media Edition..
>>
>> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop
>> icons and the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access
>> task manager,no other programs are available.
>>
>> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the
>> second or third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and
>> toolbar are present.
>>
>> Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

"mike" <mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> Hello BillW50 and SingaporeWebDesign,
>
> The PC is only 5 days old.Before I connected yo the internet I deactivated
> automatic updates.The only updates present are the ones included with SP2.
>
> The replacement desktops sounds interesting,but I will check for which
> process is causing the problems vis task manager first.
>
> Is there a known update which causes an error like this,if yes is there an
> update to correct it?.
>
> Thank you both for your help.Cheers,Mike
>
> "mike" wrote:
>
>> WIN XP Media Edition..
>>
>> Every so often when the PC has finished loading,all the desktop icons and
>> the start toolbar is missing.Sometimes you can only access task
>> manager,no
>> other programs are available.
>>
>> To close down the PC I have to switch off at the tower.Usually the second
>> or
>> third time the PC is switched back on,the icons and toolbar are present.
>>
>> Can anyone offer any help please.Thank you

If it's a new computer contact the computer tech support.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]