my desktop icons and start bar disappear soon after i turn on my computer

Hi Jenny,

Did you make any software or hardware changes on the computer prior to this issue?

Let’s follow these methods & check if it helps.

Method 1

You may configure the computer in clean boot state from safe mode. Thereafter, try to boot the computer in normal mode & check if the issue persists. It will start Windows XP by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs and helps to eliminate software conflicts.

The following link has steps showing how to perform clean boot: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353
Note: Please ensure that the computer is set to start as usual by following the section ‘Steps to configure Windows to use a Normal startup state’ from the article: How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

Method 2

You may also follow this link & check if the issue reappears.

After the Windows Logo displays or after you log on to Windows, a Windows XP-based computer may only display the wallpaper, a black screen, or a blue screen

 

Hope the information helps.
Please post back and let us know.

 

If you do not see any desktop icons or Taskbar and only see the wallpaper,  that sounds like explorer.exe it not running. or it was running and then quit running.

When you get into Task Manger, look at the Processes tab to see if you see explorer.exe running.  Here is an example where you can see explorer.exe running.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6530/taskmanagerv.jpg

If you do not see explorer.exe running (that is a problem), start it from Task Manger:

From your background image, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and open Task Manager.

Look at the Processes tab and if the explorer.exe Process is not running, launch it as follows: 

From Task Manager, click File, New Task and in the Open box enter:

%windir%\explorer.exe

Click OK and see if you get your desktop back.

If explorer.exe is already running in the Processes tab, it is likely the object of the affliction and may need to be replaced (which is not difficult).

If you see that the explorer.exe process is already running in Task Manager, highlight the explorer.exe process then click the End Process button to terminate it, and launch a new explorer.exe process as indicated above.

If it runs briefly and then disappears, see if you can run Internet Explorer and get in the Internet from Task Manager so you can download some malicious software removal tools.

To do that:

From Task Manager, click File, New Task and in the Open box enter:

iexplore.exe

Click OK and see if you are able to get on the Internet?

Come back and describe your findings.

Thankyou for trying to help me!

explorer.exe was not running so i typed in %windir%\explorer.exe the cursor changed to the little egg timer but then stopped and nothing else happened

i also tried to open iexplore.exe which bought up the internet explorer window for a couple of seconds before it disappeared again

any other ideas that i could try?
Thanks

hello,

i really dont think i installed anything. i can only think that i maybe deleted something i shouldnt have when i was trying to clear space on my laptop.

I have tried clean boot state and it didnt make any difference, i still just have a blank screen with just my wallpaper, the icons and startbar disappear after about 5 seconds

anything else i could try?

thanks for trying to help me!!

Jenny

Let's see what Debleena S, Support Engineer,  suggests next.

Jenny, if you have the XP Home Editon Install CD, put that in and when the CD opens, SELECT the  Install' option.

This should give you, then, the OPTION............to 'Repair the Operating System'.

Select it, then, sit back and let the Repair begin.

Some of the 'Start-up' files/links' have been broken, they need to be repaired/replaced.

By you own admission, you may have deleted something you shouldn't have....while doing a 'tidy-up' of your computer.

Hopefully, this 'Repair' option may correct that, if not, you have to look at doing a complete reinstallation of the OS.

But, sadly, the XP Home Edition OS is 'in the process of being 'phased out'. Completely.

Can your Acer lap-top handle....being upgraded to Win 7?

Get your local Computer store to check out whether it can be, or not.

Upgrade to Win 7 if it can be.

i do have the disk, so will try this...but before i do, is this likely to erase all my photos/music etc thats on my laptop or just repair the broken bits?  i'm just a bit worried about losing everything, but dont currently have anywhere else i can save them too.

 

Thankyou!

Jenny