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very, very odd desktop problem

post #1 of 16
1/2/06 at 4:26pm
Thread Starter 
my dad's desktop is having a strange problem, one that i've never seen before...i'm pretty sure the only fix is a windows reinstall, but just wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas...

dell, p3, running xp sp2.

computer boots normally to the welcome screen. when you choose a user to log in as, it proceeds fairly normally, perhaps with a bit more lag, and then it decides to get super wacky.

desktop wallpaper loads, and nothing else. no icons, taskbar, system tray, etc...mouse and keyboard work, you can bring up task manager (though ctrl-alt-del is the only keyboard shortcut i can get to work), so obviously windows is more or less loaded...but a look at the task manager to check the running processes reveals that the system shell (explorer.exe) has not loaded and is not loading!!! zomgwtf!!!

my best guess is that the registry somehow got corrupted *coughnortoncough*, or it's some wacky virus that i've never heard of and can't find any information about...

if anyone has any info, or can give me a to fresh win install, i'd appreciate it...i thought i had seen all the wacky windows malfunctions, but this one takes the cake...
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post #2 of 16
1/2/06 at 4:56pm
Have you tried scanning for viri in the safe mode?

[edit]and have you tried a system restore?
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post #3 of 16
1/2/06 at 5:09pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by g00nter
Have you tried scanning for viri in the safe mode?

[edit]and have you tried a system restore?
forgot to mention...

same problem in safe mode, system restore, debug mode...everything...i've done all i know to try, and the shell refuses to load...
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post #4 of 16
1/2/06 at 5:12pm
can you start exeplorer.exe manually? Check the event log for errors. Check for a full HDD clean it up. Empty it of temp files etc.
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post #5 of 16
1/2/06 at 5:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmith
can you start exeplorer.exe manually? Check the event log for errors. Check for a full HDD clean it up. Empty it of temp files etc.
how would i do any of that?
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post #6 of 16
1/2/06 at 5:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zem Frim-Bott
how would i do any of that?
Bring up the task manager, click file -> new task, then in the box that comes up, type in explorer.exe
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post #7 of 16
1/2/06 at 5:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zem Frim-Bott
how would i do any of that?
go into Safe Mode and after logging in try launch the Task Manager with either Ctrl+Alt+Del or Ctrl+Esc (either should bring you up the task manager). If you can launch it try running explorer.exe, that should give you everything.

If that doesnt work you could do cmd.exe to get a command line and do stuff from the command line. Try System Restore if you can also (C:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe)
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post #8 of 16
1/2/06 at 5:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pyro_dragun
Bring up the task manager, click file -> new task, then in the box that comes up, type in explorer.exe

that was exactly what i was going to say. If thats the case, we can make it start when windows boots easily.
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post #9 of 16
1/2/06 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pyro_dragun
Bring up the task manager, click file -> new task, then in the box that comes up, type in explorer.exe
/self-noobed.

i didn't know you could access run from there off to try it...


EDIT: "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel"

EDIT2: same message no matter what i type in there...explorer.exe, telnet, services.msc, everything...
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post #10 of 16
1/2/06 at 8:24pm
hmmm I vaguely remember this happening a long time ago. Let me google it and I'll hit you back.
EDIT: try this:http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm line 12.
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post #11 of 16
1/2/06 at 8:33pm
Run a spyware scan... seems like something (A virus, spyware, etc.) has attacked explorer.exe and bruised up the kernel.

I'd attempt to install Firefox and head over to Kaspersky's website and let them do a online scan for you.
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post #12 of 16
1/2/06 at 11:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boogieman117
Run a spyware scan... seems like something (A virus, spyware, etc.) has attacked explorer.exe and bruised up the kernel.

I'd attempt to install Firefox and head over to Kaspersky's website and let them do a online scan for you.
the only way i could run a scan on the hdd is to unhook it from the desktop, put it in my external enclosure, and run one from my lappy. which, for obvious reasons, i'm not too keen on.

i have no interface with the machine except for the task manager. nothing will run from the run prompt.

@bsmith or anyone else who knows - i think i already know the answer, but there's no way to edit the registry outside of windows, right? otherwise i would try your fix.

thanks for your help everyone, but i'm pretty positive it's reinstall time. maybe now my dad will listen to me, lose norton, and start using the mozilla/ad-aware/spybot s&d/ms anti-spyware quadruple threat...
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post #13 of 16
1/2/06 at 11:44pm
yeah, at this point, id reformat. Being a PIII, its probably old and time to anyways, it will be faster after a clean install. All i use is Firefox and AVG free. Whenever i run ad-aware, its returns zero results.
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post #14 of 16
1/3/06 at 12:20am
Yeah sorry to say but sounds like you're hosed.
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post #15 of 16
1/3/06 at 1:29am
now you said something of needing a fresh install of windows correct?
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post #16 of 16
1/3/06 at 11:38am
When in doubt...format...
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