Windows XP forum: NO START BUTTON OR MENU - NO DESK TOP - NO TASK BAR

If I knew what a driver was I might have installed one. Please know that I am your archetypal play-it-by-ear amateur without an ounce of training to my name. I will look in Device Manager if I can find it in or from Task Mananger.

No 1 was a custom-built tower unit that a local guy built for me four years ago, and I had just over three years of wonderful trouble-free daily use from it, until mid-2008. Then he put in a new motherboard, P6NGM by MSI. A few months down the line and it suddenly went haywire. He took it back and restored it almost immediately, and demonstrated it to me. 24 hours later the C-drive disappeared (allegedly) and then XP wouldn't boot at all. I lost faith in the whole contraption. No more money in that direction, because I couldn't trust it any more.

All good fun. JB

You said:-

"Open the Task Manager, and go to File > New Task (Run..), and type in explorer.exe and click OK. Does the Desktop and Taskbar and all the icons appear?"

No they don't. The message reads (something like) 'Cannot find explorer.exe. Please check that you have spelled it correctly and try again.'

IE and OE open when prefaced with C:\Program Files\etc. etc., so I tried several permutations of that sort of run-up, but still could not get through.

JB

10.41 GMT I've just rebooted into Safe Mode using the F8 Method as described on Bleeping Computer.

What I am now faced with is a black screen with 'Safe Mode' stated in each of the four corners; plus a top line which says: "Microsoft (R) Windows XP (R)(Build 2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.080814-1236:Service Pack 3).

There is no start bar and no icon. The mouse pointer roams freely but activates nothing. I will now attempt Control/Alt/Delete and see if Task Manager comes up.

10.49 GMT Task Manager appears. Played about with Task Manager for a bit, but found nothing different from when I had it up before in normal mode. So, I'm back where I started.

1052 GMT Came out of Task Manager, then went back in. Decided to enter Shut Down, and then clicked Restart. All went as expected (presumably now in normal mode) and I am back with my blank green screen.

1102 GMT Hit Control/Alt/Delete, and up came Task Manager. I'm right back where I started.

If C:(then a back slash - there doesn't seem to be one on this keyboard)Program Files, Internet Explorer, IEXPLORER.EXE gets me into IE, then it seems to me that C-drive is accessible provided we have the full URL. So what is the proper, full URL for Windows Explorer?

JB

did first part disabled all add-on. everything came back. do i need do the rest? if so i do not no where to go to desable 3rd part taskbars. will wait till get response b4 continuing. use windows xp will send more system info if problem continues.

Actually, I did think of that myself, way back in this problem - so I raised up the resolution settings somehow (I'll have to figure out again how I did it) and what I discovered was that there were only two settings available, and I was already on 800 x 600, whereas I wanted 1024 x 768. But it wouldn't go there.
I'll have another go later on.

I've certainly got Windows, no doubt about that. In fact, in between postings I have been experimenting with the Browse facility available in Task Manager to establish more URLs that respond. As a result I now have a long down-arrow menu of about twenty or so applications that I can now get access to. I can get into Paint, Wordpad, Notepad, IE 6, IE 7, OE 5, OE 6, and many others.

Of course, I found Windows Explorer thru the browsing facility - and guess what happened when I used that URL to access it? I got no response at all, not even a failure dialogue box. Just nothing. I tried three times.

This makes me feel that the other posters are on the right track - namely that what I have got on this Deskpro by loading an OEM XP Home previously on another machine (mine: I paid for it), activating it automatically via MS, and updating it via MS, is in fact a restricted version of XP Home. Still better that a sterile machine with no OS at all. But nevertheless it's worth pursuing the task bar, start menu and desktop until the bitter end.

But if I don't get them, it's still a good deal for me. I get to have three functioning machines. My previous 2GB No.1 running Linux: I now use Firefox on it every day, purely for the speed. Then this Deskpro for email and other useful and familiar Windows applications. Then the old '98 machine, which carries most of my historic data (i.e. the hard drive hasn't gone on that one yet).

And that's only me. I haven't told you about my wife's machines in the next room. Nor will I. I wouldn't want to bore you.

As you may have guessed, we are both retired. JB

1740 hours GMT: I'll do everything you suggest - in the morning when I'm as fresh as an old daisy. But I can tell you now - it aint gonna work. I've just pressed the buttons on my (old) monitor, and it does not have a resolution facility; and I would have been very surprised if it did. The rest will be tomorrow.

I run three CRT monitors in my room, with another four spare ones under the table. Yes - FOUR. Some kind company gave me seven monitors when they upgraded to flat screens. And I'm the kind of guy that finds it very hard to say no to a gift. Particularly when the first monitor I ever had caught fire (with real glowing bits and lots of acrid smoke) within two weeks of purchase new. Dare I say it? Part of a total PC package from Fujitsu-Sei(ie)mens. Replaced instantly and without questions, of course, but it left its mark on my psyche about monitors. And I had another one go a few years later.

When my wife and I rationalised our computer logistics a few months ago, she took my flat screen into her room. Just like that! If a guy values his dinner being cooked for him every night then he has to watch his reactions. "Yes dear, you can have it - you deserve it." I know what I'm doing. She's been cooking me dinner for forty-five years. She can have whatever she likes, as long as they keep coming.

What's this gotta do with start menus?

JB

Bunniegirl (You weren't really one, were you?)

You wrote: "settings...This is what I think you did....you used your mouse and right clicked on the desktop. The task box pops up..and you clicked on properties...then you have all your moniter settings there. IF you had your start button on the desktop you could go to accessories and find better choices...but that isn't an option in your case...as you can't reach your start button."

I have just got my Task Manager box on screen and I can't find any way to access 'Properties'. Right clicking takes me nowhere, and all the tabs and arisings from them do not yield Properties. But I'm still experimenting elsewhere, via other things I can get from TMgr.

7.25 GMT: I've got no further. I'm beginning to think my amnesia is the problem. Maybe it was the Linux on the other machine where I couldn't get away from 800 x 600.

This can't go on forever. Perhaps I should settle for what I've got. Or buy a fully reconditioned base unit from my man in Wimbledon, for a trifling 65 quid (100 bucks), which comes with XP and other software goodies all rolled in. See: http://www.gumtree.com/london/57/34975257.html

Yeah, I think I'll do that. Next week, maybe.

JB

I wish I could help you more, but I've exhausted all my ideas now. When I use this particular machine (about half my total computer time) I just suffer with Task Manager. I'm simply hoping that one day the C-drive on my main machine (i.e. the original OEM PC) will kick back in, and XP Home will be available again on the genuine PC. I haven't yet bought a refurbished machine because I've been too preoccupied this last week getting another car (Dodge Neon), but I can see it happening. In a month or two this machine will hit the dump and the problem will be history. JB

Nice try, but the message I got back was "Windows cannot find 'regedit'. Make sure you typed the name properly.....etc.....etc". JB

All's well that ends well. I am happy to report success (of a sort). Having exhausted all original thought and suggestions for fixing the problem, I re-installed XP Home with my OEM disk, chucking out all partitions and the previous malfunctioning system, and starting with a clean C-drive again. And whaddya know? It all went fine and was re-installed in an hour and a half - complete with proper Start button and Menu. All now working normally.

During set-up I noticed an activity being performed called "Installing Start menu items". I didn't take my eyes off it until it was done. JB