Start menu & Tool bars have disappeared

Is there any chance that it did an automatic update to windows service pack 3? I've seen this cause the same problem quite a few times and a roll back of the service pack often fixes it.

Xizor.. it seems unlikely, but possible.  I'll try and check.
I ran an AVG on the system, and it found 36 problems, Trojans, mainly.  Limewire was installed a few weeks back.,...

So.. the AVG deleted the Trojans, but now the mouse (usb) won't work.  I've just tried a PS2 mouse, and THAT works.
So.. the original problem remains, wiht the additional problem of the USB mouse not working.

Help!

From the Task Manager, if you run the explorer.exe does windows shell execute? ie: the deskotp icons and task bar appear?

How about trying an XP repair, as I mentioned in my first comment?

Lee...

XP repair is a drastic move - I'd like to try something a bit less dramatic.,

I've got 7 trojans in the Restore file which I need to get rid of before anything else.  To do that, I need to get into the Restore facility and turn it off.  Where and how can I do that?

Xizor,  I can't see explorer.exe in the Task Manager.  How do I get to it?

Thanks/ all..  I'll get there.. with your help..

DCB

From the Task Manager, click on the File menu, then select New task (run), and type explorer.exe in the dialog box.

Also, try Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php)

I also agree that doing a repair installation can be a bit drastic and there are some things to try to repair your system before doing that.

Heres a few things you can do in the effort of cleaning and removing malware if you have another computer available (if you feel safe doing them - be carefully playing in the registry.)  I dont know your experience level so I'll try and be detailed for you. If your not happy with removing your hard drive, or dont have another pc available... ignore all this...

Take the drive out of your system, place it into system number 2 as a slave drive and do a virus scan over the hard drive to remove anything.
This is an excellent way to find and remove malware as the OS isn't running and there should be no locked files stoping you cleaning it.

While the hard drive is in the other system still, and even while its virus scanning, you can check some places the registry for malware:

Click Start, Run type in REGEDT32
Click OK

This will start a registry editor.
Select any of the HKEY items in the list on the left. ie: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Click File menu
Click Load Hive
navigate to  drive:\windows\system32\config
click the file name "SOFTWARE"
Click Open
You'll be prompted for a Key Name: type in anything you want and press OK:  IE: FIXME

you'll now have a new sub key with the registry information from your hard drive:  
IE: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\FIXME

Navigate to:
HK_L_M\FIXME\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

This is common hiding place for malware applications to be starting from, entrys in here have 3 parts:

NAME            TYPE                DATA
CAPON          REG_SZ          C:\windows\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\caponn.exe

NAME = Value Name  (typically a short name easily identifyable with the app being run)
TYPE  = The type of value (these should all be REG_SZ for this location)
DATA = this is the program file that is be executed.

Look through the DATA colum and if there are any programs in there that you cant tell what they are or you feel are suspicious items, do a google search on the .exe program and you should get a result letting you know what the program is or belongs to.


check this value:
HK_L_M\FIXME\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell = Explorer.exe

This is what actually runs Explorer.exe and puts the task bar at the bottom of the screen and the icons on the desktop.

Navigate to:
HK_L_M\FIXME\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify

This key may have a few or many subkeys, some malware insert their own items here:
if you not sure what an item is, select the path on the left, on the right hand side there should be a key called  DLLNAME and its data will be a .dll file:

EG: The Crypt32Chain path has"

NAME           TYPE:                            DATA
DllName       REG_EXPAND_SZ         crypt23.dll

You can look through each of these .dll files and do a google on them to see if they are known malware items.
some of the common paths i've seen are: crtyp32chain, cryptnet, cscdll, sccertprop, schedule, sclgntfy, senslogn, termsrv, wlballoon.
You should be fairly safe to ignore checking those, but check out any others listed.

When your done checking the registry, you need to unload the hive...
Select FIXME
Click the File Menu
Click Unload Hive
Click OK
Close Regedt32.

As I mentioned earlier today, i have seen this caused by service pack 3 installing.

open the system properties by running: CONTROL SYSDM.CPL

it should tell you on the first screen (General) what service pack is installed.

If its service pack 3 and you would like to try a roll back to service pack 2 let me know and i'll post instructions... you'll need the windows CD to access the repair console

xizor..  I checked it and it's service pack two.  I'm working on turning the Sys Restore off.
Removing the drive isn't TOO much of a problem.. but I'd rather try all the other options.. can't believe it can be THAT awkward to get rid of a few trojans...

Lee.. I  tried that with explorer.exe - it was unable to locate it.

I've just turned the System Restore tab off, as advised... and I'm about to restart...

:-)

>Lee.. I  tried that with explorer.exe - it was unable to locate it.

If explorer.exe is missing, you've got really BAD problems, and an XP repair is probably the only solution, IMO...

Sometimes explorer might not be actually missing. Check here:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/XP/Q_23703294.html