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Blank desktop with no icon or taskbar on Xp boot up

My XP home Laptop boots up gets past the XP Splash screen. And then I see the cursor with the dark back screen and nothing else. The cursor moves so the computer has not crashed. Ctrl + Alt + Del does not work and nor does any other keyboard shortcuts.

I have tried to boot up in last known good and all the safe modes but with the same problem.

Can you please help?

Thank you

Pete Long

XP Missing Task Bar and a blank Desktop (wallpaper ony)

I had this problem (04/04/04) So Im writing this in case it ever comes up on EE :)

1. Pres Ctrl+Alt+Delete
2. On the Task Manager (Applications Tab) Click New Task
3. In the run box that presents itself type the following %SystemRoot%\System32\restore\rstrui.exe
4. This will launch The Windows restore system pick a date (shown in BOLD) when the system was working and click next.
5. Your system will restore then reboot.

Fixed mine anyway :)

sunray_2003

Try doing this and might work for xp

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;256194

Instead of ctrl+alt+del, press windows key and check if the taskbar would come or press windows key + R to get run box

post back

sunray_2003

Also check this

HOW TO: Change the Windows Logon Screen Saver in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314493

downehouse

ASKER

Guys

Ctrl+Alt+Delete does not respond so I can not see the task manager

I have tried pressing windows key and then other shortcut keys such as "R" for run but nothing happens.

The problem is not a screen saver.

sunray_2003

What happens when you press windows key that it give the same effect as pressing the "Start" button
if it does that , can you click on "run" and does it open it

Alternatively also try , ctrl + Esc to get the start button menu

YarnoSG

and a FASTER way to the task manager is {CTRL- SHIFT - ESC}

downehouse

ASKER

ctrl shift esc does not work either. Like I have already said no shortcuts work. I know that the keyboard still works fine because I see the cap lock and num lock lights come on on te keyboard.

sunray_2003

Check this

Blank screen when you start Windows XP Home Edition?
http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBL/tip5900/rh5989.htm

downehouse

ASKER

Sunray that did not work either.

It’s a laptop not a desktop so it does not have any pci slots.

There is not white dot on the screens.

I have a laptop, which boots up in XP with only a blank desktop. No icons and no task bar. No short cuts seem to be working but the Keyboard is still working. Right click does not work either.

Help please

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sunray_2003

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downehouse

ASKER

In the end I had to rebuild the laptop not what I wanted to do but i guess there was no other way.

Jeff_Guy

I had a laptop with a similar problem (the Taskbar was NOT showing on boot up). I ran Ad-aware and it has found hundreds of Spyware file on the laptop. Hopefully this fixes the problem. Thanks for the tip on using the NEW TASK from within Task Manager - this was the only way that I could initiate Ad-aware.

gregblakney

I have exactly the same problem right now. The screen is completely blank.