start menu wont work

So everything works, but when you click on the start menu button it does not come up?  "Everything works" as in desktop icons can be clicked on and open fine?

yeah everything else works fine.

If you boot into safe mode does the problem persist?

http://www.pchell.com/support/safemode.shtml

yep tried everything, every mode.

The start bar exists as a result of the program called explorer.exe running.

If you use the keyboard "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" which launches the Task Manager, and you kill the explorer.exe process (under Processes tab), then go to "File / New Task (Run...)" and run the command execute.exe, does that solve your problem? If not, does running "C:\Windows\Explorer.exe" make it run properly?


More specifically, when you kill the 'explorer.exe' process, does you whole taskbar disappear? (This is a normal behavior, if it does)

Can reset the security settings by running subinacl.

I would recommend running combofix from safe mode with networking. Will resolve all issues in your computer.

http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/protected/ae8314c7c3c044a01ccf377806688410/4d5ccd3d/ComboFix.exe


Try it.



Ded9

how do  run subinacl properly to fix this problem?

Did u try combofix. Try combofix first.


Ded9

Hi. I found that this works.

Step1: Download subinacl.msi from the link
http://go¿microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=23418 and install it¿ By default it will install to c:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools

Step2:

1.If you are running Windows Vista, click on the Start menu, choose All Programs, then Accessories, then right-click on the item named Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator

2.If you are running an OS other than Windows Vista, go to the Start menu, choose Run, type cmd and click OK

3.Type notepad reset.cmd and click yes to create a new file named reset.¿¿¿

4.Copy and paste the following contents into reset¿cmd



cd /d "%programfiles%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools"subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=restricted=r /grant=YOURUSERNAME=f /setowner=administrators > %temp%\subinacl_output.txtsubinacl /keyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=restricted=r /grant=YOURUSERNAME=f /setowner=administrators >> %temp%\subinacl_output.txtsubinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=users=r /grant=everyone=r /grant=restricted=r /setowner=administrators >> %temp%\subinacl_output.txtsubinacl /keyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=users=r /grant=everyone=r /grant=restricted=r /setowner=administrators >> %temp%\subinacl_output.txtsubinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=users=r /setowner=administrators >> %temp%\subinacl_output.txtsubinacl /keyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=users=r /setowner=administrators >> %temp%\subinacl_output.txtsubinacl /subdirectories %programfiles%\ /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=users=e >> %temp%\subinacl_output.txtsubinacl /subdirectories %windir%\ /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f /grant=users=e >> %temp%\subinacl_output.¿¿¿¿¿

Step3: Save the attached file in 'C:\Program Files\Windows
Resource Kits\Tools' as reset.cmd or reset.bat

Step4: Run the file reset.bat from 'C:\Program Files\Windows
Resource Kits\Tools' (It wil run for approx 10 min)

restart the computer.

The above comment of mine is to run subinacl.

jarrod do i just run the file or use in some sort of combination with subinacl?  

combofix did not work, which makes me think it is an issue with dell.

Try creating a new user account. Restart the computer and login under the new account.

Try it



Ded9

did the new user account and did not work. everything works except the start menu! i appreciate the attempted help! wish it would fix it!

If you get this problem in all mode then explorer.exe is corrupted.

Steps you can try

1. Try system restore

2. Boot from Windows 7 dvd and do startup and repair.

If the above does not work then

Boot to desktop -insert the windows 7 disc and then click uprade to repair windows 7.

Should fix your problem.

Regarding running subinacl check this link
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2006/09/04/739820.aspx


Ded9

none of the above worked. menu button still inactive.

Why dont you try backing up your data, and reinstalling the entire OS? If that doesnt fix it then im stumbled...

Did you try repair installation windows 7.  That should work.


Ded9

Deb9 it did not work. background on this. we have one main computer win 7 setup with company programs etc. works perfect. we made image like always and transfered to 62 other new dell opti380 computers. every one of them are doing this. there are 6 of us and everyone has tried everything as well as Dell and nothing. even the young ones are unable to fix it. Only problem that is identical in every one of them is the menu button wont work. when you hover over it you see the background change, when you use keyboard use so it flash, it just will not display. i am in year 28 of doing this and i am just sure it has to be dell related. i have never had any trouble with images until this time. it has a sort of policy problem feel and sort of a permissions feel but they are correct. i APPRECIATE all of your insight.

also COMBOFIX usually fixes 99.9999% of problems but it did nothing. it just really points toward hardware or something with dell wouldnt you think?

it is the image so this answer proved it.