Need some Win XP help

[Mike Lane]

My Mom's Dell Lappy is acting all odd. It'll boot up fine. It gets to the user login screen (I set it up so there is an administrator account and then her limited access account for security's sake) but when you logon either as the admin or as the limited account the thing loads partiall but doesn't load the explorer.exe for either account. So basically you're stuck there looking at the background with no menu bar at the bottom or icons on the desktop and no ability to right click. Nothing works except I can get to the task manager by hitting ctrl-alt-del. Oh incidentally I did try using the windows key to see if the start menu would show up with no luck.

Anyhow, I got to the task manager like I said and explorer is not one of the listed items under the processes tab. I saw that and clicked file > new task and then typed in explorer. I saw the menu bar flash at the bottom for a split second and the explorer process flash for a split second in the processes tab list but that was it.

I tried doing a repair installation of windows to fix it (not the first repair option when you boot up with the xp disk in the drive but the 2nd option where you hit R to repair an installation). It went all the way through that and worked fine and came to the login screen and the same thing happened. So that didn't work.

I haven't tried going back to a system restore point (although I'm not sure if I could) or starting in safe mode yet. I'm hoping this is a quick and easy fix that I should have thought of doing in the first place. :uhoh

Any thoughts?

[David_S85]

If Task Manager comes up, try File > New Task (Run...) , then type in iexplore

Does that do anything?

[meewolfie]

You can try to boot in "safe (http://www.computerhope.com/issues/chsafe.htm)" mode before resorting to a re-imaging of the machine. There may be something in the load sequence that is getting hung up and so the system never moves past that point.

If you are able to get to your start menu or the command line from safe mode, go to START > Run > msconfig

The "startup" tab allows you to choose to turn off certain things that would normall load while XP loads. Without knowing all of the details, it's hard to know which ones to try turning off.

Mary

[Mike Lane]

If Task Manager comes up, try File > New Task (Run...) , then type in iexplore

Does that do anything?

I typed in explorer in that prompt (like I mentioned). I'm pretty sure that should be the thing to do. But I'll try iexplore... it can't hurt. :dunno

I'll do a safe mode boot once I get a chance assuming the above doesn't work.

[Nikolai]

First of al, sorry about that...
Second: you can try that xp CD again, but choose the first option.
Read the prompts VERY carefully, and you'll end up with an option to restore your system files, while leaving all the apps, etc. intact.

I had to go through this just a few weeks ago, when one of my PCs at work didn't boot after I returned from a vacation. Its hard drive were showing the signs of age before.

I must also tell you that after I fixed it I ended up with a new machine anyway, but at least I was able to save important files...:-)

HTH

[Mike Lane]

First of al, sorry about that...
Second: you can try that xp CD again, but choose the first option.
Read the prompts VERY carefully, and you'll end up with an option to restore your system files, while leaving all the apps, etc. intact.

I had to go through this just a few weeks ago, when one of my PCs at work didn't boot after I returned from a vacation. Its hard drive were showing the signs of age before.

I must also tell you that after I fixed it I ended up with a new machine anyway, but at least I was able to save important files...:-)

HTH

I replaced the hard drive with the one that's in there right now after her old one went kaput. So maybe there was something more wrong with the machine than the hard drive. But up till yesterday it was just fine. :dunno

I've got a few things to try, now I just need some time to try them :D

I'll report back....