Blank Desktop 1

[Mattb7]

Ok I have a problem with a windows 2000 pro computer. A client restarted the computer the other day and after logging in windows started with a blank desktop. No icons or taskbar. I am able to ctrl+alt+del to get to task manager. From there i can run a new task. I have looked on microsoft and they explained the exact problem, but their solution did not work. Has anyone experienced this?? Please help. I do not want to reformat this computer. Thanks,
Matt

 

[netwalker1]

ALL the users in this PC are facing the same problem ? or just u ? Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[Mattb7]

there is only one user- the administrator

 

[lifto]

Bring up task manager and look and see if explorer.exe is running under the processes tab. My be is that it is not. We have had the same problem with one of our Win2k machines. copying explorer.exe from another win2k machine to the "broken" machine fixed it.

HTH & let me know if it works if you try it.

 

[netwalker1]

try to download this file : and press unhide,, and see if it works ?! Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[Mattb7]

download what file?

 

[Mattb7]

lifto- taking explorer.exe from another win2k machine didnt work. thanks anyway.

 

[netwalker1]

sorry , u can download it from :

http://www.freakyhumor.com/pranks/hidedesktop.shtml

Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[netwalker1]

or check this also :

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Shell_and_Desktop/Misc__Desktop_Management_Tools/Iconoid.html

Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[Mattb7]

all that does is hide the icons, i am also missing the task bar.

 

[netwalker1]

the deskbar is also hidden !
Hmm ,, I think your profile is not starting to the end !
can u make another user , and then log with the new one and check it out ?!

Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[Tragdor]

Did that user have access to the Global policy editor? Those items can be removed under the administrative templates folder.

 

[Mattb7]

I gave up and re-installed windows. If anyone knows the answer to this i would still be very interested. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[netwalker1]

re-install the windows !!!
a very hard step !
I was facing something like this with the active desktop .. i just made it unactive , and the problem ws solved ! Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[lifto]

Sorry the explorer.exe idea didn't work. Some time re-installing is the quick and easy way.

 

[Mattb7]

It was quicker to re-install then to spend all day trying to figure out how to fix it.

 

[pbxman]

It was probably a service that hung on startup, or an app in your systray (probably virus related) that ran at startup. pbxman
Systems Administrator

Please let Tek-Tips members know their posts were helpful.

 

[Mattb7]

i did find a few viruses but nothing really damaging, mostly klez. It also makes me think that it is something microsoft related because they do have kb article on the exact problem, its just that their fix didnt work. who knows, at least the machine is up and running again.

 

[pbxman]

"a few viruses - mostly klez"?
Thats nasty. Dont think it's harmless just because it's the most damaging virus in computing history or anything

Go to symantec.com and use their removal tools. If you had Klez and a few others, there is your problem. You just need to completely remove them all. Don't underestimate Klez just because it's popular..it's popular for a reason, and that is because its payload is harsh, and it's hard to remove. You got hit hard on this one. Learn from it, and take steps to prevent it ever happening in the future. If your network got hit with this - you'd be in for a nightmare, trust me. Don't take this lightly by any means. You need to take steps to ensure this never happens again. pbxman
Systems Administrator

Please let Tek-Tips members know their posts were helpful.

 

[Mattb7]

Klez is not a very harmful virus, at least not all the strands of it. And it is very easy to remove. I have had it going around for a while now, but it doesnt do anything destructive. It is a worm, just keeps sending itself on.