Task Bar and Boxes Gone

[DonP]

Suddenly the Windows taskbar is empty and no windows will open up any secondary window. Even the event viewer does not allow me to see the details of the event. Once a window is in the background, I can see it in the Task Manager but I cannot open it again. Apparently some service has stopped running but I am not sure which one nor how to restart it since the service properties themselves do not appear either! Anyone know some command lines that might help? Thanks!

Don

http://www.pc-homepage.com/

http://www.personalzone.net/

Experienced in HTML, Perl, PHP, VBScript, PWS, IIS and Apache and MS-Access, MS-SQL, MySQL databases

 

[DonP]

Thanks. I think the main problem is that RPC isn't running (it's disabled) and it refuses to start even from the command line. I tried

sc \\127.0.0.1 config rpcss start= auto

sc \\127.0.0.1 config rpclocator start= auto

sc \\127.0.0.1 config rpc start= auto

but each gives an error that "the RPC server is unavailable". Is there one I am missing that needs to be started first? I used

sc query state= all

to get a list of services but it does not seem to show disabled ones unless they are included as "stopped".


Don

http://www.pc-homepage.com/

http://www.personalzone.net/

Experienced in HTML, Perl, PHP, VBScript, PWS, IIS and Apache and MS-Access, MS-SQL, MySQL databases

 

[DonP]

I just realized that no matter what sc config service I try to start, I get the same "RPC server is unavailable" error even when I type in a nonexistant service, such as:

sc \\127.0.0.1 config XXX start= auto

This seems to imply that I need to somehow first get RPC running outside of sc. Any ideas?

Don

http://www.pc-homepage.com/

http://www.personalzone.net/

Experienced in HTML, Perl, PHP, VBScript, PWS, IIS and Apache and MS-Access, MS-SQL, MySQL databases

 

[mrdenny]

With RPC disabled it's going to be trickier. Can you use a registry editor to change the settings?

Or maybe export the keys from another servers registry and import them into this servers registry? Just make sure that you only import the needed keys.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

(Not quite so old any more.)

 

[DonP]

I was thinking that very thing when I tested regedit last night. I seem to be able to access it but do not know what or where to edit so I left it alone until I got some specific advice.

I do not have other servers from which to import and my workstations are running Windows 2000.

Don

http://www.pc-homepage.com/

http://www.personalzone.net/

Experienced in HTML, Perl, PHP, VBScript, PWS, IIS and Apache and MS-Access, MS-SQL, MySQL databases

 

[mrdenny]

Services are stored in HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services.

If a service is disabled the value of Start is 4. If manual the value of Start is = 3. If Auto the value of Start is 2.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

(Not quite so old any more.)

 

[DonP]

Thanks, found them. I reset the RPC one that was disabled to auto but it still does not start. Is there supposed to be yet another? I see only Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator in the Services panel and the same in the registry.

The two there are both set to auto now yet neither will start. The error is that it cannot start either because it is disabled or there are no devices associated with it. Trying to restart either from the command line or Services panel gives the same error.

Don

http://www.pc-homepage.com/

http://www.personalzone.net/

Experienced in HTML, Perl, PHP, VBScript, PWS, IIS and Apache and MS-Access, MS-SQL, MySQL databases

 

[mrdenny]

For the RPC Locator to start the LanManWorkstation service must be started.

Is that service starting up? Make sure that the path to the file in the ImagePath is correct.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

(Not quite so old any more.)

 

[DonP]

The file in ImagePath is there. Workstation is set to automatic but does not start. Trying to start it manually, it gives an error that the "service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

Don

http://www.pc-homepage.com/

http://www.personalzone.net/

Experienced in HTML, Perl, PHP, VBScript, PWS, IIS and Apache and MS-Access, MS-SQL, MySQL databases

 

[mrdenny]

At this point I've got no idea. The Workstation service doesn't rely an only thing so it should start. There's got to be a bigger issue here.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

(Not quite so old any more.)