Posting the make and model of your computer and operating system can be very helpful.
Guessing...
Try scanning for Malware. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware update it and do a quick scan. If it finds anything, remove the selected and then go to DELL Malware Removal Forum read the top post by bugbatter and follow the instructions. They are better equipped to help you remove all the malware and get your system back to normal.
If there was a point in time where the computer was running correctly you can try a system restore to that time. If you don't have access to the desktop or taskbar then press CTRL-ALT-DEL. This should open up task manager or give you an option to open task manager. From there click File, New Task (Run), and type rstrui.exe. This will run the system restore.
If you need to get access to the taskbar there is another trick you can try with the task manager. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL to bring it up. If explorer.exe is running in tasks then right-click on it and choose End Process. Then click File, New Task (Run), and type explorer.exe. This will re-run the explorer shell and hopefully give you access to the taskbar.
Consider what applications you may have installed recently. It might be worth removing them if you can. You can run add/remove programs by running appwiz.cpl from task manager.
Final suggestion - Run the Windows CD and perform a repair. You will have to reinstall windows patches but this usually fixes any corrupt settings quite well.
If System Restore doesn't fix it, go here and find line 195, right-hand column: Restore Desktop icons and Taskbar
Double-click on that link and download the .vbs file. You can do this on any PC and save the file on a USB memory stick. Connect the memory stick to the problem PC and copy/drag the file onto the desktop. Now double-click the file on the desktop and let it run. Reboot when it's done.
PudgyOne
9 Legend
•
30.3K Posts
0
August 27th, 2009 02:00
tonedee,
Posting the make and model of your computer and operating system can be very helpful.
Guessing...
Try scanning for Malware. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware update it and do a quick scan. If it finds anything, remove the selected and then go to DELL Malware Removal Forum read the top post by bugbatter and follow the instructions. They are better equipped to help you remove all the malware and get your system back to normal.
Rick
Barry Tabrah
6 Posts
0
August 27th, 2009 04:00
If there was a point in time where the computer was running correctly you can try a system restore to that time. If you don't have access to the desktop or taskbar then press CTRL-ALT-DEL. This should open up task manager or give you an option to open task manager. From there click File, New Task (Run), and type rstrui.exe. This will run the system restore.
If you need to get access to the taskbar there is another trick you can try with the task manager. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL to bring it up. If explorer.exe is running in tasks then right-click on it and choose End Process. Then click File, New Task (Run), and type explorer.exe. This will re-run the explorer shell and hopefully give you access to the taskbar.
Consider what applications you may have installed recently. It might be worth removing them if you can. You can run add/remove programs by running appwiz.cpl from task manager.
Final suggestion - Run the Windows CD and perform a repair. You will have to reinstall windows patches but this usually fixes any corrupt settings quite well.
RoHe
10 Elder
•
45.2K Posts
0
August 27th, 2009 14:00
EDIT: This is for XP, not Vista
If System Restore doesn't fix it, go here and find line 195, right-hand column: Restore Desktop icons and Taskbar
Double-click on that link and download the .vbs file. You can do this on any PC and save the file on a USB memory stick. Connect the memory stick to the problem PC and copy/drag the file onto the desktop. Now double-click the file on the desktop and let it run. Reboot when it's done.
Ron