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February 22nd, 2004 23:00
No Start Button, No Task Bar after Windows Update and Reboot
All assistance with this gratefully appreciated.
Dimension 4550, XP Home.
After performing monthly routine maintenance (SpyBot, Spyware Blaster), went to WIndows Update which scanned the computer and recommended 4 updates, totaling 17 megs.
Rebooted after update. Computer took 20 minutes to get to Welcome screen and all activities on computer are painfully sluggish. Now there is neither "Start" button or task bar or system tray.
Spent 4 hours with Tech Support via phone - repair did not correct problem. Incidentally, tech support suggested not doing any Windows Updates. Ever.
Computer is now in Safe Mode.
Any suggestions for restoring start button and task bar are greatly appreciated. I'm prepared to do clean install but would prefer another option to fix this.
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Denny Denham
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18.8K Posts
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February 23rd, 2004 02:00
Use System Restore to return your computer to its state prior to installing the updates. With luck that should restore your task bar. If not, a Repair Reinstall (directions here) should accomplish the task short of a full reinstallation of Windows.
In either case, you will have to reapply the updates. Try doing them one at a time, creating a Restore point after each one to facilitate recovery should it become necessary. There have been other reports of Dell tech support reps recommending against installing Critical Updates. That continues to rank as the most ignorant recommendation reported to date.
Robert A Foster
4 Posts
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February 24th, 2004 00:00
Denny, many thanks for your very useful advice. I checked to see if the Auto Hide feature was selected for Start and Taskbar - it wasn't selected, but when I closed window, I got everything back. And sluggishness disappeared.
This site offered some interesting, if not exactly new, information. And some humor:
http://www.angelfire.com/nh/secret/28repairs.htm