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Thread: Icons not showing up on desktop

  1. #1
    Junior Member Content's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    19

    Icons not showing up on desktop

    Alright I had happened to come home and turn on my computer to
    do some research. For some apparent reason all of my icons are
    gone as well as the start menu/taskbar etc. I can still open all of
    my application thorough the task manager but what can I do to see
    why I have a blank desktop?

    I'm pretty sure there are commands to open the start menu options
    but im not sure what they are. If someone knows please let me know
    if I don't figure it out soon.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Super Moderator Big Booger's Avatar
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    Apr 2002
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    JAPAN
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    10,201
    Can you right click the desktop? If so, choose arrange icons by, and select show desktop.

    Another thing you can try is to boot, open taskmanager and kill explorer.exe

    Then open task manager again, and click file new task, run, and type explorer.exe

    If that brings back your icons problem solved.

    If not, you can try booting to the PC, open task manager, click file, new task run, and then type:

    sfc /scannow

    Make sure you have the XP cd available because it will ask you to insert it.

    That should fix any files that might be screwed up and repalces them with new files from the CD.

    Are you using any themes or anything like that? If so disable them... and see if that works.

    If you are using stardock, window blinds or something like that... remove those programs.

    ALso, if you can, try running in safe mode and doing an antivirus scan... see if anything is picked up by your scanner... if so take the appropriate steps to remove it (sometimes viruses can make icons disappear).

    TweakUI for XP has a setting to allow you to rebuild the icons if there is a problem for some strange reason:

    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

    Download and install that.

    Have you installed any hardware, drivers, software etc... recently? As in right before the icons disappeared? If so, remove them... and reboot.

    ANd finally, try to open task manager, and click file, new task run, and type:

    msconfig.

    CHoose to do a diagnostic startup. and reboot.

    Then if everything works, go back into msconfig, and under startup, start adding those items that are unchecked one by one. And reboot. IF you add an item and it causes your icons to disappear then you've sorted the problem and can remove that item permanently.
    From my private message to you.

  3. #3
    Banned
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    587
    Hey BB, do Powertoys come with Windows Update, or do we have to manualy get them?


  4. #4
    Silver Member joshsiao's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
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    326
    You'll have to manually get them from the website as in BB's post : http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx
    "Never seem more learnt then the people you are with. Wear your learning like a watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it out to count the hours, but give the time when you are asked."
    ~Chesterfield

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