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Windows boots to desktop with no icons, no taskbar
I am working on a family member's Dell (Model P02E) laptop. I believe it is running Windows 7 Home premium.
It has started booting to a Windows Error Recovery screen showing the following message:
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware of software change might be the cause.
If Windows files have been damaged or configured incorrectly, Startup Repair can helop diagnose and fix the problem. If power was interrupted during startup, choose Start Windows N.
Normally
Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
Start Windows Normally
If I select Start Windows Normally, the computer hangs at the Starting Windows screen for a minute, then the system reboots, and I end up at the same Error Recovery screen.
If I select Launch Startup Repair, the computer boots to what looks like a desktop with no icons, no taskbar, only a large cursor. The wallpaper is the generic windows Windows 7 wallpaper, mostly blue with the white silhouette of a bird.
The display appears to be in VGA - 670 x 480.
Keyboard commands (Win + R, CTRL+ALT+DEL, for example) do nothing.
Right clicking on the desktop gives me no menu.
Attempting to boot into safe mode brings me to the same screen.
Booting from a Windows 7 install CD and selecting Repair your computer (after selecting Language etc)brings me to the same screen I see when trying to Launch Startup Repair.
I tried connecting the laptop to various displays using the HDMI out and the VGA out with the same results.
It seems like the display is not showing everything, like the Startup Recovery Options are there, but off screen or invisible.
Looking forward to hearing any suggestions on how to proceed.