desktop and taskbar disappeared

[indianacarnie]

I just upgraded again to win7 after a serious crash. My new installation would not accept my system image so i started making my machine "mine" again. One of the things i do is change my start orb. After downloading a new copy of the changer from the windows club i changed it. My threatfire came up as always wanting to know if i wanted this change. As always i said yes. As always the screen blanked out for a second or two and when it came back,,,, i have nothing. No desktop, no taskbar. Nothing but my wallpaper. I tried control-alt-del to bring up task manager, and for all i know it may be there , i just cant see it. It did change me to the switch user /task manager/change password screen but nothing else. When i tried task manager all i got was my wallpaper again. After hitting various buttons at random i think either f2 or f3 brought up a small window from opera (my browser) wanting me to type in a web address. I found a similar problem on another forum that suggested the windows button+r to bring up the run box. Again, it may be there i just cant see it. At the bottom of my browser i can see nothing but my wallpaper so i know my taskbar is still "gone" and when i minimize my browser i have nothing.
Any ideas/help? i'll be leaving my browser open all night because its my only window to help. Oh, i tried the microsoft automated fixit thing but it encountered an 'error' and would not install. help please and thank you in advance.

 

[A Guy]

Hopefully easiest method will work. Boot to safe mode:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/69585-safe-mode.html

Choose Safe mode with command prompt

When command prompt loads, type in:

rstrui.exe

and press enter. When System Restore loads, choose a restore point from before the problem started. See if you aren't back in business. If not, I'd try SFC from the same command prompt, followed by a repair install if that too fails.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

A Guy