Explorer.EXE not working, no application launching after theme install

[asuperpower]

A little background, I've been a overclock.net member for a while but I turned to this site as when I was googling for help, this site came up. As this site seems excellent for troubleshooting, I've turned to this site.

Shortly after installing a theme (I can not remember as I can't get into the file system) which is as far as I can see a perfectly legitimate theme (recommended by a user from overclock.net) explorer.exe hasn't worked. I installed it, it asked me to restart explorer.exe by pressing the button. I got the error that it could not start. It recommended that I restart the computer before all changes take place. I assumed that I had to restart the computer for Explorer.EXE to work. It did not. At startup, the following happened and now does every time I start it up: (A note, sorry for the low quality photo's, I'm letting someone using my DSLR as they're on holidays.)
Everything goes seemingly normal in the BIOS. FYI, the debug code on the motherboard is AA so all is fine according to the debug code.

Just before Windows logs me in (just after the Windows logo at boot) there is a blacks screen displayed for a significant amount of time. As I have an SSD, it shouldn't be there and it shouldn't take that long.

Before I get to the desktop, the following errors come up:

This is what the desktop looks at login. Firstly, there is not start menu - which means no explorer.exe. Secondly, why has this application started up? Nothing else seems to be able to but this application however manages to. Is it because it uses it's own UI? Nothing else seems to startup. Hmm.

I press ctrl+alt+delete and the following comes up as usual:

I click "start task manager" and the following error comes up:

I then decided to start the computer up in safe mode.

Same errors as before:

This is what the desktop looks like, no start menu there:

I press ctrl+alt+delete and the normal ctrl+alt+delete screen comes up. Same taskmanager error as earlier.

I next boot into safe mode with command prompt. This time only this error comes up: (that is, unless I missed the explorer.exe error or I subconsciously clicked the ok button which is a possibility)

This is what the desktop looks like but whatever application I tried to open came up with an error.

Thank you.

 

[Brink]

Hello asuperpower,

If you had system protection turned on, then you might see if you may be able to do a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before you installed the them to hopefully fix this for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[asuperpower]

System Restore

Hello asuperpower,

If you had system protection turned on, then you might see if you may be able to do a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before you installed the them to hopefully fix this for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

I've already done that by turning it on in safe mode but it didn't work. It came up with the same error as any program that I try to open.

 

[Brink]

You would have needed to had system restore/protection turned on and had created a restore point before you installed the theme to be able to use that restore point to undo the theme.

A command prompt in Safe Mode is not the same as a command prompt at boot. See OPTION TWO in the tutorial I posted above for more on this if you have a restore point dated before installing the theme. Hopefully so.

 

[asuperpower]

I re-read post #3 and it seems I read it wrong. I was a little frustrated earlier, sorry. This is what I tried:

So, I select repair on the install disk and it comes up with an error message saying the following:
"The version of system recovery options is not compatible with the current version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a repair disk that is compatible with this version of Windows."

What should I do? I just moved from XP to this build (see system specs) so I didn't really get that familiar with the workings of the OS.

It doesn't matter too much. The only real reason for repairing it was so I could use it this week as I'm just about to order a new SSD anyway as my current one isn't jetting 1/8th of the advertised speeds. When the SSD arrives, I just simply plug it in, install Windows, transfer the files, reinstall the applications, create a disk image on my HDD, create a repair disk so this doesn't happen again and I'm set. I was going to reinstall Windows 7 and the drivers anyway.

Thank's again for your time. I'd rep you again but apparently I need to "spread it 'round."

I thought 'why don't I rep this guy, his disc image guide is great...' it was you again. Well done.

 

[Brink]

It means that you will need to use a system repair disc that is the same "Home Premium" edition and/or "64-bit" version that you have installed.

 

[asuperpower]

It means that you will need to use a system repair disc that is the same "Home Premium" edition and/or "64-bit" version that you have installed.

In a few hours I will have access to a computer almost identical to my current one.

 

[asuperpower]

It means that you will need to use a system repair disc that is the same "Home Premium" edition and/or "64-bit" version that you have installed.

In a few hours I will have access to a computer almost identical to my current one.

Ok, it didn't work. I guess I'll just have to wait for the new SSD to arrive.

 

[Britton30]

Try to open msconfig. Press the Windows logo key and R type msconfig in the Run box, go to the start up tab and uncheck the AtBroker program and apply, OK to reboot.
Sounds like the theme has a bug or two in it.

 

[asuperpower]

Try to open msconfig. Press the Windows logo key and R type msconfig in the Run box, go to the start up tab and uncheck the AtBroker program and apply, OK to reboot.
Sounds like the theme has a bug or two in it.

It won't work, explorer.exe isn't open and there is no taskbar as a result.