No Icons or Taskbar, just blank desktop.

[QWWW23]

I started up my computer to find that there were no icons or taskbar, just the desktop background, as the title states.

I've tried multiple solutions to no avail including, restarting multiple times, using the Windows Repair disk, verifying regedit values and restarting explorer.exe multiple times.

At first, I thought it was a problem with explorer, so I ran it in Run.

Nothing.

I saw that explorer was running in task manager (I have access to the ctrl+alt+del menu).
I ended the process and restarted explorer. Nothing happened.

If anyone has any ideas on how to fix this, they would be GREATLY appreciated. The only other solution I have is to do an active recovery, which I REALLY don't want to do.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Yard Dog]

Hello QWWW23 welcome to the Forums.. have you tried a system restore ? http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

 

[Vuxy]

Hello Qwww23,

Wow, that does seem like a strange issue.

I've got a few steps for you to try, to see if it resolve's your issue.

1. Right-click the Desktop
2. Click view
3. Make sure show desktop items is checked.

Run a scan with Malwarebytes to see if your computer is infected https://www.malwarebytes.org/

Hopefully this will resolve your issue.

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

 

[QWWW23]

Hello Qwww23,

Wow, that does seem like a strange issue.

I've got a few steps for you to try, to see if it resolve's your issue.

1. Right-click the Desktop
2. Click view
3. Make sure show desktop items is checked.

Run a scan with Malwarebytes to see if your computer is infected https://www.malwarebytes.org/

Hopefully this will resolve your issue.

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

Thanks for the quick reply. It does not allow me to right click on the desktop, nothing appears.
And when I try to launch applications like my internet browser to get to the virus scan you listed, it has a seemingly infinite load time and it never comes up. Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[Yard Dog]

And the system restore did not work ?

 

[QWWW23]

And the system restore did not work ?

Unfortunately, there are no recent restore points. I don't make them near as often as I should, thanks for the help though

 

[Vuxy]

Hello QWWW23,

This sort of does seem like a PC infection. Can you run System File Checker to check for missing or corrupted files.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

 

[Yard Dog]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/220165-troubleshooting-steps-windows-7-a.html

Look at step 13 .

 

[QWWW23]

Hello QWWW23,

This sort of does seem like a PC infection. Can you run System File Checker to check for missing or corrupted files.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

I had to use the safe mode with command prompt option (It would not load cmd).

When the computer is loading the windows core files in safe mode startup, it loads all the files up until
\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\storport.sys, then I just have to restart. I have tried that two or three times now, same thing.

I'm almost sure that it's a virus of some sort now, but it seems like there's nothing I can do to fix it.

Sorry for all the trouble guys, I know it's probably getting annoying now.

 

[Vuxy]

Hello QWWW23,

Tou can try to use a bootable malware scanner, which you can download onto a disk via another computer and then put it into the computer which is freezing.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline
http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/rescuedisk?level=2
http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA-Labs/security-threats/tools/rescue-cd/
http://www.bitdefender.com/support/How-to-create-a-BitDefender-Rescue-CD-627.html
http://www.avira.com/en/support-download-avira-antivir-rescue-system
http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd-download
http://www.freedrweb.com/livecd/
http://www.superantispyware.com/portablescanner.html
http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208283363

Thank you to Stephen Boots from Microsoft Community for the links above. I keep thinking there's one simple solution for this, but we're just missing it.

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

 

[QWWW23]

Hello QWWW23,

Tou can try to use a bootable malware scanner, which you can download onto a disk via another computer and then put it into the computer which is freezing.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline
http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/rescuedisk?level=2
http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA-Labs/security-threats/tools/rescue-cd/
http://www.bitdefender.com/support/How-to-create-a-BitDefender-Rescue-CD-627.html
http://www.avira.com/en/support-download-avira-antivir-rescue-system
http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd-download
http://www.freedrweb.com/livecd/
http://www.superantispyware.com/portablescanner.html
http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208283363

Thank you to Stephen Boots from Microsoft Community for the links above. I keep thinking there's one simple solution for this, but we're just missing it.

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

And of course, none of the files can download because apparently my other computer's internet connection isn't strong enough to download them. It's like everything that could possibly go wrong, goes wrong all at once.

I give up.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Vuxy]

Hello QWWW23,

Never give up - things can always be resolved.

Can you start your computer in safe mode and see if you can right-click the desktop? http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/69585-safe-mode.html

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

 

[QWWW23]

Hello QWWW23,

Never give up - things can always be resolved.

Can you start your computer in safe mode and see if you can right-click the desktop? http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/69585-safe-mode.html

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton

Hey, sorry for the late reply.

No, I can't access safe mode because of the issue described before.

 

[Vuxy]

Hello QWWW23,

Are you able to open Run, by pressing Windows Key + R?

Thank you,
VinnyBuxton