My desktop disappeared??

[PyR0NiAk]

So... I'm sitting in Al Asad, Iraq... Friend comes to my room and wants to go to the gym, so I hit restart on my computer. I come back, and it's on the log-on screen. Everything looks NORMAL. Then I log on and my entire background is black. I have no Start/Task bar. All I can do is press Ctrl Alt Delete to open task manager. Used it to open windows explorer. The only program I can get to run is internet explorer. Everything else seems to disappear into the background and WerFault.exe (Windows Problem Reporting) appears on Task Manager. The only other odd thing is when I log in, I have a Apple Mobile Device error. No idea WTF that is considering this isn't a MAC. Getting a new computer out here isn't an option since pretty much everywhere quit shipping Electronics to APO addresses. Skype and Yahoo Messenger are my only current ways of talking to my family back home, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've already tried restarting multiple times.Done a full shut down.Restarted in safe mode.Tried running norton and spybot - S & D. No luck with either since everything drops into the background.

[Beancooker]

I really wish I could help. That is something that I don't know about. I'll try to direct some more knowledgeable people here...

[Dattebayo]

Apple mobile device error usually refers to a problem with iTunes connecting to a iPod or something like that...

My personal belief is that you need a new hard drive and/or to re-install Windows. Have you been around any powerful magnetic equipment or anything radioactive lately?

[krash]

Did you try messing with it in safe mode?

[Dattebayo]

Did you try messing with it in safe mode?

Says the guy who can't read.

lol

[flohtingPoint]

So... I'm sitting in Al Asad, Iraq... Friend comes to my room and wants to go to the gym, so I hit restart on my computer. I come back, and it's on the log-on screen. Everything looks NORMAL. Then I log on and my entire background is black. I have no Start/Task bar. All I can do is press Ctrl Alt Delete to open task manager. Used it to open windows explorer. The only program I can get to run is internet explorer. Everything else seems to disappear into the background and WerFault.exe (Windows Problem Reporting) appears on Task Manager. The only other odd thing is when I log in, I have a Apple Mobile Device error. No idea WTF that is considering this isn't a MAC. Getting a new computer out here isn't an option since pretty much everywhere quit shipping Electronics to APO addresses. Skype and Yahoo Messenger are my only current ways of talking to my family back home, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've already tried restarting multiple times.Done a full shut down.Restarted in safe mode.Tried running norton and spybot - S & D. No luck with either since everything drops into the background.

Relatively easy fix, you're having shell issues.

1) explorer.exe is your shell, has been for years and years in the windows world. The shell on your user acct could be screwed, which would mean it's a profile issue. Do you have multiple log ons? Try another.

2) for a perm fix, try tossing in your operating system disk and telling it to do a recovery install.

Also, do this http://www.ehow.com/how_508506....html (all vista users should do this, it's a pointless device that only causes issues)

If 1 and 2 are inaccessable, do the "also do this" part, then get back to me.
Modified by flohtingPoint at 7:15 AM 9/7/2009

[PyR0NiAk]

Well, I'm able to make everything LOOK normal by running explorer.exe from a command prompt, but still can't open anything. As far as other profiles, no. A recovery cd... Not an option... My computer no longer has it's cd drive... (long story involving a hotel room) I've pretty much given up on this computer... I found a cheap laptop through best buy that I had sent to my wife and I'm just going to have her send it with a care package. After this, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to setup linux on it.

[flohtingPoint]

Well, I'm able to make everything LOOK normal by running explorer.exe from a command prompt, but still can't open anything. As far as other profiles, no. A recovery cd... Not an option... My computer no longer has it's cd drive... (long story involving a hotel room) I've pretty much given up on this computer... I found a cheap laptop through best buy that I had sent to my wife and I'm just going to have her send it with a care package. After this, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to setup linux on it.

Did you try my "also, do this" section? Seriously, give that a shot. You computer goes through a resource starvation when you encounter errors of that nature.

Unix and it's many offspring are nice if you:1) Know quite a bit about it2) Run on a dedicated network3) Are running a server

Honestly, for every person you hear say "yea, I run linux at home", only about 10% are actually telling the truth. So many folks at work always complain about Windows and say Linux would be much better, but at the same time dont even know what the /dev directory is for.

For home and personal use, Windows or OSX are your best bets.

I've been running Vista at home for quite some time now, and have no complaints at all. Mind you, this isn't just on one PC, it's four. Sure, you get your normal Microshaft bumps and bruises, but the "nightmare" that is Vista is usually self inflicted. It does help that I'm an Engineer, but my roommate who is easily dumber than the least smart person on this forum (pick and choose from the assortment in 240 gen) has had minimal issues (basically the ones that you're going to get just by owning a computer).

Either way, if you do get a new pc/laptop, your data from your old one is quite easily retrievable. Just slave your old drive off your new platform and pick and prod till you find what you want.

[PyR0NiAk]

I've alrdy started moving stuff over to the external...

As far as the running linux thing... I've got a good friend who uses it.. and for the things I use my computer for... It's perfect.

I'll try the ehow as soon as I get back to my can tonight. I'm sitting at the squadron right now.

[PyR0NiAk]

Everytime I open control panel, the computer bugs out and crashes windows explorer.

[marlin29311]

Did you try a system restore?

[PyR0NiAk]

no cd drive...

[marlin29311]

No, I meant from the windows backup...you know if you would have originally just went to Start - Accessories - Utilites - and System restore - it's a windows feature that you shouldn't need the disk for...

[PyR0NiAk]

everything LITERALLY EVERYTHING except IE crashes.. even firefox... Opening any kind of system folders... makes the computer crash to the point of having to be restarted...

Update... Managed to get system restore to run... Got through the whole restarting process and everything. Says that it fails to read hard driveo r something of that nature. I tried every restore point it had...

Pretty sure windows itself would need a reinstall...
Modified by PyR0NiAk at 3:21 PM 9/8/2009