I'll try to take the simplest approach.
Maybe the task-bar is set to auto-hide.
Try moving the mouse cursor to the very bottom of the screen and see if it "springs" up for you.

You can also try pressing the windows logo key on the keyboard if you have one. If you don't, try pressing ctrl+esc it does the same thing.

 

That is how I'm talking to you.
I have found a way to the programs through I386 and I went to SFC it flashed for a second but was so fast I couldn't even see it.
Got any other things I could try and bring up from 386, there are a bunch of things in there I don't know what they are. In fact I don't know what most of them are.

 

Fasinating. Do you have something like Nortan system checker? Honestly, this sounds over my head and I am just guessing, but you could have a registry error (use the reg checker for this) or a virus/spyware problem. Adware makes a good free spyware fixing program. IS folks at a company would just delete everything and reinstall. You do get a boost in performance afterward when you do a clean install. Kinda like after wiping the memory on the 8!

 

Tried the F8 trick asked for last known good sertup. got nothing. Not even the flash of a start button this time. Tried running one of my virus programs, didn't come up.

 

Try F8 and safe mode and then doing a system restore.
For info on system restore:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q306084

 

Ok I tried that and the start button came up but non of my stuff was in there. I had to go back to the old way just to get this back so I could complain about it.

I may have made one mistake when trying to restore settings. I'm going to try it again.

 

If your keyboard has a windows button, what happens if you hold down the Windows button and "e" Doe WIndows Explorer come up? also if SFC is just flicking away, type in "cmd" first, press enter. You will have a "Dos" screen come up where you can now use SFC /scannow.

Andrew

 

OK, I can bring up safe mode but can't get my settings into it. Therefore I can't use internet or e mail. Probably other things that don't work. I tried the transfer wizard. Took forever and got me nowhere.

So I'm using this setup with no start button or icons, or safe mode with no settings.

I've spent most of the day on this and almost shot it a couple of times. The only thing that stoped me was I didn't want to have to clean my gun.

 

RFOL :D ah, well....I hoped you called it "yabastard" a couple of dozen times

If WC Fields was still alive, I'm sure he'd add computers to things he refused to act with (along with animals and children)

 

RP just go get a teenager somewhere to come over and it will be fixed or at least diagnosed in an hr!
Olddragger

 

Richard. If you can get on line try spysweeper from downloads.com will take out must of spyware/adwares even worms and some trojans

 

Tried ad aware and spybot, no help.

 

Looks like time for a clean install.....a pain in the *** i know but sometimes its the only way...

 

RP... why don't you guys have an IT guy for your shop? One of those could fix this and open up a ton of new avenues for you...

 

He's let me in twice! I even ran the whole shooting match for a while when he went looking for Torque.

To the best of my memory, I didn't leave a time-bombed virus on it specifically designed to disrupt him the very same weekend we got the screw going

BTW - I found some torque myself

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Richard you said this was Dell laptop , why not just give them a call save yourself a lot of stress ?

 

Yeah Hymee.

whats your pet called.... "Sabotage"?
:D

 

Ok, do this:

When your computer boots, hit F8 to enter into "safe mode" like you've done before.

Once your system loads, run explorer by using your Start menu and selecting Run. In the box that pops up, type "explorer" (without the quotes).

In the left pane of explorer, browse to your C: drive, then to "Documents and Settings". What folders are listed there for you?

Open "All Users" -> Start menu -> Programs -> Startup and tell me what's listed there.

Ok, this next part is tricky but it's no big deal and no reason to be afraid of it.

Use your Start menu and select Run. In the box that pops up, type "regedit" (without the quotes).

In the left pane you should see a "folder" called "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE".
Click the "plus" icon beside it to expand it.
Click the "plus" next to "Software".
Click the "plus" next to "Microsoft".
Click the "plus" next to "Windows".
Click the "plus" next to "CurrentVersion".
Click ON the word "Run" down in the list.

List what all appears in the fist column in the right pane.

Basically, I want to get a list of all the programs that run automatically when your computer boots up to see if you might have a virus running or something else going on.

 

there's a much easier way to do this... hijackthis, picks up almost everything, not just "run".

RP, i would recommend starting a thread in the lounge to help you get through this instead of cluttering this thread with this info.

if i lived in CA, i'd come down and set your stuff straight, but alas, i'm on the east coast

 

Doesnt sound like a virus or anything to me. Sounds like a porked registry.

Just to mention, though you may have tried.

Sometimes you can drag the task bar down until there is just a thin strip there. If you see a small line down there, you may be able to drag it back up.

If none of your icons are there, then it could not be loading your user profile.

Try creating a new user if you can get to the control panel. Sorry I dont know another way.

I think the best thing to do though would be to call Dell. The problem though, is they just may have you reinstall the OS.

I really think a new user account may fix it though.

 

If you can access safe mode then try system recovery in the help and support. It will default your computer to a time when it was running perfectly.
Help support found in start menu.
Windows based program
just tell it to restore to an earlier time when your machine was working perfectly.
i also have a dell is there no recovery icon from dell on the desktop? I guess not just prompting the obvious :D

 

i think the best thing to do is SEND ME THE MEMORY CARD FORM THE CAMERA so i can get the pics posted.D

 

To survive in this majestic technical world, you have to be knowledgeable or hire someone else to do the work for you.
Keep it simple, go to walgreens , have them print the pics. Mail it or email it to the administrators of this forum. Go to compusa,best buy, egghead, computer city, have them look. Can you do a factory default reset? Read the owners manual on how to do it. It is easy an the Computer runs like new!!!!
Pictures are priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I will NEVER suggest that anyone EVER take a computer to compUSA to get it fixed or best buy. Let me explain this:
My sister had a laptop
My dog managed to knock 4 keys off the keyboard
She took the laptop to compUSA to get it fixed.. they told her it would be 1000 to replace the keyboard (more than the cost of the laptop).
She took it to best buy. They charged her 60 to put 3/4 keys back on.
She brought it to me. I had a new keyboard shipped to me for the notebook in 5 minutes costing me $15 and I installed it myself in less than 10 minutes.
I took the computer over to compUSA and told them to stop trying to scam people.
End of story.

If you need computer help, find someone you TRUST who knows what they're doing to help you with it. I fix so many computers for free for people and I would just wonder if i could charge anywhere near what BB and CUSA did. It's just ridiculous.

 

On the plus side, if he can't get it working in the next 3 weeks, he can see alot of us at Sevenstock and let us take the pictures to post them. Better yet just let us take our own pictures of the unit to post. Easy enough and cool to see.