Johanna "said", so here goes...:)

I posted in reply to and XP Forum thread "How many X's do you reload?" I'm really in a pickle. The machine's gone nutz! I tried looking for Restore, but I have no Taskbar (NO Start button). What's next?

 

What happens if you click the Windows key? That should give you the Start menu.
There is a TweakUI fix in Win98/Me that allows you to check the box next to all drives (even if you do not use them). (My Computer tab) That revives the Start button in those versions of Windows. I do not know if that fix exists on WinXP's TweakUI.
P.S. If you have no Taskbar at all, have you tried "fishing" for it? Put your mouse cursor at the bottom of the screen. Does it turn into a double arrow? If so, click on the mouse and try dragging up.