Help: Desktop Has No Icons, No Task Bar !?!?

When I log in, my desktop photo comes up, but the desktop is totally blank.. no icons, no start menu, no task bar or clock, etc. There is nothing I can do at that point but restart as it remains frozen at that point.

What should I do?? HELP!

Thanks, Denise

 

Can you get the Start Menu to display by pressing one of the Windows keys? If so, you can use the Start Menu to start the browser. If your keyboad doesn't have a Windows key, try the Ctrl-Esc key combination.

If that doesn't work, press the Windows-R key combination to open the Run window. Type "iexplore.exe" (without the quotes), click OK (or press the Enter key). That should start Internet Explorer.

If you can get IE running, go to Kelly's Korner, scroll down to line 117 and in the left-hand column, click on "Restore Taskbar and Desktop Icons" to download a small .vbs file.

Or you can download it on another computer and put it on a floppy or CD to get it to the computer with the problem.

Once you have it the file on the computer with the problem, run it according to the directions at the top of the Kelly's Korner page and see if that fixes things.

 

Desktop back, items missing from TB, new error message

Miz, Thanks for your reply. Actually, Last night I took the following steps:
1. Used control, Alt, Delete to get into TM.
2. Ended process for Explorer.exe
3. Began new task.

My icons came back, but now no matter what I click on, nothing happens. Can't get into System restore at all to restore to an earlier point. Task manager doesn't open. Whenever I try to get into anything, I get this :

taskmgr.exe - Application Error
X The appliation failed to initialize properly ( 0x0000142). Click on OK to terminate the application.

Suggestions??

Thanks for the quick reply.
Awesome...

Denise

 

ok... what now???

Established new restore point.. thanks...

Two new issues:
1. Zone Alarm initializes for hours but won't start, Can't get into it at all. Not sure if I can re-install it.. I purchased it online and recently took a free upgrade.)

2. Computer is telling me that my virtual memory is too low, that Windows is working to increase virtual memory and that some other applications may not be available while this is taking place. (paraphrase)
( Checked TM, highest CPU usage is VSMON.EXE. Not sure if I should have, but I ended the process. Is this Zone Alarm?)
What should I do ??


Thanks
Denise

 

Hi, Denise.

Yes, the vsmon.exe filename is typically associated with ZoneAlarm's "TrueVector Service ".

I would be inclined to uninstall ZoneAlarm, reboot, reinstall ZoneAlarm, and then reboot again (all while disconnected from the Internet).

 

My CP Usage is making it impossible to do anything.
I can't get into ZA at all from anywhere.. it just won't open.

Went to:
Control Panel/ Add remove programs / and chose to uninstall ZA.
-First box came up was "ZONE ALARM SECURITY SUITE" Verifying permission to uninstall.
2nd box gave me option to uninstall.
3rd box said Shutting Down Zone Alarm
4th Box said Shutting Down True Vector Internet Monitor
5th box was WARNING with a big red X that says the following:
"TRUEVECTOR INTERNET MONITOR WAS NOT UNINSTALLED

THE UNINSTALLER WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE TRUE VECTOR SOFTWARE SERVICES. THIS WILL HAPPEN IF OTHER SOFTWARE IS USING THE THE TRUE VECTOR ENGINE.

TO UNINSTAL ZONE ALARM SECURITY SUITE MAKE SURE ALL OTHER TRUE VECTOR BASED PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN CLOSED.


------- I don't have any other programs opened and I don't know what to do.
Thanks

Denise

 

While disconnected from the Internet, I would first try...

Right-click the ZoneAlarm icon in the system tray and select "Shut down ZoneAlarm ".

If successful, then try to uninstall ZoneAlarm.

If unsuccessful with either of the steps above, then see if you can boot into Safe Mode (by repeatedly tapping the F8 key during start-up until a menu appears on a black screen). Use your arrow key(s) to select Safe Mode and then press the Enter key. Try to uninstall ZoneAlarm from within Safe Mode.

If successful, then boot into Normal Mode and reinstall ZoneAlarm. Then reboot again.


BTW, in any case, be sure you are not connected to the Internet without a firewall running. At the very least, use the built-in Windows XP firewall if you cannot get ZoneAlarm to behave.

Also be sure you have only ONE firewall running at any one time. Running two or more software firewalls concurrently can likely produce conflicts.

 

I used to have ZA free edition. I always had to uncheck start ZA at startup and REBOOT to stop all components from running. Then the uninstall proceeded properly. (I stopped using ZA, it was such a resource hog).

I have also read this. Sorry don't remember from where:

You can follow these Instruction to remove the version you are running then try downloading it again.
Uninstalling any Zone Alarm client that is currently installed on the PC with the /clean command
1-> Click Start->Programs->Zone Labs and right click on "Uninstall Zone Labs Security" -> Properties
2-> On the window that opens Change the "Target" from
"C:\ Program Files\Zone Labs\zoneAlarm\zauninst.exe" to
"C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zauninst.exe" /clean
3-> now go to Start->Programs->zone Labs and choose the uninstall and allow it to uninstall
This should rid you of the ZA client so the new updated or reverted version can be installed cleanly.

Don't know if any of this is any help to you. Others more experienced will jump in I'm sure.