[byrddogg77]

Hello Geekstogo,
A recent power outage shutdown my Windows XP Home SP2 box and when it restarted there was no Desktop or Icons.
Explorer.exe doesn't display in processes.

If I run new task explorer.exe my startment and quick launch icons appears for a milisecond and disappear, explorer.exe is still not listed under processes. If I run iexplore.exe IE appears for a second and then closes. It stay showing if I am logged in under two of my three users, but my main user it never stays running.

- There are no events in the system or application logs.
- I have Avast antivirus updated 5-17-07, a full scan found no virus.
- I ran spyboy search & destory updated 5-17-07, found alexno, or something, and removed it
- Ran Ad-aware 1.6? found some stuff, removed it.
- reinstalled Windows XP SP2, worked, but no improvement
- ran smitrem.exe, waited for cleanmgr.exe, still nothing.

Attached is my current hijackthis log file.

I have read several of the threads on no desktop icon etc, but I never seen a resolution, hopefully this thread will have a resolution, I can not afford to rebuild this box, it has all of my private business information on it. Accouting , Inventory, etc.

Please do not post hijack this logs in any other forum than the malware forum as it will incourage others to do so as well. Your log has been removed and re-attached as a text file.

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Press CTRL+ALt+ DEL

Take your OS Disk Put it in.

Go to File> Newtask put in

SFC /scannow

Let it run tell us what happens when it is finished. This is one of those problems that I have been wanting to track.

[anzenketh]

Press CTRL+ALt+ DEL

Take your OS Disk Put it in.

Go to File> Newtask put in

SFC /scannow

Let it run tell us what happens when it is finished. This is one of those problems that I have been wanting to track.

[byrddogg77]

Sorry I forgot the mention I already ran sfc /scannow, it didn't help.

I also ran Windows Xp install over top of Windows no help.

Reinstalled IE 7

Any other thought would be much appreciated.

Edited by byrddogg77, 17 May 2007 - 04:52 PM.

[anzenketh]

We now need to make certain that this issue is not malware because if we troubleshoot otherwize we may be wasting our time.

Please go to the malware forum and follow the instructions at the top....Especially the Instructions things to do before posting in the malware fourm.

That will give you several steps that will help you clean up 70 percent of all problems by yourself. If at the end of the process you are still having difficulty--and you may not be-- then post a hijackthis log in THAT forum.

If you are still having problems after getting a clean bill of health from the malware expert, please return to this thread.

[zbd]

Have you done a system restore to before the change?

http://www.microsoft...temrestore.mspx

[byrddogg77]

even though I was able to access msconfig I was unable to launch system restore, after I reinstalled Windows XP Home over top of Windows ( not a full clean install) all of my system restores were gone, however, I can now access System Restore.

[anzenketh]

Reinstall Over top windows I generaly do not do due to it can cause additional problems. In addition to that a Parallell install as it is called has about a 50-80% chance of loosing data. Generaly before we do a system restore if we suspect malware we send you over to the malware fourm first. Becouse a system restore can interfear with indentification of infections.


We now need to make certain that this issue is not malware because if we troubleshoot otherwize we may be wasting our time.

Please go to the malware forum and follow the instructions at the top....Especially the Instructions things to do before posting in the malware fourm.

That will give you several steps that will help you clean up 70 percent of all problems by yourself. If at the end of the process you are still having difficulty--and you may not be-- then post a hijackthis log in THAT forum.

If you are still having problems after getting a clean bill of health from the malware expert, please return to this thread.

[byrddogg77]

We now need to make certain that this issue is not malware because if we troubleshoot otherwize we may be wasting our time.

Please go to the malware forum and follow the instructions at the top....Especially the Instructions things to do before posting in the malware fourm.

That will give you several steps that will help you clean up 70 percent of all problems by yourself. If at the end of the process you are still having difficulty--and you may not be-- then post a hijackthis log in THAT forum.

If you are still having problems after getting a clean bill of health from the malware expert, please return to this thread.

Hello Tux,
I ran through the Malware_removal_hijackthi_logs forum.
avg spyware remover found one object with two traces.
SuperAntiSpyware found nothing
I was unable to run the online panda scan, as I can't access webpages.
I am unable to run windows Update, however, the system was pretty much uptodate, except for maybe the last month or so, with Windows Updates, not sure the current status, after my reinstall, reapply SP2 and reinstall IE7.

I have attached a new HiJackThisLog file.

Thanks for you help.

Attached Files

•  hijackthis2.txt   6.8KB   171 downloads

[anzenketh]

You do not want to post a HIjack this Post in this thread please post it in the fourm I stated Above.

[wannabe1]

Hi byrddogg77...

It wouldn't hurt any to let one of the malware experts help you get what's left in there off the machine.

Download FixDesktop.zip and save it to your "My Documents" folder. Right click on the file and choose "Extract All"...extract it to the default location (My Documents). You should end up with a file named fixdesktop.reg. Double click on that and accept the changes (allow it to merge with the registry). Reboot.

Do your icons return?

wannabe1

[byrddogg77]

Hi byrddogg77...

It wouldn't hurt any to let one of the malware experts help you get what's left in there off the machine.

Download FixDesktop.zip and save it to your "My Documents" folder. Right click on the file and choose "Extract All"...extract it to the default location (My Documents). You should end up with a file named fixdesktop.reg. Double click on that and accept the changes (allow it to merge with the registry). Reboot.

Do your icons return?

wannabe1

Thanks Wannabe1,
After running fixdesktop.reg, it loaded sucessfully, but after reboot no improvement, even my wallpaper is still there...? This make me think it didn't load correctly, but I am unsure.

I opened a new post under Malware and posted my hiJackThis log file.

http://www.geekstogo...xe-t158521.html

Thanks

Edited by byrddogg77, 18 May 2007 - 07:28 AM.

[anzenketh]

While we are waiting for them Lets try a few things. We do not want to do a system restore because that will mess with there results.

Lets give a try at Clean Boot.

Open Up task Manager.
Go to File> newtask type in msconfig and press enter.
Select Diagnostic Startup press apply then close and restart.

Does your Desktop Appear?

When you are done make sure you enable everything back to normal startup.

[byrddogg77]

Hello Tux,
The problem still occurs after a Diagnostic Startup and Reboot.
- I switched it back to Normal Start up.

Thanks

Edited by byrddogg77, 19 May 2007 - 08:57 AM.

[anzenketh]

Lets Go ahead and have a view of your Event Viewer. You may or may not be able to do this because explorer.exe may currently be having problems.

But go to File> Newtask type in eventvwr.msc

Right click on system click on save log file as and upload your log file here in a ziped folder.

Have you Added or Removed anything Hardware Software or file wise from your computer recently?

[byrddogg77]

Attached is my System event log.

I have not added or removed any software lately, it was just another week/day.

Thanks for your continued help.

Attached Files

•  Syslog.zip   44.53KB   127 downloads

Edited by byrddogg77, 19 May 2007 - 03:26 PM.