[bloodydingo]

Alright, I'll check back in a few minutes.

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At the prompt, type regedit.exe and press Enter.

If that doesn't open Registry Editor, try regedit.com and press Enter. This one should throw an error unless something has been overwriting the exe files.

[wannabe1]

At the prompt, type regedit.exe and press Enter.

If that doesn't open Registry Editor, try regedit.com and press Enter. This one should throw an error unless something has been overwriting the exe files.

[bloodydingo]

Ok, regedit.exe did indeed bring up the Registry Editior. I'll await your instructions.

[wannabe1]

Expand (click +) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then SOFTWARE, then Microsoft, then Windows NT, then CurrentVersion, and click on Winlogon. In the right pane, locate and double click on "Shell".

What is the value shown in the Value Data field?

[bloodydingo]

Value data: Explorer.exe

[wannabe1]

In Registry Editor, expand HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and click on .exe

In the right pane, what are the data values for (Default) and for Content Type?

[bloodydingo]

(Default) - exefile

Content Type - application/x-msdownload

[wannabe1]

I think we're looking at a corrupt, missing, or overwritten explorer.exe file...and that may not be the only exe that's been overwritten. It's hard to tell when things won't open.

Let's make another disk the same way you made the last one. This time instead of copying the userinit file, navigate to C:\Windows and copy explorer.exe to the RC.ISO disk.

Boot to Recovery Console as you did before using the new disk and use the following commands:

d:
cd i386
copy explorer.exe c:\windows
exit

When you type the third command, you should be prompted for whether you want to overwrite the current file....type Y and press Enter

Let the machine try to boot normally.

[bloodydingo]

Alright, that's done. I restarted, the computer booted up, but once again when I tried to log into my personal account it brought up an error box that said:

Explorer.EXE - Entry Point Not Found
The procedure entry point SHCreateThreadRef could not be located in the dynamic link library SHLWAPI.dll.

I clicked ok, or close the error box, whatever it was, and it once again took me to the blank desktop, and once again task manager can be opened up, but no new tasks can be started from it.

Edited by bloodydingo, 31 March 2009 - 07:34 PM.

[wannabe1]

That's usually associated with a botched Service Pack install.

Open Task Manager and type control appwiz.cpl in the open field...press Enter.

Does Control Panel (Add or Remove Programs) open?

[wannabe1]

You may have to do that from Safe Mode with Command Prompt again, then.

We need to remove the bad service pack.

Just to forewarn you, I suspect your machine has a Win32\Virut infection...which is very nasty. We may not be able to recover this machine.

[bloodydingo]

Nope, that doesn't start and nothing else will start either.

[wannabe1]

Read my previous post...I got one in ahead of you.

[bloodydingo]

Ok, I've got the command session open in safe mode. How do I get the control panel open from there?

I tried typing "control appwiz.cpl" after "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>" and it just posted that same line on the next line.

[wannabe1]

Once we get to the command session window, type control and press Enter.

Control Panel open?