[dreed2440]

My daughters desktop computer running Win XP, is booting up to the desktop, but the taskbar is missing the "Start" button and everything but the clock. When I click on one of the few desktop icons that appear, nothing happens. If I right click any icon and click on "Open", I get the following error message. "This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling application may fix problem". At one time only the "Active Desktop" error screen would appear, but it's now gone. The only thing I can get the computer to do is start in "Safe Mode". Been years since I used DOS, so I'm lost right now. I'd like to be able to fix the problem without losing the data on the HD. This computer has not been connected to the internet, but it's possible something may have happened when she copied some music CD's to the computer. As stated, all I can get it to do is start in Safe Mode. From there I'm lost.

Thanks much...any help greatly appreciated...Dave

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Hi lets see what we can achieve in safe mode

Prior to losing the desktop what was the sequence of events ?

• Download RogueKiller and save it on your desktop.
  
  NOTE: If using IE8 or better Smartscreen Filter will need to be disabled
  
• Quit all programs
• Start RogueKiller.exe.
• Wait until Prescan has finished ...
• Click on Scan

• Wait for the end of the scan.
• The report has been created on the desktop.
• Click on the Delete button.

• The report has been created on the desktop.

• Next click on the ShortcutsFix
  
• The report has been created on the desktop.

Please post: All RKreport.txt text files located on your desktop.

THEN

Download OTL to your Desktop
Secondary link

• Double click on the icon to run it. Make sure all other windows are closed and to let it run uninterrupted.
  
  
  
• Select All Users
• Under the Custom Scan box paste this in
  
  netsvcs
  BASESERVICES
  %SYSTEMDRIVE%\*.exe
  /md5start
  services.*
  explorer.exe
  winlogon.exe
  Userinit.exe
  svchost.exe
  winsock.*
  /md5stop
  CREATERESTOREPOINT
  
• Click the Run Scan button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so. The scan wont take long.
  
• When the scan completes, it will open two notepad windows. OTL.Txt and Extras.Txt. These are saved in the same location as OTL.
• Post both logs

[Essexboy]

Hi lets see what we can achieve in safe mode

Prior to losing the desktop what was the sequence of events ?

• Download RogueKiller and save it on your desktop.
  
  NOTE: If using IE8 or better Smartscreen Filter will need to be disabled
  
• Quit all programs
• Start RogueKiller.exe.
• Wait until Prescan has finished ...
• Click on Scan

• Wait for the end of the scan.
• The report has been created on the desktop.
• Click on the Delete button.

• The report has been created on the desktop.

• Next click on the ShortcutsFix
  
• The report has been created on the desktop.

Please post: All RKreport.txt text files located on your desktop.

THEN

Download OTL to your Desktop
Secondary link

• Double click on the icon to run it. Make sure all other windows are closed and to let it run uninterrupted.
  
  
  
• Select All Users
• Under the Custom Scan box paste this in
  
  netsvcs
  BASESERVICES
  %SYSTEMDRIVE%\*.exe
  /md5start
  services.*
  explorer.exe
  winlogon.exe
  Userinit.exe
  svchost.exe
  winsock.*
  /md5stop
  CREATERESTOREPOINT
  
• Click the Run Scan button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so. The scan wont take long.
  
• When the scan completes, it will open two notepad windows. OTL.Txt and Extras.Txt. These are saved in the same location as OTL.
• Post both logs

[dreed2440]

She says a "friend" let her copy a music CD to her hard drive. (I now suspect a virus) I was able at one point to get to System Restore and went as far back as it would go (June 2012). Same story as far as errors. She now says it hasn't worked for a couple of months. (She is handicapped and lives on her own.) I think I might be better off reformatting the HD and not worry about losing "100's of songs". I did download "RogueKiller" to my laptop and I can put it on a thumb drive and try to run it on her desktop.
Thanks...Dave

[Essexboy]

If you want to back up the data and reformat I can assist with that.. Are you able to burn a CD ?

[dreed2440]

Her computer does have a CD-RW in it.

[Essexboy]

The reatogo desktop will allow you to back up any files to a USB drive if you do not wish to fix but reformat

Please print these instruction out so that you know what you are doing

• Download OTLPENet.exe to your desktop
• Download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to a flash drive.
• Ensure that you have a blank CD in the drive
• Double click OTLPENet.exe and this will then open imgburn to burn the file to CD
• Reboot your system using the boot CD you just created.
  Note : If you do not know how to set your computer to boot from CD follow the steps here
• As the CD needs to detect your hardware and load the operating system, I would recommend a nice cup of tea whilst it loads
• Your system should now display a Reatogo desktop.
  Note : as you are running from CD it is not exactly speedy
• Insert the flash drive with FRST on it
• Locate the flash drive and run FSRT
• The tool will start to run.
  
• When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
• Press Scan button.
• It will make a log (FRST.txt) on the flash drive. Please copy and paste it to your reply.

[dreed2440]

OK This may take awhile but I'll give it a shot.
Thanks...Dave

[Essexboy]

Due to lack of feedback, this topic has been closed.

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