Windows / XP / Missing Start Bar

I think my computer is really messed up. I tried to
update my McAffee virus scan, and all of a sudden,
flashing in the background was a DOS screen with the c:\\
prompt showing. I shut down the computer, and the next
day when I got on it, it took FOREVER to load, and there
was no start bar, no access to internet, no user accts.
Basically a mess. I reinstalled XP, and it is still
doing the exact same thing . . . HELP . . . is it a
virus, or something else? Thanks!

"Kellie" wrote
I think my computer is really messed up. I tried to
update my McAffee virus scan, and all of a sudden,
flashing in the background was a DOS screen with the c:\\
prompt showing. I shut down the computer, and the next
day when I got on it, it took FOREVER to load, and there
was no start bar, no access to internet, no user accts.
Basically a mess. I reinstalled XP, and it is still
doing the exact same thing . . . HELP . . . is it a
virus, or something else? Thanks!
Your explorer.exe task isn't loaded or can't load.
That could be corrupted registry entries. or trouble with
your video card hardware or drivers, or a corrupted
binary executable file of some sort.
Try doing control-alt-delete to get the task manager,
kill the explorer.exe task {if present} and do file /
launch a task / explorer.exe / ok and see if that helps.
If not, some other advice I've seen is login as another
user if you've got other accounts set up, or even create
a fresh account. The command sfc /scannow will
check some of your system files for you, and prompt you
to insert your installation media for xp to suck fresh copies
off for the bad 'uns. A restore to a prior system checkpoint
will give you back an earlier boot environment.

Sadly, much of the good advice is best accomplished with
the first step of clicking on the start button --which isn't there
to click on. I bumbled across the fact today that you can also
get into restore an old checkpoint by booting up into
safe mode with command prompt {punch F8 key early in the
boot to get the list of bootup-types to pick this from}, then
issue the command explorer.exe from the command
prompt. It gives the usual monologue about what safe mode
is, then asks you to pick going into safe mode versus doing
a system restore of an old checkpoint. I picked the latter and
my start button/menu bar came back. Or is it called start bar ?

Suggest you punch the F8 key while booting up to get the
menu of types of bootups, and select safe mode with command
prompt.

Sorry, but I don't read this newsgroup, I just wanted to get this
tip stashed away in google. This is my real email address, though.