Hi,
I got a blank desktop after logging in to my win2k pro machine, all the icons and task bar are gone.
anybody can help on this ?
thanks

CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up Task Manager, click "New Task..." type: explorer.exe

Some apps can blank the desktop...

(For instance, I wrote a suite that if you set that in its commandcenter, it remembers it on the next startup & WILL do it again as a "saved setting" the next time the "APK System Tools for Windows ® ²°°² + + SR-2" Command Center is started... BUT, it does not kill your startbar though!).

Now, if this is NOT the case:

1.) RightClick under your Start button, NOT on it, under it... use the "Show the Desktop" popup menu item.

(IF that fails... try this next)

2.) RightClick on an OPEN area of your desktop... The "arrange icons by" popup menu function MAY have a "Show Desktop Icons" checkable item there as well... if it is NOT checked, select it!



* Hopefully, one of those 3 ideas/things to try will fix you up & cure what ails ya!

APK

P.S.=> Blowing out the startbar too though, that IS unusual & the cure is what was said above, BUT I would kill ANY instances of Explorer.exe that are "hung" by examining the running processes in the PROCESSES tab of taskmgr.exe first! apk

but i cannot do this everytime right??

"CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up Task Manager, click "New Task..." type: explorer.exe"

right click on desktop no response...

"right click on desktop no response..."

That's NOT good man... boot to safemode at system startup by using the F8 key!

(Maybe, JUST maybe, that'll get you to a desktop & you can work on it from there...)

* Does CTRL + ALT + DEL summon the taskmgr.exe?



APK

i need to CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up Task Manager, click "New Task..." type: explorer.exe
to see the icons...

"i need to CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up Task Manager, click "New Task..." type: explorer.exe
to see the icons..."

Ok... something is dogging your Explorer's loading up!

That is, provided you CAN kick it up doing that technique that is... I am not sure if I am understanding your reply correctly. Is that a question, or what you need to do to get it to run & see the icons... if the latter is so, read on!

(Probably a botched installation, or a VERY long regedit.exe process on some .reg file... this happens!)

Now, to see what is starting up on your system?

You can use the native tool, msconfig.exe & it can list all the areas in your system that start apps... but, I personally think that the tool by Mike Lin called Startup CPL is a better one that will do the same job!

(Get ahold or try one of those & tell me if you see any "unusual things" in your lists in those programs... if you have to? Please, type them out for myself & others here to see what it is exactly you have starting on your system that is bogging you down!)



APK

P.S.=> I know, this is a PAIN, but it's part of helping you diagnose your hassle & hopefully, fixing it up! apk

hi there ,
i have the similar problem ,, win2k sp4 fully patched ,
blank screen upon starting up into WIN2K

the only way to get in is . CRTL+A:T+DEL
end task of explorer.exe and then run it again
while blank screen , i notice , this process lfj2i.exe

deleted before and this appeared C:\WINNT\system32\kwmmdq.exe

tried deleting it , but it still coming back as lfj2i.exe

hope someone can help

Sounds like behavior of spyware/virus.

Open regedit, go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.

In the right hand pane, locate the string value for Shell, is it set to explorer.exe?

yes , its set to explorer.exe
and guess what

i manage to delete the file in the registry then i reboot my system.

it reboots normal , no more blank desktop ,
and my harddisk was making quite some noise , like some processes is going on ,, so once the sound has stopped
i check my registry , via Startup Control Panel v2.8

and there is a new file there 8r6mno.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\8r6mno.exe

no more the previous file ,, its morphing ,

i tried scanning for virus , no virus ,
i tried scanning for spyware/adware/trojan ,
trust me , i tried all known softwares , !


, sux arghhh

Originally posted by spooker:

"yes , its set to explorer.exe and guess what i manage to delete the file in the registry then i reboot my system. it reboots normal , no more blank desktop , and my harddisk was making quite some noise , like some processes is going on ,, so once the sound has stopped
i check my registry , via Startup Control Panel v2.8 and there is a new file there 8r6mno.exe C:\WINNT\system32\8r6mno.exe"

I'm going to second AdamVJackson's appraisal of your situation then... virus/spyware/malware of somekind!

A 'brand-new' one too, especially IF you can see it like you do & see it changing on-the-fly (morphing as you called it) on you!

The typically 'reactive technology' that both AntiSpyware/AntiVirus tools use... they only react to what their database of "known-offenders" lists! They cannot deal with it... so, say some fool takes EXISTING macro-code, & merely tells the virus/worm/malware etc. to name itself differently, or to write itself just a BIT differently than the original?

That will in & of itself, stump MANY antispyware/antivirus programs with ease... just that ONE 'molecule' of difference! Alot like how LSD & Aspirin are VERY alike chemically, but with RADICALLY differing effects physiologically.

(E.G.-> You're smart enough/experienced enough to recognize that filename is NOT 'standard-equipment' by any means, because your human brain fuzzy-logic/A.I. etc. (for lack of a better expresssion) can do 'pattern-matching' alot better & reason this out... whereas the tools for detection of this stuff? Does not have that much ability!)

You did the right thing using the tool I mentioned above, because that gives you a REALLY good look @ what you system starts up... & you saw that dubious element/suspect program.

* HOWEVER:

There is a BETTER tool though, called "AutoRuns" by www.sysinternals.com!

The AutoRuns program recognizes ALOT more startup areas for you, just so you know, than even Mike Lin's StartupControlPanel 2.8 does (I have written Mike to increase the areas covered by his program, but to date & that was over a year ago, he has not done so... still, good program, but not as complete as system internals AutoRuns is!).

APK

Dear APK,

hey thank you Autoruns is awesome now i know the locations of the startup registries ,,

but i till now i havent found a permanent solution for this problem,

lurking in the dark cluelessly ,,
im wondering ,im sure there is another file or setting elsewhere
which is triggering it to reappear back , hmmmm

what might it be,,,
if anyone wants to have a look at that file , please let me know
ill upload somewhere for your to download it , if you want !

i doubt anyone want to anyway hahah

latest update ..
this file mirka2b.exe comes up in the processes after few minutes deleting the file ,

similar problem posted by someone in the forum stated below

http://www.computercops.biz/postp236619.html

no reply yet so far .

brrrr

hehe heloo there
i have solved this mystery in my PC ,
, do a search for mirka2b.com on your pc
it makes multiple copies of itself in your PC

in c:\winnt
c:\winnt\system32

and everywhere else ,

delete all the registry of weird file names .

and it is ok for now

hehehe

good luck for everyone else

Originally posted by spooker:

"Dear APK,

hey thank you Autoruns is awesome now i know the locations of the startup registries ,,"

You're welcome! It's the BEST (most comprehensive) solution I know of for examination of ALL possible startup of system registry &/or batch + .ini file entries out there... I used to recommend StartupCPL or MsConfig.exe, but this one has BOTH of those beat!



* She works!

APK

P.S.=> I hope it helped you solve this "mirka" mystery, as I see you solved it... looks like another stupid virus/malware trick! Man, the guys writing those, what makes their minds tick, you know? I just do NOT understand them... why write destruction if you have talent, when you can write something that folks will like to use & make you known & hopefully PAID for instead? Will wonders NEVER cease... apk

I just ran into this problem today at a client. They had spyware and viruses all over the place but I thought I got everything. So I started installing Windows Updates (security updates) when IE crashed and I had to reboot the PC. When I rebooted I was faced with a completely blank desktop.

I was able to CTRL-ALT-DELETE to run any and all programs but McAfee/AdAware/Spybot picked up nothing. I am going to try and run this "Autoruns" program I read about in this thread and see if I can find the malicious files causing this problem. It worked on my PC and fortunately nothing malignant came up.

And I couldn't agree more with a previous post about why people create this code. They could be earning a great living writing code like this to help users, instead they write it to bring systems down. Doesn't make much sense. But if anyone has run into this problem again please post and let me know if there are any easier solutions to this problem.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,

simmser11