Windows update sp3? Killed my computer?!

Heya everyone, I have a laptop which rarely ever sees the internet, and I
thought I would bring it home and just update windows etc. what a terrible
mistake!! Ok so this is my problem, in normal OR safe mode, the computer
loads windows, and all I get is my wallpaper and that's it. the screen saver
works too. Nothing else is working, no icons, no start button, nothing.
Not sure what I can do... any suggestions?

Back-up any personal data (none of which should be considered 100%
trustworthy at this point) then do a format & clean install of Windows.
Please note that a Repair Install (AKA in-place upgrade) will NOT fix this!

cf. http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps

After the clean install, you'll have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a network and before using a USB key that
isn't brand-new or hasn't been freshly formatted:

5 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...nced/xppc.mspx

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...5afa8ed33e121c

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...66ae41add7dd2b
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com


Jimbexleyspeed wrote:
> Heya everyone, I have a laptop which rarely ever sees the internet, and
> I
> thought I would bring it home and just update windows etc. what a
> terrible
> mistake!! Ok so this is my problem, in normal OR safe mode, the
> computer
> loads windows, and all I get is my wallpaper and that's it. the screen
> saver works too. Nothing else is working, no icons, no start button,
> nothing.
> Not sure what I can do... any suggestions?

Jimbexleyspeed wrote:

> Heya everyone, I have a laptop which rarely ever sees the internet, and I
> thought I would bring it home and just update windows etc. what a terrible
> mistake!! Ok so this is my problem, in normal OR safe mode, the computer
> loads windows, and all I get is my wallpaper and that's it. the screen saver
> works too. Nothing else is working, no icons, no start button, nothing.
> Not sure what I can do... any suggestions?

Boot to Safe Mode. Once in Safe Mode, try pressing
ALT+CTRL+DEL *simulataneously* which should bring up the Task Manager.
You may have to press those 3 keys twice rapidly to do so.

If the Task Manager opens, click the Applications tab.
At the bottom right hand corner, press the New Task button.
Either type in
explorer.exe
and click OK or press Enter or, click the Browse button
In the left frame, click on My Computer
Click on the root drive (the drive where WINDOWS is installed to,
ususally C:\) in the right frame, click Open.
Open the WINDOWS directory by doing the same and locate explorer(.exe)
Click once on it to highlight it
Now click the Open button, then click OK.

That should restore access to the Desktop.
Open the Control Panel, go to Add/Remove Programs and uninstall SP3,
which will be listed all the way towards the bottom, then reboot.

Were you able to accomplish that ?


MowGreen
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

banthecheck.com
"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked"