 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Windows has mysteriously vanished from my computer
 |
•
•
•
•
Originally Posted by Catweazle
Can you boot into 'Safe Mode'?
Reboot, and before you reach the Windows Logo Screen prior to the system starting Windows, press the <F8> key repeatedly. You should get a menu of boot choices, and one of them will be 'Safe Mode'.
Try a few times if it doesn't work the first time. You need to get the timing right.
I'll research the laptop tomorrow. It's very late here. I'll see if there's a reported procedure for performing a Refresh install of Windows in case you need to do so.
When you get into the task manager go to the "Applications" tab, click new task then type in explorer and click OK. If you get your Start button back go directly into the Control Panel, bring up Add/Remove Programs and remove any programs that you know you do not use. If you are unsure whether you use them I would say take a note of what it's called, remove it and then reinstall it if turns out you need it. The programs in the list called "Windows Hotfix" or "Windows XP Service Pack" should not be removed. Any *free* programs you've installed should be removed, you may like those games/utilities but 9 out of 10 problems I see with computers today are directly related to some free utility/game/stupid wallpaper that has installed something that's doing something it shouldn't be doing...if you want to keep those apps then you may also have to keep the problems that come with them. Aside from that I would refer you on to the Security area of this site to learn about methods of removing/avoiding spyware.
On the reinstall note Toshiba most likely provided an operating system when you bought your PC, if it came with XP then you have a valid license that you can use on that computer as much as you like. You can use any XP CD with a valid license and then go back and update the registration with the license that Toshiba sold you with the system. See this article from MS. Quote from MS: "Activations that use the same product key on the same computer are unlimited."
All you have to do is find someone with a XP CD and license, perform the install and then follow the instructions in that article to re-activate XP using the product key on the Certificate of Authenticity sticker that should be attached somewhere on the PC. The "backup" restore image should not be the only option available to users for recovery...generally when a user buys a machine they are required to purchase an operating system with it and if Toshiba sold the laptop with XP then Toshiba should also provide appropriate media for that OS to the end user since, for all intents and purposes, Toshiba is acting as the software reseller because they have an agreement with Microsoft to ensure that every Toshiba pc also has appropriate licensing with it. Now the machine should have come with an actual XP CD...that's how Toshiba works; if that cd was lost then one would have to borrow someone else's CD+license to perform the install - the CD should come with the machine. Users should remember: You bought XP once already with the pc...why should you have to buy it again?
On the reinstall note Toshiba most likely provided an operating system when you bought your PC, if it came with XP then you have a valid license that you can use on that computer as much as you like. You can use any XP CD with a valid license and then go back and update the registration with the license that Toshiba sold you with the system. See this article from MS. Quote from MS: "Activations that use the same product key on the same computer are unlimited."
All you have to do is find someone with a XP CD and license, perform the install and then follow the instructions in that article to re-activate XP using the product key on the Certificate of Authenticity sticker that should be attached somewhere on the PC. The "backup" restore image should not be the only option available to users for recovery...generally when a user buys a machine they are required to purchase an operating system with it and if Toshiba sold the laptop with XP then Toshiba should also provide appropriate media for that OS to the end user since, for all intents and purposes, Toshiba is acting as the software reseller because they have an agreement with Microsoft to ensure that every Toshiba pc also has appropriate licensing with it. Now the machine should have come with an actual XP CD...that's how Toshiba works; if that cd was lost then one would have to borrow someone else's CD+license to perform the install - the CD should come with the machine. Users should remember: You bought XP once already with the pc...why should you have to buy it again?
•
•
•
•
Originally Posted by antioed
When you get into the task manager go to the "Applications" tab, click new task then type in explorer and click OK. If you get your Start button back go directly into the Control Panel, bring up Add/Remove Programs and remove any programs that you know you do not use. If you are unsure whether you use them I would say take a note of what it's called, remove it and then reinstall it if turns out you need it. The programs in the list called "Windows Hotfix" or "Windows XP Service Pack" should not be removed. Any *free* programs you've installed should be removed, you may like those games/utilities but 9 out of 10 problems I see with computers today are directly related to some free utility/game/stupid wallpaper that has installed something that's doing something it shouldn't be doing...if you want to keep those apps then you may also have to keep the problems that come with them. Aside from that I would refer you on to the Security area of this site to learn about methods of removing/avoiding spyware.
On the reinstall note Toshiba most likely provided an operating system when you bought your PC, if it came with XP then you have a valid license that you can use on that computer as much as you like. You can use any XP CD with a valid license and then go back and update the registration with the license that Toshiba sold you with the system. See this article from MS. Quote from MS: "Activations that use the same product key on the same computer are unlimited."
All you have to do is find someone with a XP CD and license, perform the install and then follow the instructions in that article to re-activate XP using the product key on the Certificate of Authenticity sticker that should be attached somewhere on the PC. The "backup" restore image should not be the only option available to users for recovery...generally when a user buys a machine they are required to purchase an operating system with it and if Toshiba sold the laptop with XP then Toshiba should also provide appropriate media for that OS to the end user since, for all intents and purposes, Toshiba is acting as the software reseller because they have an agreement with Microsoft to ensure that every Toshiba pc also has appropriate licensing with it. Now the machine should have come with an actual XP CD...that's how Toshiba works; if that cd was lost then one would have to borrow someone else's CD+license to perform the install - the CD should come with the machine. Users should remember: You bought XP once already with the pc...why should you have to buy it again?
Ok try running this (When you get into the task manager go to the "Applications" tab, click new task then ____): regsvr32 /u "%Systemroot%\System32\omniband.dll"
Then using the same method try: %System%\UnstSA2.exe
...see if you can get an uninstall running and remove the program.
If that doesn't work, same method, try:
%windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
...this will remove SP2, not really a good fix for this but you need to get back in the OS so you can remove whatever junk has gotten installed, the programs we would normally suggest for this probably won't work for this problem. I'm still learning about your problem but others are having the similar trouble that looks like it could be related to a certain adware being installed along with Service Pack 2. Do you know if you have SP2 installed? You can look for the uninstall in the Windows folder by, once again using the new task method, typing %Windir% and see if there is a folder called $NtServicePackUninstall$
...you can always reinstall SP2 after you get the junk cleared out. See If you can get to that Start menu back after removing SP2 (task manager go to the "Applications" tab, click new task then type in explorer and click OK). If you can,go directly to the Control Panel and Launch Add/Remove Programs. Follow along with the instructions below for removing from the makers of that software:
The Blazefind toolbar is located at the top of your Internet Explorer browser, below the address bar. To remove it, open the “Add-Remove Programs� in the Control Panel (in START>CONTROL PANEL), select “Internet Explorer Search Bar� and click on “change/remove�. It should open a webpage confirming the removal.
The second part of the application is called Windows Search Functions which is uninstalled in the same way but pops message boxes to make sure you really want to remove it.
When you are uninstalling 'Windows Search Functions', you will get three pop ups to confirm your action. You must click YES to the first two pop ups and NO to the 3rd one. If you do not click NO to the third pop up, the program will not be removed.
You should reboot your computer after making a change to make sure it will be saved.
Good luck!
Then using the same method try: %System%\UnstSA2.exe
...see if you can get an uninstall running and remove the program.
If that doesn't work, same method, try:
%windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
...this will remove SP2, not really a good fix for this but you need to get back in the OS so you can remove whatever junk has gotten installed, the programs we would normally suggest for this probably won't work for this problem. I'm still learning about your problem but others are having the similar trouble that looks like it could be related to a certain adware being installed along with Service Pack 2. Do you know if you have SP2 installed? You can look for the uninstall in the Windows folder by, once again using the new task method, typing %Windir% and see if there is a folder called $NtServicePackUninstall$
...you can always reinstall SP2 after you get the junk cleared out. See If you can get to that Start menu back after removing SP2 (task manager go to the "Applications" tab, click new task then type in explorer and click OK). If you can,go directly to the Control Panel and Launch Add/Remove Programs. Follow along with the instructions below for removing from the makers of that software:
The Blazefind toolbar is located at the top of your Internet Explorer browser, below the address bar. To remove it, open the “Add-Remove Programs� in the Control Panel (in START>CONTROL PANEL), select “Internet Explorer Search Bar� and click on “change/remove�. It should open a webpage confirming the removal.
The second part of the application is called Windows Search Functions which is uninstalled in the same way but pops message boxes to make sure you really want to remove it.
When you are uninstalling 'Windows Search Functions', you will get three pop ups to confirm your action. You must click YES to the first two pop ups and NO to the 3rd one. If you do not click NO to the third pop up, the program will not be removed.
You should reboot your computer after making a change to make sure it will be saved.
Good luck!
•
•
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,414
Reputation: 
Solved Threads: 123
•
•
•
•
Originally Posted by Sessie69
I truly appreciate all of your input, but I have already tried all of these tips - including reinstalling windows - that didn't work either. I did have lots of spyware, but all have since been removed and I don't have any more virus' either. All I know is that my son was on my computer and went to a "rapper" website (killakane - or something like that) and I have been having trouble ever since then. Now, my desktop (I am the administrator on the computer) and my husband's do not have anything - icons, task bar, start button - but, my son's desktop has everything! Its the strangest thing I have ever seen! I really need to get this working again. Any other suggestions??
Short of that, I think that antioed's advice might do the trick, too.
Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379
•
•
•
•
Originally Posted by alc6379
You more than likely did not reinstall Windows. What I'm suggesting is back up all of your data, reformat, ie, WIPE OUT the drive, and then reinstall Windows, along with everything else on your system. If you do that, I guarantee that your problem will go away. I've never seen a single issue like this that has not been dealt with fully by wiping out the system, and performing an OS reinstallation. (Trust me, I'm a support technician-- I do 4-5 OS reinstalls a day!)
Short of that, I think that antioed's advice might do the trick, too.
Ok.....should I wipe out all user accounts or just the 2 that I am having trouble with?
Righto!
Sessie69, what's happened here in this thread is that you've jumped in, thinking you should discuss your problem here because it sounds like the same problem, when really it would have been better to start a new topic for your own problem.
The two situations are actually different. fertiledreams has a laptop, with just a single user account. The problems on that system mean that it doesn't work at all.
Your situation, however, is different in that one user account on the system works perfectly, whilst two other accounts do not. In your case try this:
Log in with the account that works OK. On the Start Menu, choose Control Panel then 'User Accounts.
Working on each of the faulty accounts in turn, select each, choose 'Delete the account' and then choose the 'Keep Files' button. The data files for each account will be saved to a Folder located on the Desktop.
Then create two new accounts, and copy/paste the contents of the relevent folders into 'My Documents' for the relevent new User accounts.
I hope that fixes it for you. If it doesn't you'll probably have to format the hard drive completely, install Windows again and set the whole system up all over again. you'll need help with that, of course, and the job should be discussed in its own topic.
Sessie69, what's happened here in this thread is that you've jumped in, thinking you should discuss your problem here because it sounds like the same problem, when really it would have been better to start a new topic for your own problem.
The two situations are actually different. fertiledreams has a laptop, with just a single user account. The problems on that system mean that it doesn't work at all.
Your situation, however, is different in that one user account on the system works perfectly, whilst two other accounts do not. In your case try this:
Log in with the account that works OK. On the Start Menu, choose Control Panel then 'User Accounts.
Working on each of the faulty accounts in turn, select each, choose 'Delete the account' and then choose the 'Keep Files' button. The data files for each account will be saved to a Folder located on the Desktop.
Then create two new accounts, and copy/paste the contents of the relevent folders into 'My Documents' for the relevent new User accounts.
I hope that fixes it for you. If it doesn't you'll probably have to format the hard drive completely, install Windows again and set the whole system up all over again. you'll need help with that, of course, and the job should be discussed in its own topic.
Need to install Windows again?
Catweazle's News Desk
Search the expert answer database
'Flame free' PC games discussion.
Catweazle's News Desk
Search the expert answer database
'Flame free' PC games discussion.
|
Other Threads in the Windows NT / 2000 / XP Forum
- Previous Thread: Monitor
- Next Thread: XP Home Reinstall
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Latest Windows NT / 2000 / XP Posts
- Today's Posts
- Unanswered Threads
Related Forum Features
Tag cloud for Windows NT / 2000 / XP
.net 3.5 3daccelertion 2007 2010 activedirectory alaris android application audio auto automatically black blue book bulletin canonical cellphones chinese chkdsk collaboration computer crash deployments desktop domain dotnetnuke drive dual error errors explorer features folder fonts format hardware internet interoperability killprocess laptop laptops lcd linux load mac memory microsoft mobile monitor motionle1600 netbooks novell open operatingsystems oracle osinstallationproblem partition product proxy raid rds remotedesktopconnection repair retail retrieve rootkit screen security server. slowperformance sp1 sp3 spyware studios technology ubuntu uninstall update upgrade usb verizon videogames virtual virus vista visual volume wab webos weecam win win32/heur windows windows7 windowsxp windowsxpnotstartingup. worm xp xpde
