After logging on to our eMachine, the desktop icons and taskbar appear and disappear consistently. If you catch them on, they will function. IE and other programs can successfully be accessed from task manager. In safe mode, desktop icons & taskbar are missing. Reinstall Windows CD does not work. I have rolled back to last previous working mode to no avail. Kellys fixes didn't work.

Prior to this problem, son was loading limewire, using the program with ipod, then uninstalling it. It has been deleted and I can't find any left over files.

Could I have changed a vital setting while attempting to 'clean up' the pc? I've seen similare posts but not with functioning, alusive icons/taskbar. Can anyone help?

can you do a system restore back a month or so to before the problem started .
start/allprograms/accessories/system tools./system restore

Yes, I did do that yesterday.
1 month was as far back as I could choose. The on and off may have slowed a few seconds after that, but that's all. Thank you for replying to a frustrated newbie. Have any tips?

first thing i would try is going to control panel,users and create a new account ,see if the same happens to it ,maybe you account is corrupt.
if that doesn't make a difference ,get Spybot search and destroy and Ad-Aware, CCleaner and run a scan of you computer .you can find these programs at .www.filehippo.com

Thanks Caperjack. I failed to mention that the control panel is missing. It is the only program I have missed in troubleshooting this thing.

in windows task manager ,click on new task type in control panel ,if control panel works from there ,go to users and create new one