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?

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??

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.