Intermittent non-loading startup items (even explorer.exe)

[Belalseman]

Often, when I start my laptop up into WinXP, and after logging in, I am presented with nothing other than my desktop wallpaper. This is because every last item that should now be deluging my system from my antivirus and firewall to explorer.exe itself has apparently gone on strike. I can CTRL+ALT+DEL and start explorer.exe, but that doesn't help because I'm still missing all my other startup items. It's just faster to restart and let it do it properly the second time around than to start each program individually.

This one has me a bit confused guys. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[wolluf]

Are you saying that sometimes the desktop doesn't load properly - but that restarting machine fixes the problem?

Have you looked in event log (run eventvwr.msc)?

How did this come about (eg, suddenly start happening, start after you added/removed something..)?

Is it getting worse?

 

[linney]

Some general things to try.

See if System Restore will get you back to a restore point before your problem with Explorer.

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right-click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Select both boxes.

Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter might help

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

Is your problem repeatable if you use a different user to logon with?

 

[Belalseman]

Yes, Wolluf, I start up, log in and only get my wallpaper - nothing else loads. It's pretty much 50/50 when I start if it will happen or not.

It's been going on for a while now, I'm not sure what started it, it just...happened. It isn't getting any worse, it's just annoying me that I can't fix it.

I did use a program called StartRight (

http://www.joejoesoft.com)

to delay the startup sequence between apps (an attempt to make the system a little more useable in the first 10 minutes after log in). And it was working fine until this happened. I did suspect StartRight as the culprit, but uninstalling the software and restoring my normal startup failed to fix it.

What should I be looking for in the event log? I have to confess that I've never used it before.

 

[Belalseman]

Unfortunately, Linney, I cannot try a system restore - I flushed all the data when a virus snuck in last week whilst I was fixing a friend's machine with my laptop. This problem predates that virus by a few months though, so please don't think that is the cause.

Chkdsk did not help, and the System File Checker wouldn't work. It kept asking for an XPSP2 CD when mine is an SP1. I tried using nLite (

http://www.nliteos.com)

to make an SP2 CD out of my SP1, but it didn't help.

Although it did ask for the disc, suggesting that there are files to be restored, I suspect that it is merely detecting my patched uxtheme.dll that I use to run a custom theme.

 

[Belalseman]

I have just created an account to test if the problem is limited to just my account. The same thing happens there. Every few logins it doesn't load explorer.exe or any of the startup items.

 

[linney]

To get further information about any error look in your Event viewer.

Look in the System or Application folder. You can get to the Event Viewer via right click My Computer icon and select Manage.

Any errors logged in the Event Viewer can be expanded by double clicking on the error line.

Take any event error I.D. number and search for it on these sites.

http://www.eventid.net/events.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/support/ee/search.aspx

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308427

Can you reproduce the error from Safe Mode?

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

Even though you don't think it is malware related it might be prudent to get a second opinion via some of the online scans available from sites like Trendmicro and to use some other antispyware products like Spybot Search and Destroy or Hijack This.

For later use, this thread is looking at a similar SFC problem.
XP- System File Checker
thread779-1495177