Compy Help...Please?

[Lady Jedi]

When I start up by computer, it boots to the desktop, but doesn't have any icons. I open up task manager (ctrl+alt+del), then close it right after. All the icons show up and the compy finishes booting up. It started doing this occasionally about a month ago, but now it does it basically every time I start up. Does anyone know why it has started doing this? And how to fix it?

 

Thanks

 

LJ

[Nerd_Annhilator]

Its probably just taking a very long time to start explorer.exe

 

Defrag and clear out your startup folder, and then disable all the programs you don't want to run on startup.

[Leper Messiah]

yeah sounds like a lot of stuff is starting up at once to me, you should consider formatting if the problem is too severe (after backing up everything important of course)

[edlib]

Sounds like something is hanging up at boot that is trying to start with Windows.

 

I would go into MSCONFIG and turn off all the startup items and reboot to see if that fixes anything.

If it does, try switching on one startup item at a time to see if one of them is obviously the problem. If you find it switch it off from starting automatically at boot or reinstall/ update it to see if that fixes it.

 

If it doesn't fix it, then I would start looking at various services that might be running that don't need to be.

 

Then I would scan for spyware and viruses; do a diskscan and defrag; and once I was sure the PC was clean I would update all my critical software.

 

Here's a page for MSCONFIG instructions: http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php

 

Here's one for editing your Services list: http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

[Evil Dark Jedi]

Yes you should reformat it. It might help.

[Nerd_Annhilator]

Originally posted by Evil Dark Jedi

Yes you should reformat it. It might help.

 

thats last resort, and even then

[Leper Messiah]

Originally posted by Anthony

thats last resort, and even then [/QUOte]

i regularly format (once every six months or so) just make sure to keep track of everything that needs backing up

[StormHammer]

Yes, I agree that reformatting should be a last resort. If you do need to reformat, remember to back up all of your important files - and don't forget things like mail server settings, important emails, passwords, etc.

 

I actually keep a written record of all my passwords, ISP details, and any accounts I've registered at online retailers, etc.

 

One thing I would say is that if your OS is WinXP and you have a 'full version' CD (not an update - which is what some comp dealers supply) then it is actually possible to reinstall WinXP without reformatting.

[Lady Jedi]

Alrighty. I think that it's fixed. I messed around with the startup settings in MSCONFIG, restarted a time or two and it's appears to be fixed now. Thanks, guys.

[jon_hill987]

Originally posted by Leper Messiah

i regularly format (once every six months or so) just make sure to keep track of everything that needs backing up

 

I've started doing this every year, ever since I got a CDR drive.

 

Sounds like a defrag should sort it, but it could be spyware, I would go with what

edlib said but try defraging first.

 

EDIT: damn, missed that last post. Do I feel stupid now...

[Lady Jedi]

Aww, don't feel stupid, Jon. It's alright. Here, have a dancing sheep.

 

Anyway, I had run a defrag about a week ago, and that didn't fix it. It was working a bit ago, but I just had to restart and it came up with no icons again, so I fiddled with the msconfig settings again and it all seems to be in order.

 

Thanks again, guys.

[Lady Jedi]

Okay, it is only starting up correctly when I set it to "Selective Startup" in msconfig. I set it to automatically load a few things like MSN Messenger and my virus protection, but now when I push the internet button (the 'i' at the very top of the keyboard) it won't activate the web. Does anyone know which setting to enable to make this work?

 

Note: Sorry about the double post, but I had to get this back up to the top.

[Joe©]

you could try a system restore to the time Before it started messing up (I don't know if windows 2000 does this but I know XP does) that could probley fix it

[edlib]

Originally posted by Lady Jedi

Okay, it is only starting up correctly when I set it to "Selective Startup" in msconfig. I set it to automatically load a few things like MSN Messenger and my virus protection, but now when I push the internet button (the 'i' at the very top of the keyboard) it won't activate the web. Does anyone know which setting to enable to make this work?

 

Note: Sorry about the double post, but I had to get this back up to the top.

Are you using a Logitech or Microsoft keyboard, or something else?

 

I have a Logitech one, and the keybord button function software is called "ITOUCH" That has to be enabled in my startup for the extra web and media buttons to work.

 

I forget what it is called in Microsoft hardware... "Intellitype" I think. That's what you would need to re-enable.

 

If it's another brand, then you will need to scan the list of startup items to see if one of them has the brand-name of your keyboard hardware anywhere in it.

 

Hope this helps.

[Lady Jedi]

@Joe: I would restore to before the problem, but one of my brothers has made some downloads that he doesn't want to redo, and he's in the middle of a game (Farcry i think) and he wants to finish it once, before I restore from too far back.

 

I know that the problem is that too many things are starting. It's just a matter of finding the right ones to disable. When I have them all enabled it starts wrong, but when I narrow it down to just a few necessary ones it works just fine. The only one that I can't figure out is which setting enable the internet button to work. BTW my keyboard is a Compaq, so if anyone can help, I would really appreciate it This is starting to get frustrating and I don't want to go through the settings one at a time to see which one it is, because I have to restart each time.

 

I will give three dancing sheep to the biggest helper. :D

[edlib]

Is there one called "Starteak.exe"?

 

That's the only file I could find related to Compaq keyboards.

 

Edit: Here's a few more: http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php?filter=compaq+

[Lady Jedi]

Originally posted by edlib

Is there one called "Starteak.exe"?

 

That's the only file I could find related to Compaq keyboards.

 

Edit: Here's a few more: http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php?filter=compaq+

 

Mr. edlib, I give you: Three Dancing Sheep.

 

Though I should let you know that if my compy doesn't start properly in the morning, I will take them right back.

 

:D

Thanks for all your help.

[edlib]

No prob!

 

If it turns out that that particular file is the issue, then try downloading and reinstalling it.

 

I would probably have a hard time finding room for 3 dancing sheep around here anyways.

[Lady Jedi]

Darn it! It's still not fixed! Anyone else have a suggestion?

[edlib]

What's not working? The keyboard or the whole system?

[Pie™]

try a sledgehammer

 

or follow edlibs advice, which will flourish

[Lady Jedi]

@edlib: My keyboard's fine. I got the settings right on it. The problem is still that my comp doesn't fully boot up until I open and shut task manager.

 

@Pie: I took a break from trying to fix, simply because I found myself looking for bludgening tools.

[narfblat]

Originally posted by Lady Jedi

@Pie: I took a break from trying to fix, simply because I found myself looking for bludgening tools.

Sheep make good bludgeoning tools(even if they are badly drawn).

 

Have you downloaded or installed anything that might effect startup?

[edlib]

Well, I'm stumped.

 

The only thing I can think is that if it was starting correctly when the keyboard button software wasn't working, but is starting wrong now that it is, you may have found the culpret.

 

At this point I would shut down all my startup items, and the reinstall only the software that I know that I want to run at startup. That will refresh the respective startup items.

 

I would also see if there's an update to the keyboard drivers that you can download and install... perhaps something you installed recently (like a Windows Update) is incompatable with the existing version.

 

And if all else fails: backup/ reformat/ reinstall. As much of a pain it is, it can make everything better again.

 

I have never known any OS install, no matter how well maintained, to last much more than 2 or 3 years without getting ridiculously quirky and buggy. If you haven't refreshed your OS in that long then it's probably time, since you are likely to face more problems of this type no matter how much work you do to maintain it, and can expect to be chasing your tail over more and more problems like this one.

[Lady Jedi]

Well, I know that it wasn't the keyboard setting. The reason that I thought it was working is that when I restart to apply the startup changes, it boots up perfectly. But when I shut down and then boot up, and when I restart any time after, the boot up stalls until I help it along.

 

So I guess I'll let my brother finish his game, and then have him back everything up and reformat. We've had this system for a few years and I know that we've never reformatted, so I suppose it's high time we did.

 

Thanks for all your help.

 

LJ