Desktop icons disappeared

My mom has a problem where all of her desktop icons just
simply disappeared with the exception of My Comp, Recycle
Bin, IE

Also when you go under the start menu to programs- it is
empty. Everything she had in the Programs menu is gone as
well.

All of her software is still installed it's just all of
the usual ways of accessing it all has vanished.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

This would be typical behavior when a new user profile is created =
(either using the Users applet in Control Panel or by using the "wrong" =
logon name at the logon prompt), or when the person logs on by clicking =
Cancel--which logs on as "Default User".

It's hard to determine your mom's exact situation from this distance, =
but you should take certain precautions before attempting to do much =
fixing. If there are more than one User profiles (not counting Default =
User, which is a sort of User Profile template that's not normally =
encountered), separate folders for each User get created under =
C:\Windows\Profiles. If you change user settings, and especially if you =
delete a Profile, the respective folder under C:\Windows\Profiles gets =
destroyed--Desktop items, My Documents, Outlook Express stores, lots of =
personal stuff.

So, before your go messing around with the system, take this precaution: =
COPY out the entire C:\Windows\Profiles folder to a different location, =
say, C:\Profile Backups\. And while you're at it, take a look inside =
that folder and see what's there. Lots of hints about the situation can =
be determined thusly.

After backing up the folder, look around, keeping in mind what I've =
written, then post back with your discoveries. Does a Logon prompt =
appear when she starts Windows? If so, what does she do in response? How =
many folders are there in the tree just below C:\Windows\Profiles (if =
any) and what are their names? Looking deeper, can you figure out which =
one is the one she "lost"?

--=20
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Win9x
=20
"Tim" wrote in message =
...
My mom has a problem where all of her desktop icons just=20
simply disappeared with the exception of My Comp, Recycle=20
Bin, IE
=20
Also when you go under the start menu to programs- it is=20
empty. Everything she had in the Programs menu is gone as=20
well.
=20
All of her software is still installed it's just all of=20
the usual ways of accessing it all has vanished.
=20
Any help would be appreciated.
=20
Thanks

-----Original Message-----
This would be typical behavior when a new user profile
is created (either using the Users applet in Control
Panel or by using the "wrong" logon name at the logon
prompt), or when the person logs on by clicking Cancel--
which logs on as "Default User".

It's hard to determine your mom's exact situation from
this distance, but you should take certain precautions
before attempting to do much fixing. If there are more
than one User profiles (not counting Default User, which
is a sort of User Profile template that's not normally
encountered), separate folders for each User get created
under C:\Windows\Profiles. If you change user settings,
and especially if you delete a Profile, the respective
folder under C:\Windows\Profiles gets destroyed--Desktop
items, My Documents, Outlook Express stores, lots of
personal stuff.

So, before your go messing around with the system, take
this precaution: COPY out the entire C:\Windows\Profiles
folder to a different location, say, C:\Profile Backups\.
And while you're at it, take a look inside that folder
and see what's there. Lots of hints about the situation
can be determined thusly.

After backing up the folder, look around, keeping in
mind what I've written, then post back with your
discoveries. Does a Logon prompt appear when she starts
Windows? If so, what does she do in response? How many
folders are there in the tree just below
C:\Windows\Profiles (if any) and what are their names?
Looking deeper, can you figure out which one is the one
she "lost"?

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Win9x

"Tim" wrote in
message ...
My mom has a problem where all of her desktop icons
just
simply disappeared with the exception of My Comp,
Recycle
Bin, IE

Also when you go under the start menu to programs- it
is
empty. Everything she had in the Programs menu is gone
as
well.

All of her software is still installed it's just all
of
the usual ways of accessing it all has vanished.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
.
Thanks Gary-

When I stop by her house later this week I will check
into these areas you speak of. I do know that when she
logs on to her system she just "x"'s out of her log on
box.I will check her user profiles. I was also wondering
if maybe a virus might have caused this problem.

1. Search for files called *.PWL (password list, and there's always one =
per profile.) If there's only one, the name of that file will be the =
name of her personal profile. Otherwise you'll have to explore further =
and see if you can identify the one she uses most, or just copy out the =
folder(s) like I said, then establish a new one.

2. As I said, make sure to copy out any folders that may exist under =
C:\Windows\Profiles

3. In Control Panel, Passwords applet, make sure it says "All users use =
the same....", not, "Users can customize..."

4. Restart and Log her on with the correct username, old or new, leave =
the password *blank*, and hit enter. Should be the last time she sees a =
logon prompt unless she uses Log Off {username}.

--=20
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Win9x
=20
wrote in message =
...

When I stop by her house later this week I will check=20
into these areas you speak of. I do know that when she=20
logs on to her system she just "x"'s out of her log on=20
box.I will check her user profiles. I was also wondering=20
if maybe a virus might have caused this problem.