Explorer.exe does not load

Hello,

My name is david. I attempted to update logitech's setpoint to v4.7. When
I restarted, i recieved a warning that explorer.exe did not load propoerly.
Then all I get is my wallpaper. I can do ctl-alt-del, then run and type in
windows and everything magically appears. I attempted to repair explorer by
placing my xp professional cd in the machine, but since I am not running SP3
(the cd is only SP1), it will not run.

Can anyone give me any guidance? Thank you.

My computer is a laptop, running XP Proffessional SP3. I am not well versed
in the computer world, but I know enough to be dangerous.

Use System Restore and roll back the machine to a point just before the
problem started.

If John's suggestion does not fix your problem here is something else to
do.

Have a look in the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for
Errors and Warnings and post copies here. Don't post any more than 48
hours ago.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

disable your current
a.v's then run this in
its entirety:

http://onecare.live.com/site/en-US/a...leaner_why.htm

Running a registry cleaner is not a good idea for the reasons discussed
often in these newsgroups.

Desktop Icons and the Taskbar Fail to Load at Startup

This problem may be fixed by using one of these 5 repairs.

(1) Check that this policy is not enabled:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoDesktop"=hex:00,00,00,00


(2) Restore a Missing "userinit" Registry Value:

1. Copy below and paste into Notepad:

----------copy inside only----------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"Userinit"="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\userinit.exe,"

----------copy inside only----------

2. If your Windows is not on drive C: replace C: with your Windows
drive letter and Save-As Userinit.reg (or any name + .reg).
3. Double-click or right-click and merge into the registry.
4. Restart.


(3) Delete an Incorrect "Explorer.Exe" Entry in the Registry:

1. Open the Run box and enter: regedit
2. Go to this key:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options]
3. If you see "explorer.exe" as a subkey below, delete it.
4. Restart.


(4) Restore a Missing "explorer.exe" Entry in the Registry:

1. Copy below and paste into Notepad:

----------copy inside only----------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"Shell"="explorer.exe"

----------copy inside only----------

2. Save-As WinLogon.reg (or any name + .reg).
3. Double-click or right-click and merge into the registry.
4. Restart.


(5) Exlorer.exe is Missing:

If explorer.exe is not in C:\WINDOWS\ then insert your Windows CD and,
using the 'Task Manager' (File -> New Task), run the 'System File Checker'
utility with this command: sfc /scannow

If the 'System File Checker' didn't replace it, boot to the Recovery Console
with the Windows CD and copy explorer.exe manually:

1. Insert the Windows CD and restart.
2. When setup begins, choose the "Repair or Recover" option by pressing "R".
3. Once at the command prompt, enter:
expand D:\i386 /F:EXPLORER.EX_ C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe /y
(D: is the CD drive letter, C: is the Windows partition, change if necessary
4. To exit the Recovery Console, type: exit.

If the desktop still does not load then, from within the Task Manager, run a new
task to open the Registry Editor: regedit.exe
and check the registry data from above, adding as necessary if it is missing or
incorrect.

A registry cleaner is a big problem.

[tom3366]

David, the same thing has happened to me. My registry cleaner automatically runs on startup. Is this a problem guys????

Yes. Using a registry cleaner is a very big problem, whether or not it
runs automatically at night. Uninstall it.

Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil. Cleaning of the
registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and
don't use any registry cleaner. Despite what many people think, and
what vendors of registry cleaning software try to convince you of,
having unused registry entries doesn't really hurt you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit
it may have.