Lost Start and Task Bar and other functions

[Richard]

I started my computer yesterday and only had the icons on the desktop. The
Start and Task Bars are gone. The Network Connections folder is empty
(totally blank) but I do have a network connection and can navigate through
Internet Explorer. In Windows Explorer I have lost the functions to drag and
drop, copy and paste any files. I did a full recovery of the OS, loaded XP
sp2, Office and other programs and all works fine. I reconnected a second
hard drive and lost everything again. I suspect a virus on the seond hard
drive but cannot get it to connect to run a virus check. I have disconnected
the second hard drive but the problem persists. Is there a way to repair XP
without re-installing the OS. How can I scan the second hard drive and clean
it without losing any other data?

[Silvio]

Hi!

Reason may be spyware ; Solution maybe Lavasoft Adaware.

After similar problems which I described to Microsoft Support with:
Background information:
- running XP Home edition, came with Toshiba laptop
- installed SP2 couple days ago (v2600)
- I'm an expert user (unix sysadm, Win user since v2.x)

Problem description:
- After installing SP2, I cannot access "Network Connections" folder
from Start menu (in Classic Mode)- Settings- Network Connections.
- I also cannot make the network icons appear in the system tray
(despite setting/unsetting/setting again them in the network config
dialog);

Non satisfactory solutions that worked (or partially):
- Create a new admin user - the new user could open Network
Connections from Classic Mode start menu and make the icons appear in
system tray (well, they just did).
- Using XP Start Menu allows access to Network Connections; but system
tray icons for network still missing (even after taking them off and
putting them back, in the config for the network card).
- I created a shortcut on the desktop to "Network Connections" that
appears in My Computer-Network Connections. That worked, but still no
network system tray icons.
- Tried Microsoft KB solutions (like making sure all relevant services
running, using right user id, and some required dlls
registered...,among other solutions).

Current situation is:
- I cannot browse "Network Connections" except with shortcut from the
Desktop and cannot make network system tray icons appear.
- No solution on the internet seems to solve the problem, except
moving all my data/configs to the new user.


Solution was:
Action: Installed Windows XP Service Pack 2
Result: Unable to use "Network connection icon" and cannot see short
cut icon
for the same in system tray. Customer is able to use both the thing
using newly created user account.
Cause: Spyware Software
Resolution: Suggested to Run System File Checker + Ran Lavasoft As
Aware which resolved the issue.

Hope this helps!
Silvio

"Richard" <Richard@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:<73F5F287-2945-4A6C-A776-E43EB6B4B8BD@microsoft.com>...
> I started my computer yesterday and only had the icons on the desktop. The
> Start and Task Bars are gone. The Network Connections folder is empty
> (totally blank) but I do have a network connection and can navigate through
> Internet Explorer. In Windows Explorer I have lost the functions to drag and
> drop, copy and paste any files. I did a full recovery of the OS, loaded XP
> sp2, Office and other programs and all works fine. I reconnected a second
> hard drive and lost everything again. I suspect a virus on the seond hard
> drive but cannot get it to connect to run a virus check. I have disconnected
> the second hard drive but the problem persists. Is there a way to repair XP
> without re-installing the OS. How can I scan the second hard drive and clean
> it without losing any other data?