How can I restore full proper use of my PC?

Hello. I have this great computer, an IBM T-22. Everything was just great until I lost my taskbar, desktop icons, start menu, and almost everything else. All I see now is my background design and the curser. I can't access anything with my mouse, and right click is inoperative. All I can do is run Task Manager through Ctnl-Alt-Delete. From there I can use many of my programs, but not Word, Eudora, or Explorer. I now have a thousand dollar paperweight.

Scott Bowker

This question was answered on April 1, 2004. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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Reboot your computer and as it boots, when the message "Starting Windows" appears at the bottom of the screen press F8 to display the Windows 2000 Advanced Options Menu.

In this menu, you will choose "Last Known Good Configuration" Use this option to you computer to the settings of the last successful boot and and all system changes made after this last successful boot are lost.

The only drawback is that if you have booted several times since the problem started, the Last Known Good Configuration will not help you recover from the problem, since all the saved versions reflect the preoblem.

If this does not work, in the same menu list, choose Safe Mode.

If your PC boots and displays your desktop with icons start menu and everything else, then run a current version of an antivirus program to see if there is a virus If one is present the progam can remove it.

If in Safe Mode, you still don't get a desktop you may definitely have a virus and may need to just do a clean install, deleting all partitions on the hard drive and reinstalling everything.

Outside of that, buy a new hard drive

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Posted by Student of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on April 1, 2004

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