XP taskbar disappears (desktop too)

[Muse]

This happens to me occasionally, like right now! I'm doing a recording so I can't reboot at the moment. Is there any other way to get my taskbar and desktop back? This happened when I closed an explorer window that was unresponsive (with Task Manager). TIA.

 

[Lorne]

I had that in the past on one system or another, Have you tried just waiting a moment.
After closing the notorious unrespondsive program I would lose the desktop and taskbar, If I waited a moment it would reload again, If the system was taxed or slow it would take longer.

 

[ManyBeers]

hit control-alt-delete that should bring up Task Manager, when it does click file "new task" and type explorer.exe in the run box and hit enter.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: ManyBeers
hit control-alt-delete that should bring up Task Manager, when it does click file "new task" and type explorer.exe in the run box and hit enter.

An explorer Window opens, but I still have no task bar.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Lorne
I had that in the past on one system or another, Have you tried just waiting a moment.
After closing the notorious unrespondsive program I would lose the desktop and taskbar, If I waited a moment it would reload again, If the system was taxed or slow it would take longer.

Waiting doesn't seem to help. My recording's over, but I'm going to experiment a bit before resorting to a reboot. I have a script I downloaded to restore the taskbar and it's tucked on my desktop. I can't get to the desktop per se, but I can get to the script in Explorer. I'm going to try it right now.

Edit: Dogone... I ran the script but the taskbar is still MIA. I'm defraging my boot drive at the moment so I'll have to put off a reboot until that's done. 😕

 

[Roguestar]

Go to the processes section of Task Manager and kill the current (presumably screwed) process called Explorer.exe. Now start a new process.

FYI you can also just press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to get to the task manager directly, if your Ctrl+alt+del brings up the lock computer etc choices screen.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Roguestar
Go to the processes section of Task Manager and kill the current (presumably screwed) process called Explorer.exe. Now start a new process.

FYI you can also just press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to get to the task manager directly, if your Ctrl+alt+del brings up the lock computer etc choices screen.

I don't see explorer.exe in Processes! There's a 5 svchost.exe processes running. What's that?

Edit: Ah, I started explorer with new task in task manager and the taskbar returned! Thanks!!

Edit2: Now, I had run that script I mentioned, xp_taskbar_desktop_fixall.vbs

 

[Roguestar]

svchost.exe is a generic name windows gives to the "Windows Host Controller". I have a whole bunch of them running too, this is quite normal.

Screenshot one: http://www.imagepup.com/up/tc4b_1210696853_svch1.png
Task manager shows loads of them running, under various system, network and local accounts. Normal.

Screenshot two: http://www.imagepup.com/up/7naa_1210696782_svch2.png
Reliability and performance manager sheds some actual light on which sub-services or whatever are actually being run by svchost at the moment. Normal.


Edit: Post the source of that script, would you? I can't imagine it's much more complicated than killing and restarting explorer automatically.