I use XP WITH SERVICE PACK 2. Most times when i start up my pc the screen informs me that it is "Loading Personal Settings" it can then take 5 mins before the desktop screen appears, however this is usually minus ALL the icons--so i have to switch off and reboot. What could be causing this problem and how can i cure it?? arthur

check control panels ~display properties ~ customize desktop ~desktop items settings, and desktop cleanup unused item folder, Right-click the desktop~ point to Arrange Icons By~ click Show Desktop Icons 6B 69 6C 72 6F 79 20 77 61 73 20 68 65 72 65

Some handy info quoted here from one of Ask Leo's many threads... Loading User Settings One of the last steps that Windows takes before being ready for use is to load the personal settings for the user logging in. That includes settings within the Windows Registry, saved network connections, and the security settings for the account. This step exercises a lot of different areas on the machine, so if it hangs, or is exceptionally slow here it could be for many reasons. Things to check include disk space and fragmentation, physical errors on the disk holding the swap file, and network connectivity that might impact restoring those saved connections. In particular, in a Domain based environment network connectivity can be a particular problem as the system tries to contact the domain controller. (Domains are common in business settings as opposed to a Workgroup, more common in small business and home). HTH i_XpUser