I saw a couple of similar posts but none of the fixes I tried worked. When I log in there are no icons and the task bar is gone. The desktop image is there, but can not be right clicked. The only way to run anything is to use ctr-alt-dlt and select new task after starting the task manager. I have already tried these steps to fix the issue: AVG antivirus scan Avast antivirus scan MalwareBytes scan Chkdsk (had some other issues before) SFC /scannow (when in cmd line) http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/tas... I have also killed essentially everything in the startup via MSConfig. Running explorer.exe does not work, even when I browse and find the file under the windows folder, no luck, says it can't be found or some such nonsense. Any help would be appreciated. A reinstall is not possible at this point though :(

How about some history about how and when this issue first appeared.

Alright, this has actually happened on 3 computers now, 2 of them are my friends and one is mine. On this one the computer would not boot, it would BSOD, chkdsk fixed this. Started doing antivirus scans to fix some viruses I knew where on there (AVG + Avast). Ran Glary utilities 1 click maintenance. Rebooted just fine after that. This issue appeared the next time I rebooted, about 3 days ago. That's when I started trying those fixes.

It seems pretty obvious you are still infected. Resolving the current issues doesn't address that. You need to cleanse your computers or Re-install Windows. When you have stubborn infections but you still have access perhaps the best solution is to start over. Can you explain WHY a reinstall is not possible at this time? You have access to your files don't you? Make backups and then wipe the drive.

I don't have the COA on the case, it was on my old case that I swapped for this one. http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/expl... That forum suggested I Download FixO.exe where ever you can get to it easiest through task manager. I have done this and now I have my icons and taskbar. I am performing scans right on the computer now to remove any possible infections left, still have 2 computer to try this on but I hope it works. Any advice on the best AV to get rid of this nasty?

Well, I think you will need to bite the bullet then.

Are your symptoms the same in Safe mode? When you say something doesn't work, are you getting Access Denied or similar messages for at least some of them? If so, which ones? Are there entries missing in the menu that pops up when you click on Start? Are there any icons on your desktop you did not place there by installing software yourself, which you may also not be able to delete? If so, if it points to a web site, tell us which url the icon is pointing to (look at it's Properties). What are you now able to do now? Can you run some programs you couldn't before? Can you use My Computer or Windows Explorer? Can you access all logical drive letters, or only some of them? Can you access a flash drive when you plug it in? "I don't have the COA on the case, it was on my old case that I swapped for this one." If you have or can borrow a regular Windows CD of the same version as the Windows that was installed, you don't need the COA if you know (did you write it down?) or can determine the present Product Key string. If you can run some programs, you should be able to download and run a program such as Keyfinder to find it. Keyfinder will run off of a floppy or a flash drive in Windows if necessary. You could try running what many call a Repair "Install" of Windows (you boot from the CD and choose the second Repair choice - Repair your existing Windows installation or similar), rather than a regular Setup, which will leave your existing Windows installation as is more or less, but you only see that choice if the registry is intact enough, and it may not cure all the problems. ..... Your symptoms sound similar to those you get when infected by software made by the maker of what is generically called rouge anti-malware software, that has loaded FAKED symptoms on your computer. In many cases of those, AVG, Spybot, AdAware, and most other anti-malware software doesn't find or fix the infection, but often Malwarebytes does, depending on which malware it is. When you run the free version of Malwarebytes you must update it before you run it, scan at least the entire C partition or wherever Windows was installed to, and you are supposed to run it in Safe Mode if you can, or run it to get Windows working better and then run it in Safe Mode after that. For the ones I've encountered that Malwarebytes has removed, there are still leftover symptoms still there after Malwarebytes has finished. I was able to get rid of all the remaining symptoms by downloading and running SmitFraudFix, in Safe Mode. If you have more than one user on the computer, after Malwarebytes is finished the actual malware is gone on all profiles, but more than one user may have the same lefover symptoms - in that case, run SmitFraudFix on each user that has the leftover symptoms. SmitFraudFix fixes much more that just the effects of SmitFraud, and it's continuously updated - make sure you get the latest or a very recnent version. Some anti-malware software, e.g. AdAware 2008, mistakenly flags SmitFraudFix.exe, both the download and the executable file it makes when you execute the download, as malware even though it is not (there IS malware called Smit Fraud or SmitFraud). If you don't want it to be deleted or quaranteened, you will may need to add it to a list of files to Ignore or exclude scanning for. SmitFraudFix resets the home page to the default one originally specified for the IE version you have installed, but it is easily changed. ...... Do you have ATI chipset video? If so, did you recently update it's software?