Flashing Start Menu

[Spetsnazgg]

I need help!!!! Recently whenever i start my computer up to the point where the start menu and desktop icons appear, it goes wild!!!

First, the icons on the desktop flash and then disappear ( i can still see the background)
then the start menu disappears!
then the start menu reappears, but it is unclickable
but then it disappears!

the only thing i can click on is my office tool bar...

what's wrong?

 

[Toejam31]

Could be various reasons for the problem, such as a corrupted icon cache, a virus, or even some kind of spyware.

Can you use a keyboard shortcut to access My Computer? (Windows Key+E) Then you can delete the hidden IconCache.db file found at C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ USERNAME\LOCAL SETTINGS\APPLICATION DATA\IconCache.db (where USERNAME is your account name). This will force Windows to re-build the file.

You could also try restoring the Start Menu and Taskbar using a Registry Edit from <A HREF="http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm" target="_new">Kellys Korner</A> (#117).

I'm not promising that any of this will work, but it's a start.

Toey

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[Spetsnazgg]

no, i cannot use the windows key + E after start menu disappears....


btw, if i click really rapidly at the desktop, then cilck oncec on a icon, then start menu, then the "show hidden icons" button on the bottom right corner of screen, then the startmenu... it sometimes works

 

[Toejam31]

Maybe the simplest way to correct the problem would be to just run a repair on the OS to replace any corrupted files, although you'd have to reinstall all the hotfixes afterwards and/or SP1 from Windows Update, depending on the age of your OS CD, which may or may not be slipstreamed. (Myself, I prefer just the hotfixes and I normally avoid installing SP1, due to unusual errors I have seen on several systems.) Or you could check to see if <A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/managing/restore.asp" target="_new">System Restore</A> is running, and then roll back the OS to a point that precedes the date when the problem started - - <A HREF="http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm" target="_new">How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install</A>.

Even trying to load the <A HREF="http://www.cix.co.uk/~davedorn/computing/windows/xprepair2.htm" target="_new">Last Known Good Configuration</A> couldn't hurt, although it's a slim shot at best, especially if the computer has been restarted several times since the display error began.

Toey

<font color=red>First Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=17935" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Devastating Dalek Destroyer</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
________________________________________

<A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com/phpBB/index.php" target="_new"><b><font color=purple>BTVILLARIN.com</font color=purple></b></A> - <i><font color=orange>A better place to be</font color=orange></i>.

 

[jlanka]

sounds like something is causing explorer to crash

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

 

[Spetsnazgg]

yea, computer has been started multiple times...
but if i click on enough things and keep the start menu open B4 it starts flashing... no problem

tried to delete that icon cache thing... didn't work

i'll try the repair thing next

thx for the help