Windows 7 - lost all desktop icons and can't open the start button

**TiffRaw** · 2011-05-16 18:38

Hi, can anyone offer some help please? My PC seems to work OK but all icons on the desktop and in dialogue boxes do not appear; also when I left click the start button, nothing happens. I have to shut down using the PC's button. No other functions seem to be lost, it's just a nuisance that I'd like to put right. Anyone had a similar problem and managed to resolve it?

**Medico** · 2011-05-16 19:02

As far as the icons, copy thiss batch file to Notepad, save as a .bat file to your desktop. Run the batch to repair icons:

RebuildIconCache.jpg

Unsure if this will have any effect on the second part of your problem. Perhaps a Win 7 repair install will help with this.

**chowur** · 2011-05-16 21:48

Go to Control Panel \ Personalize (or right-click on the desktop and select Personalize), and then choose the link for “Change Desktop Icons” on the left-hand side.

**butchcoats** · 2011-05-18 06:59

Haven't had the problem but, can you pull up the start button using the Windows key? Did you try right-clicking the start button, click properties, click taskbar, unclick lock taskbar? How 'bout CTRL-ESC? Or the run dialog box with Windows - r? If so try typing in regsvr32.exe jscript.dll then click OK. I would also run sfc /scannow if you haven't installed SP1. If you have then you'll need to slipstream SP1 and your Win 7 disk if you have one (somebody's gonna say that you don't need to do that but you do). If you recently installed something I would go into MSCONFIG and disable that app if it placed something in there and then reboot to see if it fixed it. Don't have a clue about the icons and not near a Win 7 box to check it but will later. Good luck.

**DonF1** · 2011-06-10 22:26

I have the same problem and a Google search shows others have it but no solution yet. My problem is specific to individual user accounts (ie. start button and icons avail for some users.) More than desktop icons are missing. Other graphics in explorer windows are gone. Even things like the graphics for desktop themes are gone for affected accounts. Any newly created accounts have the problems.

Left clicking on the start icon does nothing. Right clicking on the start icon produces a menu with "Properties" and "Open Windows Explorer" both of which function normally (but without any icons in explorer. You can see where the taskbar icons are but they are blank. Hovering over them will bring up the tooltip.

Since this doesn't affect all accounts I suspect a registry problem. No program or process starts for the problem accounts not present in the fully functional accounts. It is possible (but I'm unwilling to test on one of the remaining fully functional accounts) that it's connected with coming out of hibernation. I'm hoping some of you experts can help me diagnose and fix this.

Win7 64 bit Home Premium SP1. Dell E1705 4GB RAM

**jwitalka** · 2011-06-11 10:28

Does the problem occur in safe mode? If not, try the clean boot diagnostic procedure. Ignore the fixit that pops up.

If this is a recent problem, try doing a System Restore to a point prior to the issue occurring.
Jerry

**TiffRaw** · 2011-06-12 05:57

Thanks all for your informative comments. DonF1, your symptoms are exactly as mine. In the end, I simply emailed Microsoft and one of their guys called me and cured the problem using their remote access facility. The cause turned out to be a corrupt file in the registry. All now OK and back to normal.

**DonF1** · 2011-06-13 13:27

Originally Posted by jwitalka

Does the problem occur in safe mode? If not, try the clean boot diagnostic procedure.

Yes it occurs in safe mode.

**DonF1** · 2011-06-13 13:29

Originally Posted by TiffRaw

I simply emailed Microsoft and one of their guys called me and cured the problem using their remote access facility. The cause turned out to be a corrupt file in the registry. All now OK and back to normal.

Who did you e-mail at Microsoft? Do you know what part of the registry they worked on? Did they give you any idea what caused it and how to prevent it?

Glad to know someone got this fixed.

**TiffRaw** · 2011-06-13 17:21

DonF1, I live in the UK, and used the UK MS support website. The guy who came back to me was an Indian gentleman, who I believe answered from a support site in India not the UK. His MS email address is as follows:

v-2rajan@mssupport.microsoft.com

. . . . and I suspect that he would be only too pleased to help you.

Thread: Windows 7 - lost all desktop icons and can't open the start button

Thread Tools