Re: windows client can't start completely...get blank desktop and no icons, start button, task bar, etc...

That was not my suggestions, that was a copy of a post someone else
made.

Can you access the registry remotely from another workstation or the
server?

Heck format and start from scratch only takes an hour if this is a
decent machine.

I vaguely recall this happening to me. I thought I just did a repair
of the OS.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:16:41 -0600, jaredean <junk@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Jim, thanks for the reply...here are my answers:

"First of all, please check the following registry keys that define
the default shell to ensure they are correct...<snip"

- how can I check registery keys - please see in my post about blank
desktop - no start/run/etc.

"Agree with John that you should check whether the Explorer.exe is
running in the Task Manager. If no, you can create a new task
Explorer.exe to manually start it. If the explorer.exe is already
running, in the Task Manager try to terminate and start it again to
check how it works."

- again, see in my post that i did try this before posting and it
didn't work.

"When you can access the desktop, you can enable and collect the
Userenv log that records the verbose user environment initialization."

- if i could access the desktop i wouldn't have posted :-)

"Logon to the problematic client as a user who can logon to other
clients properly. Can he logon properly?
2. Logon to a working client as the user who encountered the problem.
Can he logon properly?"

- i can't logon as anyone. Nobody (user, admin, etc) gets a desktop
other than a blank screen.


thanks for trying...i would like to know how to fix it, but really
need to get back to working on it and don't have money to pay for a
support call...unless i can "roll-it-back' somehow, i'll need to
reformat and reinstall windows it looks like...

jared


On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:09:53 -0400, Jim Behning SBS MVP
<jimbehning@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

this question was asked recently.

Hello,

Thank you for posting here.

According to your description, I understand that:

In the SBS domain, you have a specific client computer that fails to
load
the desktop.

If I have misunderstood the problem, please don't hesitate to let me
know.

Suggestions:
===================
First of all, please check the following registry keys that define the
default shell to ensure they are correct:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"Shell"="Explorer.exe"
"Userinit"="C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\userinit.exe,"

Agree with John that you should check whether the Explorer.exe is
running
in the Task Manager. If no, you can create a new task Explorer.exe to
manually start it. If the explorer.exe is already running, in the Task
Manager try to terminate and start it again to check how it works.

When you can access the desktop, you can enable and collect the
Userenv log
that records the verbose user environment initialization.

1. To enable the Userenv log:

1.1) Log onto a problematic client computer. Open the Explorer and go
to
the following folder: %SystemRoot%\Debug\UserMode\. If you can find a
file
called userenv.log, please rename it to userenv.old. (Please do not
delete
it.)
1.2) Click "Start", click "Run", type "regedit" (without the quotation
marks), and then click "OK".
1.3) Find the following key:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
1.4) Highlight the Winlogon key and click Edit -> New -> DWORD Value
in the
menu bar.
1.5) Name the new value as "UserEnvDebugLevel" (without the quotation
marks) and then double click it and specify the Value data as
00010002.
Please double check that the value name and the data are correct (the
value
should be shown as 0x00010002(65538)).
1.6) Close registry edit.

You can find detailed information on how to enable a verbose
userenv.log
according to the following KB article:

221833 How to Enable User Environment Debug Logging
in
Retail Builds of Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=221833

For further investigation, please answer the following questions:

1. Logon to the problematic client as a user who can logon to other
clients
properly. Can he logon properly?
2. Logon to a working client as the user who encountered the problem.
Can
he logon properly?

Generally speaking, blank desktop issues are difficult to
troubleshoot. To
troubleshoot the issue, we usually need to spend quite some time to
perform
steps to find the problem causer due to complexity on technical side.
We
may also need to analyze the memory dump to locate the root cause
which is
not supported in newsgroup support. So if possible, you can repair the
OS
on the client. I appreciate your understanding and cooperation during
the
troubleshooting process. If this issue is urgent, we highly recommend
you
contact Microsoft Product Support Services so that a dedicated support
professional can resolve the issue for you in the most efficient way.
The
Private Partner Newsgroup Support is mainly for non-urgent break fix
issues
where a response within 24-hours is acceptable.

http://support.microsoft.com/?LN=en-us&scid=gp%3Ben-us%3Bofferprophone&x=3&y
=11
http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx

Hope this helps. Also, if you have any questions or concerns, please
do not
hesitate to let me know.





Best regards,
Miles Li

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Microsoft Global Technical Support Center



On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:29:32 -0600, jaredean <junk@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Sorry to scare you guys, but no - i would never in my life put iTunes
on the server...i don't even like having IE7, Flash, etc. on the
server...the server didn't BSOD, the client did...

So, yes - this is the client (hence the subject line :-)...

And, to go along with your questions, i tried safe mode (same issue,
can't get icons, start, my computer, etc at all)...so i can't get a
restore from there either andcan't uninstall anything...

As far as last known configuration, when i do that it goes int othe
"checking file for consistency" and runs through CHKDSK...when that is
complete it reboots and then i log in and still the same issue!

I am sorry i posted here, but i trust this form and i posted it in two
XP forums and you would not believe the responses i received (many
didn't take the time to read my whole post, just replied with
questions i'd already answered in the original post)...one person did
give me good tips to try, but it was a bust...

thanks again...if there are no other suggestions I will reinstall
windows (and lose some things that weren't backed up unfortunatly)...

anyone? anyone?

jared


On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:46:02 -0500, "Cris Hanna [SBS - MVP]"
<crisnospamhanna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Adding to what Cliff said, (assuming and hoping this is a workstation)
1) Have you tried starting in safe mode and doing the restore at that point
2) Have you tried starting in "last known good configuration"
3) Have you tried starting in safe mode and uninstalling ITunes (personal
opinion on now) ITunes does not belong on a business computer unless you are
using it inconjunction with an IPhone 3G (again personal opinion) which is
another bad idea. Apple has a lot of catching up in this area, if they
want a business capable phone.
See what SBS support is working on
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/default.aspx
Check your SBS with the SBS Best Practices Analyzer
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/tags/BPA/default.aspx
See what SBS support is working on
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/default.aspx
Check your SBS with the SBS Best Practices Analyzer
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/tags/BPA/default.aspx
.

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