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Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9755

Posted: 11:07pm 15 Feb 2021

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Hi all.

Another day, another W10 laptop.

This one boots fine, you can log-in fine, but there are no desktop icons, no taskbar, no "Start" button for the menu etc. Mouse pointer moves around the blank screen fine.

CTRL+ALT+DEL works.

First thought that was they put it into tablet mode, but I cannot right-click anywhere on the blank screen, to bring up the menu to change that back to desktop mode.

Also, with no "Start" menu or taskbar, I am quite limited in what I can do.

Currently looking around on the net for things to try, but if anyone else has seen this and knows how to fix it, I would appreciate a post here.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9755

Posted: 11:22pm 15 Feb 2021

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Ran SFC /scannow, which found errors and fixed them, but still no icons.

None of the usual Windows shortcut keys work, such as WINDOWS+R for the run window, or WINDOWS+I for the settings - those key combinations do nothing at all.

Right-clicking anywhere on the blank background does NOT give me the right-click menu at any time or at any position.

Curious....

Perhaps use a W10 boot USB and select repair installation?

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

palcal

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Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2006

Posted: 11:38pm 15 Feb 2021

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Would this help

Boot options

"It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all"

Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9755

Posted: 12:15am 16 Feb 2021

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Thanks - forgot about that path!
Used system restore to roll back to January automatic restore-point, but still have exactly the same problem.

That was surprising.
I expected to get the desktop back after doing a system restore to an earlier point....

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

hitsware2

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Joined: 03/08/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 735

Posted: 01:41am 16 Feb 2021

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I ' ve gotten some good help here :

my site

Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9755

Posted: 06:00am 16 Feb 2021

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Thanks, I have signed up and posted a thread there also.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Paul_L
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Joined: 03/03/2016
Location: United States
Posts: 769

Posted: 07:38pm 16 Feb 2021

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Hey Graeme, go to AskWoody.com, sign up, click on Forums, sign up, and post your problem.

Paul in NY

mclout999

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Joined: 05/07/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 492

Posted: 10:15pm 16 Feb 2021

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Quote I expected to get the desktop back after doing a system restore to an earlier point...

If you have older restore points try them(sometimes listed in by hitting a highlighted text that says something like additional restore points). I have had systems that did not resolve on the first restore point. On One particular system, the 4th one took and then I suspended updates of a month. Worth a try.

They call me Shai-Hulud (The maker)

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