Hi,

Any help anyone can give me will be much appreciated!!

My computer doesn't really "boot". The monitor flashes as if it was in standby mode, and after 15-20 seconds the monitor turns on and my Windows background appears. There is no mouse pointer, start menu, icons, etc. It's just my background, and then nothing happens. Any ideas on what is happening?

Thanks!

Does your desktop backgrtound appear right away without any boot screen. Like one saying Windows XP loading or anything like that?

-Jeff

Can you boot into safe mode?

There is no boot screen, or any Windows XP screen that appears. It goes from the monitor light blinking (but the monitor is blank) and then the light quits blinking and the monitor turns on and there is my background.

I have not tried booting in safe mode yet. I don't know if I can since there is no boot screen.

Is this an ongoing problem or a new problem? If its a new problem I recommend you try using system restore to restore the registry to a date when the computer was working correctly. To start system restore from the command prompt follow the instructions in the link below.

Starting System Restore from the command prompt

It's a new problem. I can't use a system restore disk because I never see a command prompt. It goes from a blank screen straight to my Windows background picture. Then there is nothing I can do. No mouse pointer, menus, icons, etc.

Do you get the computer logo screen & or BIOS POST before the blank screen before the blank desktop? If so have you tried the F8 immeadiatly & often after the logo BIOS screen?

Otherwise you would need your XP CD to boot. Do you have a full version or an OEM?

If OEM; depending on your computer make & model you may have a hotkey to launch a recovery console or you may have recovery disks?

If you have a full version of XP: boot the disk & try running check disk from the recovery console:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...B;EN-US;314058

A further step would be this:

http://www.digitalwebcast.com/articl....jsp?id=8658-1

The next step would be a Repair Install:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm