little xp issue here...

Under my name only on the computer I let everything load and wait until the system is idle. But starting yesterday, suddenly I can't use the desktop, taskbar(get a hourglass), or start menu. So pretty much all I could do is ctrl+alt+del. Everything in the processes tab seemed to be fine, but then I tried moving the window and saw what happens when you win the solitaire game on xp. The places where the window was does not go away. I was thinking that I could move all my files somewhere else and then delete my username and make it again or just reinstall xp(once the disk is found ).

things that may helpful to know
-searchindexer.exe was using 100%cpu yesterday, even before everything else happened.

-I was trying to get rid of "gamevance" yesterday, a possible trojan, virus or something (did not succeed)

-addons: such as rocketdock, windowblinds, windowfx, yahoo! widgets were loaded

-I have a beautiful desktop picture of sunset over a meadow with trees on the side and a little wooden house. (ok, not really helpful, lol )

thanks for any help

 

HAD a beautiful picture...? And now you do not?

That's actually very helpful--it sounds like your individual user profile registry hive is corrupted; you may even be loading into a temporary default profile--anything in your MY DOCUMENTS folder?

Or, it could be some user-specific application with its fingers dug into explorer

First thing you should be doing is running system restore to a date before yesterday

 

well, the the picture was there until I scrolled the task manager all over the screen, lol.

I would love to check my documents, but I cannot get to since the taskbar is frozen. about it being a user specific application, that could be, since the user I'm using now is unaffected.

 

Boot in safe mode, move files to external (no need to remove user, it'll begone when you format)

format and install xp again

 

OK, the image is there at boot up, but you get the solitaire effect.

That's easier than a corrupt user profile

This is something hanging explorer at startup.

Reboot into safe mode, run system restore.

Or, reboot into safemode and remove or disable startup programs, reboot in normal, then add them back one at a time until you find the culprit

 

Or wipe the darn thing and get a clean system ^^

 

Just to add a little fuel to the fire; the OP mentioned that searchindexer.exe was hitting 100% of CPU. I googled on "searchindexer.exe" and the first hit was a thread on the MSDN forums about that exe hitting 100% of CPU usage. So, on the vague hope that it might contain something useful (it's a long thread), here it is: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Fo...p/thread/163713af-59dd-44fe-b13e-dcca7939e8b4

 

Ok, well I went with a simple method. Delete the user account. Now I'm just wondering if I choose to save the files when I delete it and create a new account with the same name, is it normal to have the same settings? I didn't log in to it but the user picture was the same . Now that isn't what I wanted so I just added an "s" to the end to make sure I got a completely fresh account. And its noticeably faster than it was since,...the last time xp got reinstalled.

but my next step is to reinstall...(*mumbles*...now where's that disk?)

 

that was not the simpler method....

anyway, it is not unusual to get the same picture

 

Not if you're just using the default pix that come preloaded.

 

It was my own picture, of my cat.