I encountered a problem that the desktop freezes or does not start at all. What it looks like: the mouse cursor turns into a clock and nothing can be launched from the desktop. The problem exists in both Windows 7 and Windows XP, no difference. Let's figure out how to solve this issue without resorting to heavy artillery.
One-time solution to the problem
You can close the desktop like any program. Only there is no such application in the task manager. But the “explorer.exe” process is responsible for it. We just need to restart this process. For this:
- using the hotkeys “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” or “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” and select “Launch task manager”
- In the task manager window, go to the “Processes” tab and find the “explorer.exe” process there. If there is a lot of stuff there, then just press the letter “e” until you get to it.
- Right-click on the process and select “End Process”.
After this action, the desktop will completely disappear along with the taskbar. Only the background image and the task manager window will remain. If after a few seconds the desktop does not automatically restart, then you need to start it manually. Let's go to the menu “File –> New task”
In the input field we write: explorer
And press “Enter”. With these simple steps you can bring the Windows operating system back to life without having to restart. This whole process is demonstrated in the video below the article. This method is also suitable for Windows 10, but if it does not help, then you need to end the “Desktop Window Manager”.
If your desktop freezes too often
This usually happens after installing some new program. Remember after what actions this started and try to remove the most recently installed programs. If it doesn't help, then roll back to . This could very well be to blame. In this case, let's try to cure the desktop, and for this we need:
- Download the AVZ program. I talked about this program
- Go to "File -> System Restore"", there check the boxes No. "5. Desktop recovery", "16. Recovering the Explorer launch key" and "9. Removing system process debuggers"
- Click the “Perform marked operations” button and reboot.
If the desktop does not start
In cases when the desktop does not load at all and even the “Start” button does not appear, you need to do what is described above, and if that does not help, then something else. Try launching the desktop through the task manager using the method described above. If you don’t have the AVZ program at hand, you’ll have to go into the registry. But I simplified the task for you and prepared a ready-made solution.
Recovering explorer.exe
If when you try to run “explorer.exe” a message appears that such a file was not found, then you will have to restore it. This can be done in three ways.
First way: Enter the command in the New Task window of the Task Manager:
Sfc /scannow
Most likely the program will ask you to insert the Windows installation disc. If it is not there, then the second method may suit you. The program restores damaged and replaced files with original ones. When the program finishes, reboot. By the way, this method can help if the desktop freezes, and the previous tips did not help.
Second way: copy the file “C:\Windows\explorer.exe” from a working machine with the same operating system, or download and unpack my versions:
To put the correct files in a Windows folder without Explorer, enter the command in the New Task window:
copy C:\Downloads\explorer.exe c:\windows
where C:\Downloads is the path to the file, and C:\Windows is the OS installation path.
Before this, you may need to “explorer.exe” as described above.
Third way also requires an installation disk, we will just get the required file from there manually. If the drive has the letter “E:” and the operating system folder is “C:\Windows”, then the procedure is as follows:
- Installing the disc in the tray
- In the already known input field we write:
E:\i386\expand.exe E:\i386\explorer.ex_ C:\windows\explorer.exe
Let's reboot!
Another way is to use Kerish Doctor.
After solving the problem you can.
In the video you can see how to restart the desktop. True, it doesn’t show how I launch the task manager using “Ctrl + Alt + Delete”, because Windows blocks video recording in this mode, but I think everything is clear.
This problem will clearly catch your eye - after all, immediately after the usual operating system start window, you will be greeted by an inhospitable black screen on which the mouse cursor will wander alone.
The most likely cause of this problem is infection with malicious files.
The essence of the problem comes down to the fact that viruses can change the system registry, or rather the section responsible for the correct operation of the desktop. At the same time, shortcuts and files located on the desktop will not be available to you. Antiviruses can solve the problem and rid the system of the virus, however, not all programs can return the registry value responsible for the system interface to its original position.
Actions to solve the problem
To use the desktop again you need to perform a few simple manipulations. First, go to the task manager. To do this in Windows 7, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc. In the manager, expand the menu " File" and click on the item " Execute».
A window will open, in the field of which enter “ explorer.exe" This is the name of the file responsible for the functioning of the desktop. All you have to do is click OK and after a moment the table and all the shortcuts and files located in it will open to your eyes again.
How to prevent future problems from occurring
There are several ways to prevent this mistake from happening again. First, let's look at the simpler of them, namely working with the Startup folder. This folder, located in the Start menu, can serve as a repository for individual shortcuts that you want to launch after the next system startup.
In order to launch the desktop the next time you start it, you need to open the “Startup” folder (in the “Start” menu, click on “All Programs” and find it among other directories) and the C:\Windows folder. From the latter, you will need a file signed as “explorer.exe”. Find the “Create shortcut” item by right-clicking on the file. This shortcut should be placed in the Startup folder. After completing this manipulation, restart your computer. If the problem has not been resolved, the following methods may help you solve the problem.
Changing registry data
Making changes to the Windows 7 registry may help you. To open it, use the Win+R key combination. A new window will prompt you to enter the name of the program to launch, in our case it will be “Regedit”.
The left field of the registry will represent the root folder system. In it you need to open the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. Here we are interested in the Shell file, in which we need to enter one of the values: “C:\Windows\explorer.exe” or “explorer.exe”. 
Once you've made changes, it's worth deleting a few folders. In the CurrentVersion directory, find the Image File Execution Options folder. Here you need to get rid of the “iexplorer.exe” and “explorer.exe” items. After this, restart your computer. If the problem persists, try the next method.
Antivirus will help 
To work you will need AVZ antivirus. It will help reset settings and return system files to their original position. The program can be downloaded on the Internet on the official website.
The application should be run as an administrator; this can be achieved by right-clicking on the “avz.exe” file and selecting the line “ Run as administrator" In the application, select the button “ File" Next, look for the item “ System Restore" On the monitor you will see a window in which you need to check the first item (restoring file launch settings), the fifth (restoring desktop settings) and the sixteenth (restoring the Explorer launch key).
If desired, you can select other items in the menu that appears; we recommend checking the boxes opposite the sixth to tenth menu items. They will be fully checked and any difficulties encountered will be corrected. The number of sub-items selected will determine the scope of virus diagnostics, and, consequently, the performance of your computer in the future.
But remember, the more items have been selected, the longer the antivirus will do its job. So, if the only task is to restore the functionality of the desktop, then you can limit yourself to the first recommendations (points 1, 5 and 16).
Once you have decided on the scan configuration, click on the " Perform marked operations" After confirming the completion of the operations, the application will begin its work. The speed of operation depends on the configuration of your system and the number of items checked during selection. As a result, the operating time can range from a few seconds to 15-20 minutes. The program will notify you about the completion of system recovery in a separate window.
After checking with this antivirus utility, you need to restart your computer and see what the result is. There is no 100% guarantee of getting rid of the virus, however, the AVZ program is rightfully considered one of the most successful in restoring a system after a virus " invasion" If the desired result could not be achieved, then the only way out is to reinstall the Windows system.
In contact with
Good afternoon dear friends! The other day I came across an interesting situation. A virus that prevents the desktop from loading. When the computer boots up, it reaches the desktop, a black screen appears without any entries and that’s it.
The task manager is called, everything seems to be working, even processes are starting. You can even launch the command line. Only there is no desktop.
It turns out that the fact is that the virus makes some amendments to the registry, or rather rewrites the shell. Shell is a shell that initially launches explorer, but the virus reassigns explorer to some random exe file.
Hence, when you turn on the computer, it is not the desktop that appears, but some kind of blocking sign or a black screen.
What to do if the desktop does not load, just a black screen?
This situation can be solved without any particular difficulties: first, press ctrl+alt+delete and call the task manager.
Then we launch a new task: File -> New task -> Regedit -> click “Ok”. With this action we launched the registry editor.
Now we need to go to the branch in which the shell is registered and check that everything there is as we need it. On the left in the editor you need to select the correct path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
After choosing the path, look for the Shell line in the right window and check that the “Value” column contains the line “explorer.exe”.
If there is something different there, we fix it immediately.
After the actions taken, there are two scenarios for the development of events: the first - everything worked. This means that after the reboot the desktop appeared and the problems disappeared. We use the computer as before.
The second case is that after a reboot there is no desktop again, checking the registry branches showed that the lines have changed again. This indicates that we have a virus on our computer. This virus may be in services or the task scheduler. In this case, it is recommended
Working with a computer is based mainly on interaction with the desktop, on which the most frequently used programs and folders are located. But what to do if your Windows 7 desktop disappears? Where to look for a lost folder?
Launch the folder
Explorer.exe– the process responsible for displaying the desktop on Windows. If this process fails while working on the computer, the entire interface disappears and only the picture remains (sometimes a completely black screen). The reasons for this system behavior can be both ordinary problems and serious failures. In any case, the problem can be solved quite simply.The desktop is an ordinary folder, the work of which is initiated by the explorer.exe process. Therefore, the answer to the question of how to restore the Windows 7 desktop is obvious - you just need to start the process.
This method is only relevant if the folder and its path are not damaged, otherwise explorer.exe will not work correctly.
There are two ways to restore the process:
- Via task manager;
- Via the command line.
First way
To do this, you need to open the task manager using the combination Ctrl+Alt+Delete and click on the “File” control panel:Select “Create a new task” and enter explorer.exe into the window that appears. After this action, the desktop should appear. If this does not happen, then we use the second option.
Second way
To implement process recovery via the console, you must run the command line with administrator rights. To do this, press WIN+W and enter “Command Prompt” in the search bar. Right-click the manipulator and select “Run as administrator”:
Enter explorer.exe into the console without any commands. The program will automatically start the process; if successful, all desktop icons will appear again:
Recovery tool
If the method described above did not help or Windows boots to a black screen on which no action can be performed, then you will have to use the recovery tool to return the desktop:
In this case, you can choose to run Last Known Good Configuration. However, the method is unreliable if the computer is infected with a virus program.
We start the device in safe mode and call the Task Manager again . We repeat the algorithm, launching a new process through a modal window. But in this case we need the rstrui.exe command:
This command will launch the system restore utility, which will allow you to select a rollback point, which will return the computer to the date and time the point was created.
It is not necessary to create rollback points yourself. Windows does this automatically as soon as the user installs programs that affect the system, updates drivers, etc.
The rstrui.exe process, similar to explorer.exe, can also be launched through Command line with administrator rights.
This method allows you to restore your desktop even when the explorer.exe file is damaged/deleted/modified.
After a rollback, be sure to check the system for malware, since there is a high probability that the problem lies there.
Working with the registry
The registry is a database of all parameters assigned to the system. This is where all viruses are first registered, changing values and rewriting paths. Of course, you can load the last known good configuration or roll back the system, but if the device starts in normal mode, but without a desktop, then it’s faster to check everything yourself:
As a precaution, before manipulating the registry, it is recommended to make a backup copy on a third-party medium (flash drive or disk). So, if the values change incorrectly, you can easily restore the previous copy and start all over again.
Final computer cleanup
As soon as Windows has loaded and the desktop has not disappeared, you can begin cleaning up the system, which will allow you to finally get rid of this incident:- Load the antivirus with the new database onto the external media;
- We look for a file called explorer.exe on the Internet, download it and put it on the flash drive where the antivirus is located;
- Using the latter, we check the computer and remove all suspicious utilities and files;
- We look for explorer.exe on the computer (the search is carried out in the section where the operating system is installed) and change it to a file downloaded from the network (after checking it with an antivirus);
- Reboot the device.
It is possible that Windows Remote Desktop is not working due to a video card failure. Don't forget to update your video and audio drivers after restarting.
Video instructions for restoring your desktop
The video shows the main recovery methods if the remote desktop does not work:Restoring your desktop is an easy and fairly quick process. The most difficult procedures will be finding the cause, ways to solve them, and finally cleaning up the computer manually or using special utilities.
Recently I helped a friend with this problem: all the shortcuts began to look the same and can be opened with a notepad. I read people's comments on the Internet and many are horrified by this problem :). In fact, everything is resolved quite quickly and easily.
The concept we came across is called label associations. What are associations?
Windows stores a table that specifies which program to run when accessing a specific file type. It is logical that when I decided to open a picture, the Photo Viewer would launch, and when I decided to open a song, for example, Winamp would launch. So, in our situation, these same associations have gone astray.
But before you solve the problem with shortcuts, make sure that the problem is with them. What else could it be? When we run a file, Windows determines which application it is associated with and launches this application, and this program opens the file.
With labels it's a little different. A shortcut is simply a link to a file. That is, by clicking on the shortcut, an application is launched that should open this file. And if the application file associations - exe - are also broken, then the problem is not only in the shortcuts.
In this article, we will only deal with the case where the problem is related to label associations. So how do you find out if the problem is with the exe files or the shortcuts?
Go to drive C, to the Program Files or Program Files x86 folder, and try to launch any program, for example, Skype. To do this you need to run the file at: c:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe. If Skype starts, then the problem really is with the shortcuts.
Restoring shortcut associations
All Windows settings are stored in its registry and log. You can enter it using a special command. Press Win + R on your keyboard. Now enter the command into the line
The Registry Editor has opened in front of you. It is built in the form of folders, each of which stores its own settings. We need the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch.
Expand it by clicking on the arrow on the left. Now we are looking for Software beyond Microsoft,
Windows, CurrentVersion, in it we find Explorer and FileExts,
