Icon problem HELP!!!
 

I've just returned to my PC after being away for a couple of hours, and in this time, it's developed a very strange fault.

At first, all the desktop icons had vanished, leaving only the descriptions that usually appear under the icons. "my documents", "Microsoft word" etc.

I restarted the computer, and after this, the correct icons were still AWOL, but now there was a white rectangular box in place of each one.
I managed to get most of them back by right clicking, "properties" "change icon", but the only one I couldn't get to work was "my computer".

Also the recyle bin icon is still playing up.
When empty, the icon is fine, but as soon as I add something to it, the icon is replaced by the white rectangle.

My computer is running XP.

Any ideas or help gratefully received.

Possibly a Registry problem?

Have you tried going back in system restore to see what happens?

Yes, tried that, and no different.

Something I've never tried before, but is it possible to reinstall windows without losing all the info on the PC. I've got the XP installation disk.

Does it happen if you create and log in using a new user profile?

You could try downloading (for free) CC Cleaner (Google it) and then from within that use the "Scan for Issues" feature - might work, might not, if it does it prevents a reinstall which cant be bad.

Yes, but it is much easier if your installation disk is the same SP level as the current installation.

You can upgrade your installation disk to SP2 by a process called slipstreaming.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

Google "slipstream sp2" for several good articles.

SD

Hold your horses, it shouldn't come to that...

Do they come back, bigger, if you do the following?
Display Properties, Appearance tab, Effects button, check "Use large icons", OK, OK?
If that works, do that again, but uncheck the box.

Alternatively, Microsoft's TweakUI PowerToy has a "Restore Icons" function under "Repair".

If you've still not fixed it, change the screen colour depth (not size) and change it back again. Voila.

(right click on the desktop. -> Properties -> Settings tab -> Color quality. Just choose another setting. After it fixes your problem, change it back if you wish.)

bnt, bushfiva,

No joy I'm afraid. tried both of your suggestions, but it's still the same.

I've got all my important stuff music and smut) backed up, so a reinstall won't be too much of a problem if it cures it.
I will give it another day or two to see if I can get it sorted before I go down that route.

Thanks for all the advice.

Did you try TweakUI? If that doesn't do the trick, then I would agree that that Windows installation is Borked. Could it be an infection of some kind?