Win XP Pro

[LAGun]

I have a machine with XP Pro that boots up with no icons or start menu.Safe mode is the same.
I can go into TM and get to everything.
I have read that to just change the "EXPLORER" name to something else like "EXPLORER2"and it will work.There has got to be something more than that.Maybe in REGEDIT?
This machine runs some sort of bingo software
Anyone have any Sane ideas ?
Thanks a bunch!

[petehall347]

Re: Win XP Pro

has it got a partition with repair on it ?
you could do a repair with xp cd but clone the drive first in case it goes wrong .

[R_J]

Re: Win XP Pro

If you can bring up task manager, Can't you choose, file, New task (run) and type explorer.exe
Check regedit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> Software -> Microsoft -> Windows NT -> CurrentVersion -> Winlogon and see if Shell = Explorer.exe

[Topcat]

Re: Win XP Pro

What happened before this started?

[Curious.George]

Re: Win XP Pro

What happened before this started?

I suspect he acquired it in that state: "This machine runs some sort of bingo software". It may have been part of an OEMed product -- much like the PC-based cash registers that you encounter at the supermarket.

His question would then be "How did they hide all the stuff that you would normally expect to see on a WinXP machine? And, how can I unhide it??"

[Topcat]

Re: Win XP Pro

I suspect he acquired it in that state: "This machine runs some sort of bingo software". It may have been part of an OEMed product -- much like the PC-based cash registers that you encounter at the supermarket.

His question would then be "How did they hide all the stuff that you would normally expect to see on a WinXP machine? And, how can I unhide it??"

Ahh, I skimmed that part. Group Policy editor is your friend for fixing this!

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Win XP Pro

yea thx for explaining george. i first though the OP must have been surfing pr0n or something and ended up having his system infected by malware and viruses thus the empty desktop shell. hehehe...

[LAGun]

Re: Win XP Pro

Yes I did get this machine in the state it is in. I have been given the task of fixing it.
I do not have an XP Pro disc.
This machine runs a digital type bingo machine. The machine runs a dongle that controls the fan motors for the balls,touchscreen and display board.
It boots up with no errors.I looked at the error log.
The operators of this are used to seeing the usual desk top and click on the software to start everything.
The unit shows the XP with scrolling bar. It does give a glimmer of the splash screen before ending with the background color of the default XP fuscia color with cursor just no icons or start menu.
I do not know what happened before this started.I am third party to this.
There is no additional partitions on the HDD.
I am not sure if this unit has been on the web but I believe it is networked to other monitors in the building.

[petehall347]

Re: Win XP Pro

can you login as admin ?

[SMDFlea]

Re: Win XP Pro

Do any of you remember Kellys-korner ,that was a great site back in the day with a lot of scripts to fix a ton of problems with xp. The site was closed down but ghacks has an archive of all the scripts: https://www.ghacks.net/2017/04/29/al...ipts-download/

[petehall347]

Re: Win XP Pro

https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/rest...ly-in-windows/

[LAGun]

Re: Win XP Pro

can you login as admin ?

Seems like if I logoff the user I can go in with admin privileges.Nothing I have tried has flagged me yet.

[stj]

Re: Win XP Pro

that is xp-embeded - not xp
dont trash it - find the bingo aplication and see if it's corrupt - if not find xp's startup script to see why it's not running it.

your NOT supposed to have icons, startbar etc - it's cut down for security.

still shit btw - i'v seen loads of xp/win2k based machines bluescreen - and that's just at tradeshows!!!


MAKE A BACKUP *IMAGE* BEFORE YOU CHANGE ANYTHING.

[Curious.George]

Re: Win XP Pro

that is xp-embeded - not xp
dont trash it - find the bingo aplication and see if it's corrupt - if not find xp's startup script to see why it's not running it.

Not necessarily. It's whatever the developer chose to use as their base. E.g., I have a DSO that has Win95 in it (to run its GUI)... do you recall a "Win 95 EMBEDDED" product being offered?

MAKE A BACKUP *IMAGE* BEFORE YOU CHANGE ANYTHING.

+42

Esp if you have no restore media (not just for the OS but also for the APP!)

[stj]

Re: Win XP Pro

it's XP-embeded - because it has to be.
xp cant have the plug pulled at night, it needs a proper shutdown.
the embeded version has a moded file system handler that writes imediatly to prevent drive corruption from pending writes being in the ram when the power goes down.

i have worked with arcade equipment for decades,
windows based machines always have that filesystem mod and are always a longterm problem.
dos based machines are solid, the Linux based ones are also o.k. but the drives dont last so long because of the extra load
.

[LAGun]

Re: Win XP Pro

it's XP-embeded - because it has to be.
xp cant have the plug pulled at night, it needs a proper shutdown.
the embeded version has a moded file system handler that writes imediatly to prevent drive corruption from pending writes being in the ram when the power goes down.

i have worked with arcade equipment for decades,
windows based machines always have that filesystem mod and are always a longterm problem.
dos based machines are solid, the Linux based ones are also o.k. but the drives dont last so long because of the extra load
.

If this is the case then why did the owners say that they should end up with icons and menu to start the software.
Now with that being said when trying to start it without the login info I see a splash screen with the Bingo co. logo and a menu in the bottom right corner to go to the Bios?
I have a feeling that the folks that brought me the machine did not give me all the info on the real use of it.
I also have the feeling that the governing software is proprietary to the machine. They have also said that they normally would have to send it back to the manufactures to get repaired.

[Hondaman]

Re: Win XP Pro

Make a backup, of course. i'm not sure how you can back up the boot loader though.

Do you have another IDE port on the board? You can always remove the drive from the machine in order to back it up, correct?

Is there a batch file or startup script that got deleted or corrupted? What is the file system on this drive (FAT/FAT16X/FAT32NTFS)? After you back up, perhaps would it be safe to search for stuff to undelete, to a safe place? And then look at what you have?

I don't know how to copy each and every sector, including deleted files. I would have to run my undelete tools on the original drive, which is not good. Someone here will know a tool to copy each and every sector. Use that tool and look for deleted stuff on the COPY.

[petehall347]

Re: Win XP Pro

sure i have copied a whole drive intact onto another .ran nautilus then copy pasted it all . was apple though so might be different with windows ,

[R_J]

Re: Win XP Pro

It would be best to clone the hard drive, then play around with the clone, that way if you screw it up you can just clone it again and start over and the original is still intact the way they brought it to you. The clone will boot just like the original

[budm]

Re: Win XP Pro

it would be best to clone the hard drive, then play around with the clone, that way if you screw it up you can just clone it again and start over and the original is still intact the way they brought it to you. The clone will boot just like the original

+1.