[widcombe]

Hi,

I was hoping that someone could help me out with this as it's slowly but surely driving me ever closer to insanity.

Basically I until recently had this nasty spyware that amongst other things locked me out of my task manager as well as the desktop tab in the display properties menu.

I removed the spyware and managed to get into the task manager by disabling the disabling function in the group policy menu (by running gpedit.msc).

However am still not able to get into the Desktop tab.
The options in the tab are simply greyed out (as was previously the same with the taskmanager button). When I tried the same trick in the group policy menu by going into User Configuration/Administrative templates/Control Panel/Display option - It made no difference. What I have tried is to simply disable all the possible settings there were (in the User Configuration/Administrative templates/Control Panel/Display option).

Is there a different section in the group policy menu which I have to alter or is there some other solution?

I would be very grateful for any help or possible ideas any of you guys might have as i'm completely stumped on this one

Ta,

Paddy

 

[Byteman]

Hi, This little script by Kelly should restore the Desktop tab, also for the ScreenSaver tab missing....

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Scroll down to number 128 the one you want is on right hand side there.

"Restore Desktop and ScreenSave Tabs"

Save to a folder or just the desktop> file is desktoptab.reg

Double click that and answer "Yes" to the do you want the information added to the Registry question. You may have to reboot to see the change.

One of the neatest scripts there is> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Billy the Adult]

First are you absolutely sure you have removed all traces of the spyware? I would do a scan and double check.
This is a good utility. http://www.ewido.net/en/
If it shows no spyware then try system restore to a date before all your trouble started.

 

[halo2914]

Thank you so much....The link for Kelly Korner fixed it.

 

[Byteman]

You're welcome!

 

[sheshebc]

The link to Kelly's Korner puts the Desktop tab back in, but I cannot pick the different wallpapers, etc. So how do we make it work now that the tab is back?

 

[Elvandil]

Try giving yourself those permissions with one of these:

XP Security Console
Infiltration Recovery Tool

 

[Byteman]

I think you need to enable the Windows XP theme, the default theme is called Luna

If you cannot open the applet to pick a theme, this should repair that option:

At the link below, you have to scroll down the page until you see:

Themes (Won't Load or only Windows Classic is listed)

Try "Restore themes functionality" first....

then Restore Luna theme, if that does not help....

Then, the last one, "Windows buttons greyed out...."

Restore Luna Theme (Line 187)
Restore Themes Functionality (Line 187)
Windows/Buttons Greyed Out under Appearance and/or Windows XP Style Changes to Windows Classic or (Line 214) http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm.

Then, there is this one:

Restore All Display Tabs here:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Opposite Line 285> right side

 

[sheshebc]

Thank you so much for your reply, but none of it is working. So frustrating.

 

[Byteman]

Did you try Elvandil's suggestion a couple of posts back? Permissions OK?

 

[sheshebc]

Deeper problems now. In Display Properties, Theme Tab, it is set to Modified Theme and shows all black. Under the Appearance Tab, no theme preview. It is all messed up now.

 

[Byteman]

Hi,

Probably is something done with gpedit-

I am sorry this has happened to you....

Maybe a System Restore back to some point before this happened would help.

 

[halo2914]

sheshebc ,

Try this link if u r not able to change the wallpaper

http://www.thespykiller.co.uk/downloads/cleandesktop.exe