where is my start menu, toolbar, desktop icons?

Question

when i log onto my computer it is just my background, my desktop icons have gone, i have no toolbar so i cant go to start etc. there is a white strip at the bottom but i cant right click at all. i can access my documents through task manager but i cannot open paint, calculator, control panel etc. please help, i have a medion pc and it windows xp home edition.

Answer 1

immediate fix:
1. Ctrl-Alt-Del
2. File> New task (Run...)
3. Type "explorer.exe" and press enter

paint: "mspaint.exe"
calculator: "calc.exe"

Answer 2

You have a corrupt user profile.

1. Using the Task Manager click on File | New Task (Run)
2. type cmd.exe and click OK
3. At the command prompt enter the following commands
3a. Before you do so the line below has [your_name] you must replace this text with what you want to call your new user account and profile. And [password] is the password you wish to use.

net user [your_name] [password] /add (press enter)
net localgroup administrators [your_name] /add (press enter)

4. Log off
5. You should see a new account labeled what you have chosen
6. Click on the icon and enter your password
7. A new profile should be building
8. You'll have to copy items over from your previous profile.

Your new profile is c:\documents and settings\[your_name]
Your previous profile is c:\documents and settings\.....

just copy the following folders:

Desktop
Favorites
Documents
Start Menu

Answer 3

Try to hold left mouse button on ,you say "white strip" and pull that "strip" up. To show icons: Right-click on desktop-->(that something first you have, I think it is something about "arrange icons")--->show desktop icons (or something)...