As the topic title says.

BASICALLY I torrented WindowsBlinds 6 from here and unzipped it and ran it and stuff. AVG picked up some viruses when I unzipped it, but it said it successfully removed all of them, so I went on fiddling for the next few hours with WindowsBlinds like a man, and got it all working and happy and stuff. Then, when it came time to restart the machine, my desktop doesn't load, and then I open the Task Manager, look in the processes and note explorer.exe isn't running. So I try and run it manually, and it tells me it doesn't exist. I can run anything else fine by opening task manager, hitting file | run, then navigating to the program and opening it (hence how I'm posting here!).

Basically has anyone got any solutions? I've tried this one:
1. CTRL-Alt-Del to bring up Task Manager.
2. Click File | New Task(run).
3. Type regedit in the Run box and click OK.
4. Browse to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution.options

5. Under this key there will be subkeys named explorer.exe and iexplorer.exe.
These keys are pointing to files that have been removed (virus/spyware); explorer32dbg.exe and iexplore_dbg.exe. Delete the explorer and iexplorer keys entirely. The should not be listed under the Image File Execution.Options key.
6. Close the Registry Editor.
7. Restart the computer.

From this thread, but it doesn't work for me. Firstly, I don't have an Image File Execution.options; my folder structure says CurrentVersoin/Image File Execution Options, WHICH I AM GUESSING does not make a buttload of difference either way, but still, there's no explorer.exe or iexplorer.exe (or iexplore.exe) under the image file whatsits. To top it off, using command prompt, I can't find explorer.exe in C:\Windows or C:\Windows\system32, wherever it's supposed to be (only explorer.scf and explorer.vbk)

This solution sounds like it could be worth taking a punt at, but I don't have a replacement explorer.exe so readily available (unless someone can provide me with a clean one online?). This machine has a legal XP Home on it (purchased it from work when they were flogging off their old computers), so that shouldn't be an issue. I'm sure there's a spare disk lying around somewhere, but as to where is another matter.

ANY HELP is greatly appreciated on this, dudes. Thanks a bunch.

So go to your control panel and do a system restore to a few days ago and if you're lucky you'll be testing Gens 2 and watching animated tits with realistic physics in no time

Can't fecking open the control panel. It comes up with the same old "Windows cannot find explorer.exe". This trojan is a nasty son of a bitch!

EDIT: Possibly the dumbest question I've ever asked in my four years at GW but there's no way to download a replacement explorer.exe, is there?

If you have a windows XP disc, you can insert it on start up and repair your installation of XP (or even replace it completely) that might fix it.

That's not gonna kill any of my data is it? I mean to be sure I'm gonna backup MISSION CRITICAL stuff anyway, but I'm just curious as to whether that's gonna affect any other misc data on any of my hard drives.

Ok, well if you format your windows then it will format that partition only - so anything on C:\ (typically) gets nuked.

If you repair you don't lose your data but it may restore functionality of windows (So that's your first try).

You could try booting up in safe mode to save some of your files to other patitions/drives and then doing the big format but if you are using wireless internet or you have a custom built PC you will need drivers for your PC. If you've got a manufactured one it's likely you can do a reset and restore to factory settings (a lot of laptops and noob-ish desktops do this - my HP does).

Alright, well I can boot up in safe mode, but it's got 0 difference to, uh, "normal mode" or whatever you'd call it. Has exactly the same problem. I can back up my files by using the Run prompt from Task Manager then copy pasting in the little explorer window that pops up (I can't actually open windows explorer -_-). I'll try the repair, and if that doesn't work, backing up and nuking C drive! Hoorah.

Good luck on the mission buddy, say hello to those martians for me when you see them

So my DVD drive is dodgy and doesn't read CDs (what a chump). Do y'reckon I'd be able to put the data on a flash drive (on another computer) and boot from flash drive upon startup?

Christo I would come to your house and fix it if you pay for flights.

Urgh, this really is a lot more trouble than it's should be. It won't boot up from CD because my DVD drive doesn't read CDs as mentioned earlier. I formatted a thumb drive to FAT and 16 kb whatever thingy that it was set to default at, and copied all the files over, but it won't boot up from that either, it just ignores it. Going into the BIOS to pick boot devices, there was no USB device there, even though it displayed fine through Task Manager -> Run and stuff in Windows.

FINALLY I tried burning the CD files onto a DVD, but it won't boot from that either. It seems to contemplate it before going into dumb old stuffed up Windows. Methinks I'll need to go salvage an old CD drive from around the place that can read CDs. *sigh*

Anyone got any other suggestions before I throw a shovel through the screen?

Are you sure you're setting the CD-Drive at the top of the boot priority list in bios?

Have you tried booting into safe mode and trying system restore from there?

And for the record, windows will not delete your data, the choice to format is completely optional, it will only reinstall system files if you choose not to format. It will even leave your old program files and user account data.

Are you sure you're setting the CD-Drive at the top of the boot priority list in bios?

Yep, top priority. It's never read CDs, though. (well it might've to start with, sure as hell hasn't for a few months (it's broken)

Have you tried booting into safe mode and trying system restore from there?

Yeah, no explorer.exe so I can't even get into control panel.

I'll gut the machine on Tuesday when I'm done with assignment work. It's inconvenient, but usable.

Well, if you had a pen drive or something, you could boot up in Knoppix and move all your files to the resized partition for that then reinstall Windows and move it back. Otherwise just go pick up a cheap xGB hard drive whereas x is however much you are currently using for your files and install windows on that then drag the files over.