i have dell with windows xp . i have three user accounts on there. while using it days ago it froze and when it came back, i couldnt get access to anything; my user accounts were gone except for the account i was on when it froze and even with that my start menu and taskbar disappeared but i had some programs on my desktop but i am not able to access them. whenever i try, i always get a box saying "Appliccation has failed to start because the Application Confriguration is in incorrect." it is also says to try reinstalling the program but i can get access to anything to reinstall. Please help me out here!!

Hi Lutherart,You may use the below steps and check if these help -Step 1: You may refer to the below article and check if you can boot to safe mode in Windows XP. Refer to the below article to boot in safe mode - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222Step 2:After booting in safe mode you can perform a clean boot and check if the issue resolves.To perform the clean boot follow the step 1 mentioned in the below article and then try checking in this clean boot state - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353If the issue gets resolved check which non-Microsoft service or program is causing the problem; referring to the article and following other steps.After you have finished troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the computer to start as usual and check:a. Click Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.b. On the General tab, click the Normal Startup option, and then click OK.c. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart.Hope this helps.Thanks,Meghmala – Microsoft SupportVisit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think