There is a setting to remove (not display) all icons from the desktop, although it should leave the start bar visible, unless the start bar has also been dragged off or the "hide taskbar" setup has been clicked. The normal way of accessing the "show desktop icons" is a right click on a blank place on the desktop. The right click should get the popup box where you can click "Arrange icons by." When you click the "Arrange icons by" one of the choices near the bottom of the popup menu is "Show desktop icons" and it should have a check mark next to it. IF the check mark isn't there, no icons are displayed.

If you do get the popup menu when you right click on the desktop, clicking the "show desktop icons" to put a check mark beside it should bring back the icons, although it often takes several seconds for the desktop to reload/unload when you change the setting. Details at Your Desktop Icons Are Missing in Windows XP: KB330170.

If you don't get even the popup menu when you right click the desktop, it probably indicates that no desktop is loading, which could be from damaged or missing files, or possibly due to display hardware or monitor settings. Some older flatpanel displays do not work well, or sometimes at all, if a screen resolution other than the "physical pixel density" of the display is set; although none of the few I've seen will permit you to change the resolution to something that won't work.

A safe-mode boot should bring up a default lower resolution display that would at least allow you to look at settings(?).

John