Icons are missing from Control Panel, or you cannot start Control Panel, the Welcome Center, or games in Windows Vista

SYMPTOMS

On a computer that is running Windows Vista, you experience one or more of the following problems:

1. Icons are missing from Control Panel. 
2. You cannot start Control Panel. When you try to start Control Panel, the screen may flash briefly, but Control Panel does not start.
3. You cannot start the Welcome Center. For example, when you type welcome center in the Start Search box, and then you click Welcome Center in the Programs list, nothing happens. 
4. You cannot start Windows Vista games such as Chess or Minesweeper. When you try to start the games, nothing happens.
These problems may occur intermittently.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows Vista.