I am running Windows XP Home SP2. When I right-click on my desktop, then click on Properties, the Display Properties dialog box opens up, but it is missing several tabs. All I can now do from this window is change Themes. I haven't added any theme packs or anything else so I'm at a loss to explain what I might have done. Any suggestions on what I can do to get the rest of the Display Properties Tabs back?  :-?gorgon..... First , I wonder how you found out you were missing those tabs? I only ask because it might shed some light on whats going on .......

If you are certain your pc is virus and trojan free , I would do this ...use your system restore and restore back to a date when the desktop properties was all there.

ONE other thing you could check is your event log .....and see if theres any indication there as to whats wrong...... Check this before you try the system restore .

dl65  I periodically use the right-click menu from my desktop to change wallpapers and other setings, so I have known about those tabs for years.

I'm pretty sure my computer is virus and trojan free, and I TRIED using system restore as far back as I could (which was to the beginning of this year...I had reset the restore points), and it didn't solve the problem.

I checked the event log, and the only things of note were some errors attributed to the Windows Security Center (it said it was unable to establish event queries with WMI to monitor service start/stop and to monitor third party antivirus/firewall).

If it helps or if it's at all related, about ten days ago I noticed that I had lost the right-click Send To menu when viewing files in My Documents. I used the "REGSVR32 SENDMAIL" trick from the Run command line on the Start menu to get EVERYTHING back.

I should also point out that I can use Control Panel>Appearance & Themes>Change The Desktop Background  to change wallpapers and access all the other missing tab functions. It's just odd that they're now missing from the desktop right-click menu. gorgon... ok ...so if you go into control panel and click on display all the tabs are there and ok ......
Have you been using any XP tweeking programs by any chance or have you changed the themes recently ?

dl65  
Hmmm...does Windows Cleanup! count as a tweaking program? That's the last thing I installed on my computer, and I've only used it once (and YES, it was within the last two months I did it).  gorgon  ...I am not familiar with Windows cleanup ........ Is that the correct name and I'll do a bit of looking and see ...it is possible that may be the culpurit.

dl65   Quote

gorgon  ...I am not familiar with Windows cleanup ........ Is that the correct name and I'll do a bit of looking and see ...it is possible that may be the culpurit.

dl65  

If it helps or if it's at all related, about ten days ago I noticed that I had lost the right-click Send To menu when viewing files in My Documents.

Sorry to jump in...
Go to 285 on the right hand panel.
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Read response #6 and the results that followed.
http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/132440.html
Perhaps this will help.
(Backup your registry if you are unsure of what you are doing)

Just a thought, did you re-boot after trying the kelly's fix?
Neither DL65 or I have those entries but you have them all (set to zero).
What put them there, a re-boot is in order.