Explorer.exe fails to initialize in XP

I have a Windows XP home machine that boots to windows then I get an error message that states Explorer.exe failed to initialize. I’m then left with the background wallpaper with no icons. The shell is not loading. I can hit control-alt
delete and I see all the other processes running but I still cannot get get explorer to start up. The computer will not start in safe mode. I’m looking for a solution without having to do a reinstall.