how do I back up my computer without my destop icons?

[tikisdream]

 O.k. I have been trying all day to get my icons back on my desk top and I was told that I could maybe back my computer up a few days.I just need to know how I can get there without my icons.Which program do I go into?

[CBMatt]

What OS are you using?
What protection do you have?
How long have you been having this problem?
Have you tried opening Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del) and going to File > New Task and running explorer.exe?

You're trying to use System Restore, correct?  It's not guaranteed to work, but open Task Manager and go to File > New Task.  When prompted, type in C:\WINDOWS\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and click OK.