Desktop Corrupted Error on Startup

When I boot up my PC and Vista opens, I get an error pop-up message saying
the desktop file is corrupt and will not load. I can see my desktop
background picture but none of the program icons (Recycle Bin, Favorites,
desktop shortcuts) show up. When I use Windows Explorer to look at the
desktop folder under my user profile, I get an error saying "The folder is
corrupt or not readable" and cannot open the folder. I get the same error
message when I try to open the Desktop folder at the top of the Windows
Explorer view. I use only one account on this computer.
I would like to fix this without re-installing Vista if possible just from
the hassle factor. Any suggests would be appreciated.