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Cannot drag and drop desktop icons 7

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sc7090

Technical User
Oct 28, 2003
21
IT
[pc3]
I can't drag desktop icons: double click works fine, i can move windows but, also, cannot drag and drop files/dirs in explorer too.
[bomb]
Another problem, that started simultaneously with the first one, is that Internet Explorer is not able to open correctly a new window when the html page contains a link that opens a new window: it opens a new window without link, so a blank window.
[yawn]
Any idea?
==============================
Thanks in advance.
 
Try repairing internet explorer? (add/remove programs, repair option).

What happens when you try to drag and drop?
 
Yes, i already tryed it. Nothing changed. When i click an icon on desktop i select it but i am not able to drag it: the auto arrange icons option is not selected. The same thing happens on explorer with files and dirs. To move a file i have to copy and paste it.
 
It happened on of my colleague's machine as well, just "fixed" it today. Check the "Show Web content on my Active Desktop" box in the [Display Propertites], it worked. Don't ask me why it matters, ask M$.
 
I don't have this option on my Windows NT 4 Workstation...where did you find it?
Thanks.
 
More evidence / clues?

I am using XP Pro and have the same problem occasionally. Can drag an icon, but cant drop it anywhere, either to move it on the desktop or to run it with a program icon shortcut.

So far, only a re-boot has solved the problem, and solved it every time.

Interstingly, my system has been hanging-up where i cant use anything but ctl-alt-del to get the task manager up. Using the task manager kicks the system back to normal somehow. As I reacall, if I wait long enough it will recover (but not from the icon issue).

There (might be) a virus relating to the above issue, as I got a bumped email I apparently sent re: refinancing a mortgage, with loads of cc: addys I dont recognize. I may be hijacked, yet NAV is active and finds nothing.

Within the past few days when returning from hybernation the monitor is black w/ bklinking cursor for a few minutes before resuming from hibernation. Makes me wonder whats going on during those minutes.

Im going to try a reinstall/repair of XPpro on top of the existing installation and will post results.
 
For your problem try to see for the W32.Blaster.Virus. at From here you can download a free tool that can help you if your sistem is infected by this virus.
Concerning my problem i think it's a little bit different: the system is stable and probably i only need to update the OLE32.DLL library (ver.4.00...mmmh, i think it's old) (even if i don't know exactly how to do it).
If you know how, let me know it.
 
Surfing Harley,

My husband has the exact same problem on his computer. Cannot drag and drop desktop items or any files in Windows Explorer. We did a reinstall of XP and it fixed the problem... for a while. Most recent auto update installed this morning and the problem returned. Worse yet, we cannot identify which hotfix was installed so we cannot remove it.

Also, as with you, system hangs on boot and programs will not respond until activating Task Manager. Don't have to close anything... just open Task Manager, close Task Manager, system behaves normally (except for the drag and drop problem).

We have checked for viruses using McAfee, Norton, AVG, and assorted online scanners. Nothing.

My computer is *identical* to my husbands, however, and I DO NOT have this problem. Shrug.

Any ideas would be most appreciated... especially as I didn't want to spend the day after Christmas computer troubleshooting!



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne
 
I recently reinstalled windows XP pro and shortly after my desktop also started acting crazy. I'm pretty sure the problem was caused by my mouse. The wheel button on the mouse got jammed and that some how didn't let me drag desktop items.

Initially I got around the problem by selecting the "Lock desktop items" box under Control Panel > Display > Desktop > Customize Desktop > Web. I could then move desktop items around by using cut & paste in the right click button menu.

I finally solved the problem, completely by unjamming the wheel button.

Moral of the story: Check your mouse to see if the buttons and wheel are working properly.
 
take a look at this thread: thread779-723934 I had the same problem as you sc7090, and it helped me
 
i have windows XP and i have basically the same problem
the exception is that i cannot interact at all in the desktop using my mouse and secondly internet explorer won't read most javascript pertaining to opening new windows. there are some exceptions to this javascript rule but that's basically it. i see its been a while since anyone has posted to this thread so i hope you have fixed it by now and have a solution
 
cursor:

I can't speak for any of the others, of course, but the problem still exists on my husband's computer. We have gotten so tired of trying the same "fixes" over and over again - sometimes they work for an hour or so, but the problem always returns in less than 24 hours. We are currently in the process of backing up all his user files so that we can reformat the drive.

I wish you the best of luck with your problem, but I'm tempted to say just reformat and get it over with.



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne
 
Hi to everybody,

I also have the drag and drop and explorer problem. I showed all the messages and tried to fix it but I couldn't. I wonder if someone managed to solve it without formating the hard disc. Or, if someone didn't fixed it even after the formating. Someone told me that had a similar problem (couldn't even cut and paste) and it was hard disck failure. He changed the hard disc and the problem gone.

Please help me
 
Has any of you found any clue to the problem? Mine is worse than the combination of yours. I've just installed W2K server. Somehow the administrator user is fine but the other user (that I use more often) is abnormal. In addition to the drag and drop problem, I cannot copy and paste from one application to another (but I can copy from Notepad to the URL address of IE6), I cannot even save a web page not to mention copy and paste...

This is so annoying. Someone please get some clues...
 
I have seen the same thing with XP. Interesting, when I cannot move the icons on my desktop the up and down arrow, page up, page down, home and end keys do not work in IE 6 while browsing. They [the arrows] work fine in all other applications and they work in the note fields, text fields, etc of a form while browsing.

Also, I have noticed, the mouse, when I click in a cell in Excel, acts like it is stuck down.

I have yet to understand what causes this. I have scanned for spyware, virii, trojans, worms, etc and nothing is there. I have killed all running applications, as well as all unnecessary services and it still doesn't solve the problem.

A reboot, however, always does.

I have found one common occurrence. If I am using my PC and the mouse jumps up to the upper right corner and it acts like I have right-clicked the desktop, I can assure
myself that the arrow keys are dead in IE6 and the icons will not move on the desktop. I cannot drag and drop anything from the desktop to any application and java script does not work in browsed web pages.

I have a Dell D600 notebook and have installed all of the newest drivers.

It acts like a shell/IE6 error to me.

 
Hi all,

May be you will be happy :)
I think, I found something for all of us who have this problem go see :


What I've done to clear this problem was on my desktop right click to popup the menu, Arrange icons by, auto arrange or align to the grid

for me it was align to the grid, auto arrang was unchecked and I checked it again all is fine :)

Maybe it will help you all :)
 
download spybot search & destroy (freeware) and update the detection rules and run ... also download lavasoft ad-ware 6 update and run... before running end any processes that you dont need running...i got this before and it solved my problem
sounds like its spyware....
 
Ahh after 12hrs i have found a group with my identical problem. I have scanned for spyware, virus, trojans, worms, etc and nothing is there. I am using XP pro SP1

1. I can drag but not drop
2. I cant right click for a drop down menu on any icon
3. Drag Application Hangs
4. If done in explorer it also hangs
5. Reloaded XP still same problem
6. Cant burn a CD

This is really very bizarre any one had any success with fixing this or practical suggestions on how to save all my data

Previous
" We have gotten so tired of trying the same "fixes" over and over again - sometimes they work for an hour or so"
?????WHAT FIXES ARE THESE?????

Desperate jtestar@hotmail.com

 
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