lost the use of shortcuts, desktop, start and quicklaunch

[holdon]

After a grandchild attack, my desktop shortcuts and quick launch icons do not respond to a double-click command. Nothing happens. When I click START then selected something to run I get a Windows Explorer error "Unable to run this command". I've run the Microsoft updater service to all the latest. Installed directx 8.1, Explorer 7. Ran latest virus w/signature. Ad-Aware w/regfile too. Ran a registry cleaner and removed all invalid links. Nothing so far has fixed this problem.

I have been using the right click "open" function for a month now. That works on all desktop shortcuts, quick launch and start menu shortcuts. (Right click then open works, left mouse double-click does not)

I do not want to format my drive and reinstall win2000 unless I really, really have to. Would a different shell program, replacing Explorer.exe help?
Any ideas?

Home built PC:
Windows 2000 pro
Intel P4 2Ghz
Soyo Dragon Fire
512mb DDR
3 hard drives
DVD
CDRW

Thank you all for any help you may give.

 

[Accessdabbler]

Your double-click speed may be set to "Fast".

Go to Control Panel > Mouse. On the first page (usually) there is a setting for the speed of double-clicking. If it is all the way to the right, try sliding it to mid-way and test it on the jack-in-the-box icon.

 

[holdon]

Thanks Accessdabbler.

But this is not a mouse problem I've installed the latest intellipoint software for my wireless microsoft mouse. My mouse works fine in all sub folders.

I have just installed a different shell program Seranade.
All menus work in this shell. But Seranade does not use shortcuts on it's desktop. So I'm not sure if and when I return to Explorer, as my desktop, all (start menu-Quick launch-Desktop Shortcuts) will start working again. When I first tried to switch back, my desktop was blank. Only a mouse arrow. I could CTRL-ALT-DEL and use the taskmanager to get around. ........Very Scarry.

 

[synergy009]

I am having the same problem on several Win2k servers that I admin. The only way it gets corrected is to restart, which is not an option most of the time due to their importance to network operation. I am currently looking for a fix but cannot find anything out there. This issue isn't referenced anywhere I could find on the Microsoft Ignorance(Knowlege)Base. Any possible solutions are greatly appreciated. I can't even right-click and open, I can only start programs from the RUN command or task-manager. I shall update if I find anything helpful.

synergy

 

[pbxman]

Adding a new shell to a broken one isn't the way to fix a problem - it's only a bandaid.

Go into add/remove programs, and get rid of Serenade. Reboot. If nothing comes up, use task manager and go to file/run, then type regedit.

Go to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" and double-click on "Shell" , and change/verify the name listed is "Explorer.exe" (without quotes). This is case sensitive, so be sure to type it in exactly.

If that fails, you mayu need to extract a new Explorer.exe, and copy it into your c:\winnt\system folder. BUT - rename it to Explorer1.exe before you copy it in there, and go back into that registry key, and enter "Explorer1.exe" instead of "Explorer.exe".

That will ensure you are using a new, fresh Shell. If that doesn't work, your problems are not in your shell. I'd reinstall.




pbxman
Systems Administrator

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[ladyhawke1]

I had this problem as well. After reading a few other posts, I learned that there is a virus or something hidding in the WINNT/SYSTEM32 directory. The file name is EXPLORER.EXE. The real explorer.exe is in the WINNT directory.

I tried to delete it as was suggested but it wouldn't let me. Kept telling me the file was in use. Then I noticed a little monitor icon next to the start button that shouldn't have been there. I deleted it. Then I went in to the WINNT/SYSTEM32 directory and renamed the file to something else.

I restarted my computer and everything is back to normal. No more having to run task manager to get my desktop back!

Norton 2002 with all the updates did not detect this virus or whatever it is....

 

[synergy009]

I only have explorer.exe in my winnt folder and in a sublevel i386 folder (no virus condition). I also have checked the registry key for logon to make sure that it is set to explorer.exe. Here is an exact breakdown of my situation:

Basically the problem I am having is something to do with the Windows Explorer and it is lacking some sort of permission or security from the system, it could also be file system problem.

Double-click a desktop icon: it does not respond (open folders or launch programs or anything), but it might become highlighted because you clicked on it

Right-click: Open and Explore do not work / properties, rename, and delete do

Start Menu: When I select a program it displays in a error OK box with the title Windows Explorer, "Unable to run this command".

The only way that I can run an executable is to open the Run command(which does work) or Task Manager and type the path of the program. To access folders since double clicking inside the explorer window does not work either I have to type the name of the folder in the address bar and press enter. I don't know what to do in this situation, it just happens randomly, sometimes it stays for days, other times it all of a sudden disappears. When we can, we restart the machine and it goes away until it decides to come back. So far my list of common programs and possible culprits on faulty machines.

Windows 2000 Server (SP3) <- Microsoft is my #1 culprit j/k
Norton Anti-Virus 7.6 Machines fault with both client and server versions
Retrospect Backup Client 5.6
Explorer.exe versions 5.0 and 5.6

Upgrading explorer to 6.0 w/ service packs could &quot;bandaid&quot; the problem if it stops it, but doesn't give me the cause. If this were an explorer problem I would think I could finder more cases of this and wider support. So far I have been SEARCHING for a clue on this. It is not debilatating to the services of the server, but makes using it a pain in the behind.

Retrospect is an unlikely cause but the other two are prime suspects.




Please inform me about your situations in detail. Possibly a common link can be found.

Synergy

 

[holdon]

After trying for several months to figure out what has happened to my PC. I was using Serenade desktop (S5) for many months and really started to like how it worked. I tried to install another shell program that had the ability to revert to the standard explorer.exe shell. After installing a shell program called GamesOS, I switch to MS explorer and rebooted. I had a blue screen and a mouse cursor, that’s it. CTR-ALT-DEL got to the task manager. Time to try another approach. I proceeded to reinstall win 2000. (refresh mode) I was afraid of destroying all of my work, configuring, reinstalling everything. So I gave it a try and it worked this time. After a few plug-n-pray reboots I'd say that my pc is 98% back to were it was before I lost all shortcut abilities. If anybody else has the same problem you can try to refresh the operating system. During a setup of 2000 when asked select &quot;KEEP CURRENT SETTINGS&quot; and cross your fingers and hope it works.

....holdon reporting b -

 

[synergy009]

********!!!I HAVE FOUND THE SOURCE OF MY PROBLEM!!!**********

After months of annoyance I have finally found the root of my problem (non-functional desktop icons/no use of START menu). I should have realized it sooner, or at least listed it as a culprit. It is installed standard on all our machines.

NTP!!!!!

Of all the harmless things....

BREAKDOWN:

We run an intensive NTP environment (Stratum 1 & Stratum 2) and almost every single server acts as a peer to the others. We run NTP Release 4 which has worked very well for us all along. It runs as a service and fixes the computers clock and syncs with other computers to get a more accurate time for everone via UDP packets. We have been making our migration from NT4 to Win2k servers over the past few months. All our 2k servers started acting funny with the icons not working and start menu malfunctions. We racked out brains long and hard and couldn't come up with a logical solution. I have been combing the newsgroups and no one has ever had a cause for this exact problem. I don't know if this is the only cause for the scenario and I don't know if anyone else runs this exact app to incur the problem, but I do know that it is our cause. I setup one test server and cloned it to a duplicate machine so they are exact doubles of each other. I originally thought Norton Antivirus Corp. Ed. 7.6 was the cause of the trouble. So I installed it on one but not the other in hopes of reproducing the error. Couple weeks, still no freezeup. HHmmm, moved on to the next &quot;standard&quot; install we do. NTP. Installed the software on one and then the other. Within 10 mins. BAM! Double clicking didn't work on the desktop on BOTH test servers. Something with how the service runs or something about how it changes the system clock creates some kind of temporary security restriction or something.

I hope this helps some people out, maybe they don't run the same program, but might have a similar utility. Anyone else who shares this Desktop Icon/Start Menu problem, please share your situations, possibly we can find a common denominator to all this. I know that this is a problem for many with few solutions. Feedback would be greatly appreciated...

synergy

 

[Accessdabbler]

What's NTP?

 

[pbxman]

Glad you found it, syn..though i highly doubt that is the same thing as the originator of this thread was having. Grandchildren enabling NTP..hmm...

Anyway - just read it over quick and first though was:
How do you configure your servers? Do you optimize performance for applications, or background services?

NTP shouldn't be doing that - i supect something else may TRULY be the root of the problem still. I've never heard of NTP doing such a thing unless the protocol is restricted from operating properly - mostly due to firewall ports not letting the services work properly.

Access - NTP is Network Time Protocol. The only reason to use NTP in my opinion it to sync PDC time with an atomic clock timesource on the internet. Maybe thats not working?

NTP is pretty complex, and depending on how your stratum are setup, SNTP would probably be a better option. On your stratum 1 levels..you should have 3 servers on stratum 1, and stratum 2 levels should be the peers. If you are using a single stratum 1 source, I can see where that might cause a problem. Thats something i'd look into - more stratum 1 (primary) timesources, and fewer peers to bobble the math needed to syncup to the stratum 1 source.

good luck - and glad you found it. SNTP works for all but the most critical environments...usually hundreds of servers in an enterprise.


...just my 2¢ pbxman
Systems Administrator

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[jgotthelf]

Hi - FWIW, I have the same problem - but no NTP...

 

[ssaver]

Any new ideas on how to resolve this problem?

I have a couple of clues that might help in the resolution of the problem.

My computer was working fine, but a Windows 95 program (Nile - a Discover program) was installed on it today. After the installation of Nile, the problems started. None of the programs will work from the quicklaunch toolbar, programs started from the start menu will bring up the &quot;Unable to run this command&quot; error, etc.

The Nile install program copied a version of Quicktime (dated 1996) over the top of my current version.

I have uninstalled the Nile program, uninstalled the 1996 version of Quicktime, checked to ensure that Explorer was appropriately entered in the winlogon/shell registry entry, virus checked with the latest version of Norton Antivirus, & Ran Adaware v6 (just in case). I am not running NTP.

One other clue that might spark some troubleshooting thoughts...My system tray on the bottom right hand side of the toolbar is only showing 3 of my normal applications that are listed (Volume control, Nortons Antivirus and Winamp) Normally there is several other icons available. I don't know if that helps, but it is something that hasn't been mentioned yet.

Any other ideas to restore the desktop back to working order?

thanks in advance.

Ssaver

 

[dennis2685]

As to the original poster. Do you use Verizon DSL? I found that the Verizon installation software that comes with it can cause this behavior. The software may work at first but shortly after may crap out.

The only ways that I found around it was to either create another user name and fine tune it or reformat and use a different pppoe client and never insert the Verizon install disk.

Dennis