Strange behaviour when logged onto server

[MSperrin]

Hi All,

I have a Windows Server 2003 R2 DC that seems to have gotten its knickers in a twist. Some of the things that are playing up:

Clicking on start --> run asks you if you want to place a shortcut on the desktop. Clicking yes does so. Pressing the Windows key + R brings up the run prompt as normal.

The following in control panel will not open (clicking on them does nothing):

Administrative Tools
Fonts
Network Connections
Portable Media Devices
Scanners and Cameras
Scheduled Tasks <-- really important

From the system properties the remote tab and the Windows update tab are missing.

From folder and file properties the permissions tab is missing <-- annoying

The box is running stable as ever, and all the tasks that are scheduled to run are fine. All of this has worked fine in the past.

I have tried deleting my profile and letting a new one be created, which has had no effect. I have also moved the default user folder so that it will be re-created and the issue persists.

The issue is present on both my account and the Domain Admin account.

While some of this can be done remotely I would really like the ability to perform these things while logged onto the box.

Any ideas, pointers, suggestions or even solutions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ForumKB]

Do you have any problems launching apps from the desktop? I have come accross an issue like this before where certain things have just not worked correctly . . .

May sound like an odd suggestion but have you tried going into the windows components and removing the enhanced security for internet explorer?


Adrian Paris

Paris Engineering Ltd

http://www.ForumKB.com

Google search of just tech forums & articles
(very useful, honest!)

 

[MSperrin]

Hi ForumKB,

Thanks for the response; I haven't found anything so far application wise. All the problems seem to be in and around functions of the OS itself.

Tried removing the enhanced security for all and I'm afraid that it hasn't made a difference (I haven't rebooted it though, which I'll have to do out of business hours).

Another issue I have noticed is that trying to access the properties of my documents displays a message that says 'the properties for this item are not available'.

Part of me is thinking just demote and reformat but there are a lot of subsystem tasks on their that relate to our main order processing system (I know they shouldn't be there, this is what happens when you let Dev's have to much power).

I'll keep picking away and see if I can find anything else.

 

[MSperrin]

Okay, looks like I have a case of missing or corrupted registry entries.

This, when pasted into the Windows Explorer address bar should display administrative tools: ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{D20EA4E1-3957-11D2-A40B-0C5020524153}

on the server in question it doesn't though. If I take the last part of I can launch control panel on the server, so it looks I'm going to have to do some registry comparison with the other DC on {D20EA4E1-3957-11D2-A40B-0C5020524153}

 

[ForumKB]

OK, worth a try as I have had some strange issues with not being able to launch stuff from the desktop or start menu but would launch fine if you went to the exe and clicked it yourself, that turned out to be the explorer security blocking it for some stupid (microsoft) reason.

I have had the same problem with the run button creating a shortcut and control panel which I thought was at the same time but must have been something else, I will rack my brains to try and remember (was a while ago).

Can you make a new task going into the C:\WINDOWS\Tasks folder and right clicking or will it not do that either?


Adrian Paris

Paris Engineering Ltd

http://www.ForumKB.com

Google search of just tech forums & articles
(very useful, honest!)