%THISDIRNAME% When every I try to open anything, and Start Button Dead

[wncads]

I have a customer getting the following error when trying to open MY COMPUTER on a Win98SE machine. It opens and the only thing there says %THISDIRNAME% and none of the drives show etc.

I have run the latest VIRUS scan, I have also started in SAFE MODE with everything appearing as it should except for the START BUTTON still not working.

I have tried to turn off ACTIVE DESKTOP but it is still occuring. I have found that if I click on VIEW on the toolbar, that VIEW AS WEBPAGE is chosen, and if I change that to LARGE ICONS the problem for that screen is solved but only until I reboot and it starts over again. However nothing I have tried helps the START BUTTON to work again.

Any help greatly appreciated..... Thanks, Keith Buchanan
AplusNetworking.com
Commercial I.T. Networking & Wiring Specialist
keith@aplusnetworking.com

 

[reghakr]

Keith,

Is he choosing open or explore?

Go to View>FolderOptions, click the FileTypes tab, scroll to Folder, click the Edit button and select open or explore, then hit the Set Default button.

Does this registry key exist?
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

The ONLY way I have ever heard of the Startbutton being disabled is through a 3rd party "security" or "tweaking" program.

You could have the client try hitting F8 on startup, choose command prompt only. At the c: prompt, type:
cd\windows\command
then type:
scanreg /fix /opt
Thi will fix errors and reduce the size.

Or run Microsoft's RegClean.

reghakr

 

[hernanhr]

I'll bet you have IE 4.0 on your system. I believe your problem has to do with a file called folder.htt it controls your web view. It must have gotten corrupted. Have a look at:

http://support.microsoft.com/suppor...er.htt&rnk=4&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=MSALL

or

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q181/6/89.ASP

 

[wncads]

FYI: the computer will start in safe mode and open windows properly such as MY COMPUTER, etc. in the correct view mode, NOT the view as WEB PAGE MODE when the computer is booted out of SAFE MODE.

However, even in SAFE MODE when I clicked on the Start button the hard drive starts activity briefly like it is going to open the start menu however it then freezes and locks up.

Also, the computer has an updated version of IE 5.5 and was working just fine until three days ago. It is ON a small LAN but others can see and manipulate files to an from it.

Still stuck..... Keith Buchanan
AplusNetworking.com
Commercial I.T. Networking & Wiring Specialist
keith@aplusnetworking.com

 

[tlcscousin]

In display properties is it checked to show as web content?