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Desktop Icons are Unreliable


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Guest MickyMick
Posted

I hope someone can help: when I click on a desktop icon, a different program

will often open. (I think it's always the last program that I had open.) If

I click on the icon a second time, it's ok.

 

So, for example: if I've been working in Word, then I close Word, and click

on my Firefox icon, Word will probably open instead of Firefox. But if I

click on Firefox a second time, it will open without a problem.

 

I suspect that the problem has something to do with some spyware. Norton

antivirus caught something shortly before this problem started. It got rid

of the sypware (or claimed to), but the problem lingers.

 

I'd be very grateful if anyone has any ideas how to fix this!

  • Replies 7
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Guest Andrew E.
Posted

RE: Desktop Icons are Unreliable

 

Try opening display in control-panel,desktop,properties,chk the box "lock

desktop items"....

 

"MickyMick" wrote:

> I hope someone can help: when I click on a desktop icon, a different program

> will often open. (I think it's always the last program that I had open.) If

> I click on the icon a second time, it's ok.

>

> So, for example: if I've been working in Word, then I close Word, and click

> on my Firefox icon, Word will probably open instead of Firefox. But if I

> click on Firefox a second time, it will open without a problem.

>

> I suspect that the problem has something to do with some spyware. Norton

> antivirus caught something shortly before this problem started. It got rid

> of the sypware (or claimed to), but the problem lingers.

>

> I'd be very grateful if anyone has any ideas how to fix this!

Posted

Re: Desktop Icons are Unreliable

 

MickyMick wrote:

> I hope someone can help: when I click on a desktop icon, a different program

> will often open. (I think it's always the last program that I had open.) If

> I click on the icon a second time, it's ok.

>

> So, for example: if I've been working in Word, then I close Word, and click

> on my Firefox icon, Word will probably open instead of Firefox. But if I

> click on Firefox a second time, it will open without a problem.

>

> I suspect that the problem has something to do with some spyware. Norton

> antivirus caught something shortly before this problem started. It got rid

> of the sypware (or claimed to), but the problem lingers.

>

> I'd be very grateful if anyone has any ideas how to fix this!

 

This is a stretch, but might help:

 

Line 121. Increase Icon Cache

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

 

--

Joe =o)

Guest MickyMick
Posted

Re: Desktop Icons are Unreliable

 

Thanks, but I'm completely new to this thread. Can you explain in more

detail what you're suggesting?

 

> This is a stretch, but might help:

>

> Line 121. Increase Icon Cache

> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

>

> --

> Joe =o)

>

Guest MickyMick
Posted

RE: Desktop Icons are Unreliable

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I can't find the "lock desktop items" -- if I

go to control panel, then display, then desktop, there's no "properties" tab.

Any ideas on how I can find this?

 

"Andrew E." wrote:

> Try opening display in control-panel,desktop,properties,chk the box "lock

> desktop items"....

>

> "MickyMick" wrote:

>

> > I hope someone can help: when I click on a desktop icon, a different program

> > will often open. (I think it's always the last program that I had open.) If

> > I click on the icon a second time, it's ok.

> >

> > So, for example: if I've been working in Word, then I close Word, and click

> > on my Firefox icon, Word will probably open instead of Firefox. But if I

> > click on Firefox a second time, it will open without a problem.

> >

> > I suspect that the problem has something to do with some spyware. Norton

> > antivirus caught something shortly before this problem started. It got rid

> > of the sypware (or claimed to), but the problem lingers.

> >

> > I'd be very grateful if anyone has any ideas how to fix this!

Guest Ayush
Posted

Re: Desktop Icons are Unreliable

 

[MickyMick] wrote-:

> I hope someone can help: when I click on a desktop icon, a different program

> will often open. (I think it's always the last program that I had open.) If

> I click on the icon a second time, it's ok.

>

> So, for example: if I've been working in Word, then I close Word, and click

> on my Firefox icon, Word will probably open instead of Firefox. But if I

> click on Firefox a second time, it will open without a problem.

>

> I suspect that the problem has something to do with some spyware. Norton

> antivirus caught something shortly before this problem started. It got rid

> of the sypware (or claimed to), but the problem lingers.

>

> I'd be very grateful if anyone has any ideas how to fix this!

 

Does it happen to all shortcuts ?

What is the target of shortcut(s) (Right click > Properties > Shortcut tab) ?

Try the Shortcut(LNK) Fix : http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

 

 

Good Luck, Ayush.

--

XP-Tips [set up XP so that only authorized people can use it] :

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/tips/soleuser.mspx

Guest MickyMick
Posted

Re: Desktop Icons are Unreliable

 

 

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

 

It doesn't happen all the time, so it's hard to know if it happens with all

shortcuts. The properties show that the target of the shortcuts is right ,

and they do work when I click on them a second time.

 

"Ayush" <"ayushmaan.j[aatt]gmail.com" wrote:

> [MickyMick] wrote-:

> > I hope someone can help: when I click on a desktop icon, a different program

> > will often open. (I think it's always the last program that I had open.) If

> > I click on the icon a second time, it's ok.

> >

> > So, for example: if I've been working in Word, then I close Word, and click

> > on my Firefox icon, Word will probably open instead of Firefox. But if I

> > click on Firefox a second time, it will open without a problem.

> >

> > I suspect that the problem has something to do with some spyware. Norton

> > antivirus caught something shortly before this problem started. It got rid

> > of the sypware (or claimed to), but the problem lingers.

> >

> > I'd be very grateful if anyone has any ideas how to fix this!

>

> Does it happen to all shortcuts ?

> What is the target of shortcut(s) (Right click > Properties > Shortcut tab) ?

> Try the Shortcut(LNK) Fix : http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

>

>

> Good Luck, Ayush.

> --

> XP-Tips [set up XP so that only authorized people can use it] :

> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/tips/soleuser.mspx

>

Posted

Re: Desktop Icons are Unreliable

 

MickyMick wrote:

> Thanks, but I'm completely new to this thread. Can you explain in more

> detail what you're suggesting?

>

>

>> This is a stretch, but might help:

>>

>> Line 121. Increase Icon Cache

>> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

 

If the wrong icons are being assigned to shortcuts, the .reg file at

that link and line number will increase the icon cache and hopefully

correct the icons. If you're sure the proper shortcut was clicked when

you got the wrong result, the cache increase won't help.. won't hurt,

but won't help.

 

--

Joe =o)


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