Desktop Shortcuts Stopped Working - WinXP Home

[PT]

Today, and for no obvious reason, various shortcuts to a variety of file
folders on my C: drive suddenly no longer work.

I double click them, there's a long pause, then nothing.

I can access the relevant file folders normally using Windows Explorer

The problem seems to be limited to shortcuts to file folders. Shortcuts to
program files are unaffected.

Please advise.

 

[Elmo]

Today, and for no obvious reason, various shortcuts to a variety of file
folders on my C: drive suddenly no longer work.

I double click them, there's a long pause, then nothing.

I can access the relevant file folders normally using Windows Explorer

The problem seems to be limited to shortcuts to file folders. Shortcuts to
program files are unaffected.

Please advise.

Repair the associations for Folders, and Directories.

Fix File Associations.
http://dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

 

[PT]

Maybe this is a clue.

I notice that when i shut down. I'm notified of a "Proxy Desktop" program
trying to close.

Google shows a number of complaints about this program starting back in
2003, but no really definitive answer as to whether ist's some kind of
malware.

 

[PT]

Problem Solved. One of the Google links provided a simple fix as follows:

Open Windows Explorer. Then click Tools | Folder Options | View, and
uncheck "Launch Folder Windows in a Separate Process"