Cannor any longer access programs from desktop

[John Monahan]

I have had the strangest thing happen to me. I have WindowsXP on a laptop.
It has worked for well over a year fine.Then suddenly I cannot open (most)
files I have as icons on my desktop. I am the only user and have
administrator status. For example if a click on the Microsoft Word icon. It
comes up with:-

"Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have
permission to access the item".

If on the other hand I select the word program from the start/menu system it
comes up fine. Many (but not all) of my icons are now behaving like this.
I cannot figure out what happened. Since I am an administrator why can I
access everything?
If I make a new user the (new) desktop icons work fine, but most of my
original desktop icons and program data is missing.

Would really like suggestions. What do you think is the cause. Is there an
easy fix. Is there an easy way to drop all my icons/data access etc to the
new user I created and simply delete the old one.

 

[Kelly]

Suggestions:

EXE and LNK Fix for Windows XP - Line 12
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

To use the Regedit: Save the REG File to your hard disk. Double click it
and answer yes to the import prompt. REG files can be viewed in Notepad by
right clicking on the file and selecting Edit.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[John Monahan]

Thanks for suggestion Kelly. However the suggestion did not work. Upon
downloading them they seemed to install into the .reg file(s) OK, but no
difference. Still cannot access say word icon on desktop.

Any other suggestions anybody?

 

[Nightowl]

John Monahan wrote on Fri, 5 Aug 2005:

I have had the strangest thing happen to me. I have WindowsXP on a laptop.
It has worked for well over a year fine.Then suddenly I cannot open (most)
files I have as icons on my desktop. I am the only user and have
administrator status. For example if a click on the Microsoft Word icon. It
comes up with:-

"Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have
permission to access the item".

If on the other hand I select the word program from the start/menu system it
comes up fine. Many (but not all) of my icons are now behaving like this.
I cannot figure out what happened. Since I am an administrator why can I
access everything?
If I make a new user the (new) desktop icons work fine, but most of my
original desktop icons and program data is missing.

Would really like suggestions. What do you think is the cause. Is there an
easy fix. Is there an easy way to drop all my icons/data access etc to the
new user I created and simply delete the old one.

Hi John

Can you right-click on the misbehaving icons and look at the Properties?
Particularly on the General tab -- what does it say for "location"?

 

[Kelly]

Most welcome, John. However, you said to use it (office products) as an
example and I took it that way. And now reading back, it seems you meant
files and not programs. Were these saved to the Desktop or are they
shortcuts? Either way good luck!
--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com