Can't display "Display Properies"

[Guest]

Right-click doesn't show a drop-down menu from the desktop. In Control Panel
I click the Display icon. Nothing happens. From the Run command I entered
"desk.cpl". Again nothing happens. I'm up-to-date with Windows XP Home SP2.

Can anyone shed any light on this problem?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Try these:

Start | Run | Type or paste: %windir%\system32\desk.cpl | Click OK

Start | Run | Type or paste: %windir%\system32\dllcache\desk.cpl |
Click OK

Start | Run | Type or paste: %windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386\desk.cpl |
Click OK

On the second and third commands, only one may work. You should have one
folder, dllcache or ServicePackFiles but not both. Post back with what you
find.

--

Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Right-click doesn't show a drop-down menu from the desktop. In Control Panel
I click the Display icon. Nothing happens. From the Run command I entered
"desk.cpl". Again nothing happens. I'm up-to-date with Windows XP Home SP2.

Can anyone shed any light on this problem?

Thanks for the response. But, unfortunately no go. I found desk.cpl in the
dllcache folder, clicked it, nothing happened. I copied desk.cpl from another
XP computer and put it in dllcache (after rename of the original)...still no
go. (The "new" version worked as you said on the other PC).

Any other thoughts? Again, thanks.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

If you have a real XP CD, try this...

Delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32\dllcache first, then Windows
File Protection will not try to replace the one in system32 with the one
from dllcache.

Then delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32

DESK.CP_ is the compressed version of desk.cpl DESK.CP_ exists on the XP
CD. DESK.CP_ needs to be expanded to be of any use.

Open a Command Prompt...
Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK

Insert your XP CD into your CD drive and enter (Copy and Paste) the
following command:

EXPAND -R D:\I386\DESK.CP_ %windir%\system32\dllcache\desk.cpl

Hit your ENTER key.

NOTE:
First change D to = your CD drive letter if different.

Then copy desktop.cpl from dllcache and paste it into system32. If you get
a popup about wanting to replace the one that's already there, click no.
WFP beat you to it.

If you do not have a real XP CD.

Delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32\dllcache first, then Windows
File Protection will not try to replace the one in system32 with the one
from dllcache.

Then delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32

Then copy the desl.cpl you got from the other computer into
%windir%\system32 and into %windir%\system32\dllcache

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

If you have a real XP CD, try this...

Delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32\dllcache first, then Windows
File Protection will not try to replace the one in system32 with the one
from dllcache.

Then delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32

DESK.CP_ is the compressed version of desk.cpl DESK.CP_ exists on the XP
CD. DESK.CP_ needs to be expanded to be of any use.

Open a Command Prompt...
Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK

Insert your XP CD into your CD drive and enter (Copy and Paste) the
following command:

EXPAND -R D:\I386\DESK.CP_ %windir%\system32\dllcache\desk.cpl

Hit your ENTER key.

NOTE:
First change D to = your CD drive letter if different.

Then copy desktop.cpl from dllcache and paste it into system32. If you get
a popup about wanting to replace the one that's already there, click no.
WFP beat you to it.

If you do not have a real XP CD.

Delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32\dllcache first, then Windows
File Protection will not try to replace the one in system32 with the one
from dllcache.

Then delete the desk.cpl file from %windir%\system32

Then copy the desl.cpl you got from the other computer into
%windir%\system32 and into %windir%\system32\dllcache

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

I tried to delete both desk.cpl files, but as fast as I deleted them two more appear. Are they being copied from some other folder?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

It is my understanding that...

The ServicePackFiles folder only exists if you have upgraded to XP SP1 or XP
SP2 and they were not included in the original install and the SP1 or SP2
upgrade was done by downloading it from Microsoft. If the Service Pack is
installed by means of a CD-ROM or a distribution share, the ServicePackFiles
folder is not created. Same for slipstreaming a Service Pack.

Files and Folders Are Added to Your System After Service Pack Is Installed
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271484

%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 is used instead of %windir%\system32\dllcache
for Windows File Protection.

%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 contains the most recently updated service
pack files.

%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder exists if the following conditions are
true:
* You installed Windows XP SP2 from a Windows XP SP2 CD that included SP2 as
part of the base installation.
* You downloaded and installed Windows XP SP2 from the Microsoft Web site.
* Windows XP SP2 was included with the computer.
from...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916261

I have %windir%\system32\dllcache and do not have
%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 so I cannot verify for sure that
%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 is used by Windows File Protection instead of
%windir%\system32\dllcache after installing SP2. I do not have SP2.

Do a Search for desk.cpl on your machine, see this...
HOW TO: Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302347

I only have two copies of desk.cpl on my machine. C:\WINDOWS\system32 and
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache. You may have more than two.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

It is my understanding that...

The ServicePackFiles folder only exists if you have upgraded to XP SP1 or XP
SP2 and they were not included in the original install and the SP1 or SP2
upgrade was done by downloading it from Microsoft. If the Service Pack is
installed by means of a CD-ROM or a distribution share, the ServicePackFiles
folder is not created. Same for slipstreaming a Service Pack.

Files and Folders Are Added to Your System After Service Pack Is Installed
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271484

%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 is used instead of %windir%\system32\dllcache
for Windows File Protection.

%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 contains the most recently updated service
pack files.

%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder exists if the following conditions are
true:
* You installed Windows XP SP2 from a Windows XP SP2 CD that included SP2 as
part of the base installation.
* You downloaded and installed Windows XP SP2 from the Microsoft Web site.
* Windows XP SP2 was included with the computer.
from...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916261

I have %windir%\system32\dllcache and do not have
%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 so I cannot verify for sure that
%windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 is used by Windows File Protection instead of
%windir%\system32\dllcache after installing SP2. I do not have SP2.

Do a Search for desk.cpl on your machine, see this...
HOW TO: Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302347

I only have two copies of desk.cpl on my machine. C:\WINDOWS\system32 and
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache. You may have more than two.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

I think I'm stuck. I did successfully get the desk.cpl from my CD installed. I even upgraded my video driver and hooked up a different monitor. Still nothing after I click on the "Properties" or select Display from Control Panel.

Are there any other system files associated with desk.cpl?