completely lost

[Arsen]

I have a windows 2000 workstation that was created for my company before i
got here, everything works great on this machine so I don't want to recreate
anything, and I use this machine as a default Image for my entire
environment. Now, there are 2 desktop url shortcuts icons that appear
everytime a user logs into the machine, however, I cannot find the origin of
these icons and where they come from....

here is what I have done to narrow the problem...
1. I have checked everywhere in the domain for a startup script that can
create these icons -- no luck
2. I have disjointed the workstation from the domain,
3. deleted all the local user profiles that were on that computer,
4. deleted all the icons from c:\documents and settings\all users\desktop\,
5. deleted everything from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup;
6. deleted all the start up scripts in the local gpedit.msc,
7. searched the entire computer for *.bat, *.vb, *.vbs files, and there is
nothing there that would create icons
8. created a local user called "JACK" and logged on as "jack" to the local
computer and the icons are still there..
9. searched the entire registry for the url name that appear on the desktop
and no luck
10. when I log on as a local admin, there are no icons on the desktop
11. I have installed a clean version of win2000 on a totally different
machine and joined the domain, and there are no icons on the desktop

I am about sure that the icons get created form the local machine,, but
cannot locate the origin of these icons... does anyone know what else i can
do...

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I have a windows 2000 workstation that was created for my company before i
got here, everything works great on this machine so I don't want to recreate
anything, and I use this machine as a default Image for my entire
environment. Now, there are 2 desktop url shortcuts icons that appear
everytime a user logs into the machine, however, I cannot find the origin of
these icons and where they come from....

here is what I have done to narrow the problem...
1. I have checked everywhere in the domain for a startup script that can
create these icons -- no luck
2. I have disjointed the workstation from the domain,
3. deleted all the local user profiles that were on that computer,
4. deleted all the icons from c:\documents and settings\all users\desktop\,
5. deleted everything from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup;
6. deleted all the start up scripts in the local gpedit.msc,
7. searched the entire computer for *.bat, *.vb, *.vbs files, and there is
nothing there that would create icons
8. created a local user called "JACK" and logged on as "jack" to the local
computer and the icons are still there..
9. searched the entire registry for the url name that appear on the desktop
and no luck
10. when I log on as a local admin, there are no icons on the desktop
11. I have installed a clean version of win2000 on a totally different
machine and joined the domain, and there are no icons on the desktop

I am about sure that the icons get created form the local machine,, but
cannot locate the origin of these icons... does anyone know what else i can
do...

- Delete the shortcuts.
- Create folders of exactly the same names as the shortcuts,
thus making it impossible for the shortcuts to be recreated.
- See what happens.

 

[Arsen]

When i delete the shortcuts they do not reappear, but when another user
loggs in they have the icons back

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Try my suggestion!

When i delete the shortcuts they do not reappear, but when another user
loggs in they have the icons back

origin

 

[Arsen]

Thank you for your responce, i have tried your suggestion and still no luck
i want to find the source of the icons

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Please be precise in your reply:
- Where exactly did you create the folders I suggested?
- Did the icons re-appear?
- Where exactly did they re-appear? Please state folder
name and file name.

 

[Mark]

You stated that you checked the All Users folder under
Documents and Settings, but try looking in the Default
User folder(possibly hidden, it is on this system so it
may be by default on most systems).

Also, try tracing those 2 shortcuts(check their properties
for their target location and see if you can remove those).

 

[Arsen]

After the first time the user logged onto the computer an icon was created
on the desktop called yahoo.url. I deleted this ulr and created a folder
called yahoo on the desktop and then rebooted the computer, after the
restart the user logged into the machine and there were no icons there just
the folder..

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You have now blocked the path for this rogue icon. If you like then
you can try and find out what creates it, using msconfig.exe
(http://www.svrops.com/svrops/dwnldoth.htm).

 

[Arsen]

Thank you for your help..

You have now blocked the path for this rogue icon. If you like then
you can try and find out what creates it, using msconfig.exe
(http://www.svrops.com/svrops/dwnldoth.htm).


before there