Desktop Icons are Unreliable

[Guest]

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]

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

 

[Elmo]

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

 

[Guest]

Thanks, but I'm completely new to this thread. Can you explain in more
detail what you're suggesting?

 

[Guest]

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?

 

[Ayush]

[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.

 

[Guest]

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.

[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.

 

[Elmo]

Thanks, but I'm completely new to this thread. Can you explain in more
detail what you're suggesting?

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.