Desktop shortcuts (duplication)

[John Mitchell]

Desktop shortcut icons become duplicated on one of my
computers running XP home edition. Does anybody know how
to prevent this annoyance?
If I delete one icon, both are deleted. If I recover one,
both are returned! Actual (default) icons are not
duplicated, only shortcuts, folders and files are
effected.
I access many computers running XP and I have not seen
this problem on any other desktop. Duplicated icons are
identicle in every way and are always in pairs, never a
single, or in any other quantity HELP?!?

 

[Ramesh [MVP]]

Hi John,

Please follow the advice here: http://tinyurl.com/yu865

--
Ramesh - Microsoft MVP
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k



Desktop shortcut icons become duplicated on one of my
computers running XP home edition. Does anybody know how
to prevent this annoyance?
If I delete one icon, both are deleted. If I recover one,
both are returned! Actual (default) icons are not
duplicated, only shortcuts, folders and files are
effected.
I access many computers running XP and I have not seen
this problem on any other desktop. Duplicated icons are
identicle in every way and are always in pairs, never a
single, or in any other quantity HELP?!?

 

[David Candy]

You've set the All Users desktop and the per user desktop to the same
folder.

Per User settings are here
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell
Folders (Used by 98 and earlier programs)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders
(Used by XP - XP programs don't read the registry for this info, they ask
XP)

All Users
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell
Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders