RUN doesn't RUN anymore

[Andrew Wilson]

My mother (who is not very computer literate) downloaded (what she thinks
was) an update to Avast AV on her computer. For some reason it installed
Google Chrome which I uninstalled later.
She can't seem to get her head round using FAVOURITES so uses the RUN box
for everything. She now finds however that anything typed into the RUN box
comes up with an MS pop-up 'Application not recognised' but Internet
Explorer works fine and other websites that are typed into IE are fine.
Can the RUN box become corrupted or somehow turned off?
Could anyone assist please?
Many thanks
Andrew

 

[Iceman]

My mother (who is not very computer literate) downloaded (what she thinks
was) an update to Avast AV on her computer. For some reason it installed
Google Chrome which I uninstalled later.
She can't seem to get her head round using FAVOURITES so uses the RUN box
for everything. She now finds however that anything typed into the RUN box
comes up with an MS pop-up 'Application not recognised' but Internet
Explorer works fine and other websites that are typed into IE are fine.
Can the RUN box become corrupted or somehow turned off?
Could anyone assist please?
Many thanks
Andrew

Try typing or copy/pasting the full path to the program in the Run window.
Example:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" (including quotes)

 

[Andrew Wilson]

Try typing or copy/pasting the full path to the program in the Run window.
Example:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" (including quotes)

Iceman
Thanks for your reply.
Previously she could type just www.hotmail.com or another website address
into the RUN box and the page would appear.
Thanks
Andrew

 

[glee]

Iceman
Thanks for your reply.
Previously she could type just www.hotmail.com or another website
address into the RUN box and the page would appear.
Thanks
Andrew

Is it just web sites that stopped working in the Run box, or do programs
not run from there also? Iceman asked you to try running Internet
Explorer from the Run box, but you did not state whether it worked.

Right-click the Start button, click Properties, click the Customize
button, click the Advanced tab, and click the Clear list button near the
bottom, then click OK all the way out. This will clear the entries in
the Run box, as well as the Recent Docs list on the Start menu.

If the Classic Start Menu style is being used, right-click the Start
button, click Properties, click the Customize button, and click the
Clear button, then click OK.

To remove the Run shortcut from the Start Menu, right-click the Start
button, click Properties, click the Customize button, click the Advanced
tab, and in the list of Start menu Items, uncheck the box for "Run
command", and click OK all the way out.

If the Classic Start Menu style is being used, right-click the Start
button, click Properties, click the Customize button, and uncheck
"Display Run" in the list, then click OK.

 

[Andrew Wilson]

Is it just web sites that stopped working in the Run box, or do programs
not run from there also? Iceman asked you to try running Internet
Explorer from the Run box, but you did not state whether it worked.

Right-click the Start button, click Properties, click the Customize
button, click the Advanced tab, and click the Clear list button near the
bottom, then click OK all the way out. This will clear the entries in the
Run box, as well as the Recent Docs list on the Start menu.

If the Classic Start Menu style is being used, right-click the Start
button, click Properties, click the Customize button, and click the Clear
button, then click OK.

To remove the Run shortcut from the Start Menu, right-click the Start
button, click Properties, click the Customize button, click the Advanced
tab, and in the list of Start menu Items, uncheck the box for "Run
command", and click OK all the way out.

If the Classic Start Menu style is being used, right-click the Start
button, click Properties, click the Customize button, and uncheck "Display
Run" in the list, then click OK.

--
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+
http://dts-l.net/

Apologies for that. I have now typed in the full program path that Iceman
suggested and can confirm that it works. I also typed msconfig into the run
box and can also confirm that it worked. When I type a non-full path website
address in such as www.hotmail.com I get an MS pop-up saying 'Application
not found'.
This is very odd as it has worked previously.
Thanks
Andrew

 

[dadiOH]

Iceman
Thanks for your reply.
Previously she could type just www.hotmail.com or another website
address into the RUN box and the page would appear.
Thanks
Andrew

Are you talking aout the RUN box or the ADDRESS bar (box)? They are two
different things and I find it hard to believe your less than computer
literate mother is actually using RUN. One *can* use RUN to get to web
sites but it seems rather unlikely she would be doing so.

Basically, RUN is used to start applications, ADDRESS is used to provide the
URL (address) of a website for the browser.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Andrew Wilson]

Are you talking aout the RUN box or the ADDRESS bar (box)? They are two
different things and I find it hard to believe your less than computer
literate mother is actually using RUN. One *can* use RUN to get to web
sites but it seems rather unlikely she would be doing so.

Basically, RUN is used to start applications, ADDRESS is used to provide
the URL (address) of a website for the browser.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Yes, I can confirm that she is using the RUN box to load websites. She
hasn't had any trouble before because the RUN box keeps a list of websites
she has visited previously and she just clicks on one of these and it goes
straight to the website. I'm just wondering why it has just stopped working
and get an error message as stated above. I have tried explaining adding
websites to FAVOURITES but it goes in one ear and out the other.
Thanks
Andrew

 

[Robin Bignall]

Yes, I can confirm that she is using the RUN box to load websites. She
hasn't had any trouble before because the RUN box keeps a list of websites
she has visited previously and she just clicks on one of these and it goes
straight to the website. I'm just wondering why it has just stopped working
and get an error message as stated above. I have tried explaining adding
websites to FAVOURITES but it goes in one ear and out the other.

My guess is that this is to do with environment variables (see windows
help) and that she's corrupted hers.

 

[glee]

Apologies for that. I have now typed in the full program path that
Iceman suggested and can confirm that it works. I also typed msconfig
into the run box and can also confirm that it worked. When I type a
non-full path website address in such as www.hotmail.com I get an MS
pop-up saying 'Application not found'.
This is very odd as it has worked previously.
Thanks
Andrew

What happens if she types http://www.hotmail.com instead of
www.hotmail.com?

I know she's probably reluctant to clear her list of sites in the Run
box, but she should try it for troubleshooting.

 

[dadiOH]

This is just a shot in the dark. Could it be that when your mom
installed Chrome it was set as the default browser and now that you
have removed it Run is giving you the error message because it can't
find Chrome? Try resetting your default browser and see if that helps.

That seems like a canny suggestion to me. I hope OP tries it and reports
back.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Andrew Wilson]

That seems like a canny suggestion to me. I hope OP tries it and reports
back.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Unfortunately I have also tried this and reset my browser to IE but still
the same problem.
Merry Christmas everybody.
Thanks
Andrew

 

[Jaibaba Bholanath]

Hi,
My RUN also doesn't work after I got Ubuntu Linux installed, though
the laptop has started to run much faster.
I can empathise with you!
JB