Shortcut icons on Desktop do not work

[Guest]

On some of the icons on my desktop, when I select them I receive the message:
"Windows can not access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have
the appropriate permissions to access the item."
The other shortcuts work without any difficulty.
For the problematic shortcuts, if I select the program directly (from Start
- Program Files - Program Name; or by using Windows Explore (Rt click Start -
Select Explore); they work fine.

Any suggestions?

 

[Malke]

On some of the icons on my desktop, when I select them I receive the
message: "Windows can not access the specified device, path, or file.
You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."
The other shortcuts work without any difficulty.
For the problematic shortcuts, if I select the program directly (from
Start - Program Files - Program Name; or by using Windows Explore (Rt
click Start - Select Explore); they work fine.

Any suggestions?

That indicates that the desktop shortcuts are probably pointing to the
wrong target. After all, the Start>Programs menu entries are just
shortcuts, too. Try deleting the desktop icons and then right-click on
an empty area of the desktop and select New Shortcut. Navigate to the
program's executable.

Malke

 

[Guest]

Surprisingly, this doesn't work. I have deleted each of the defective icons
and created them manually on many occasions - but they still don't work.
Also I am set up as the administrator so should have access to all
directories and paths.

Steven

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

On some of the icons on my desktop, when I select them I receive the message:
"Windows can not access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have
the appropriate permissions to access the item."
The other shortcuts work without any difficulty.
For the problematic shortcuts, if I select the program directly (from Start
- Program Files - Program Name; or by using Windows Explore (Rt click Start -
Select Explore); they work fine.

Hi

If you examine the Properties window for one of the non-working
shortcuts, under the General tab, is the path listed for Location
"C:\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\Desktop", or is it something
else (<user_name> is your user name)?

 

[Malke]

Surprisingly, this doesn't work. I have deleted each of the defective
icons and created them manually on many occasions - but they still
don't work. Also I am set up as the administrator so should have
access to all directories and paths.

Then I'm sorry, but I don't know. Is this XP Pro? Have you set up any
Group Policies that restrict access to the Desktop? Were you ever able
to create and use shortcuts on your Desktop? If so, what changed? Did
you use some sort of tweaking XP program?

Malke

 

[Guest]

You seem to be onto something:
- the location shown on the general tab for the icons that work
are:"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop",
- the location for one that doesn't work is C:\Documents and Settings\<User
Name>\Cookies\Desktop

Steven

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

You seem to be onto something:
- the location shown on the general tab for the icons that work
are:"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop",
- the location for one that doesn't work is C:\Documents and Settings\
<User Name>\Cookies\Desktop

Hi

You have the same problem as Carmine had, see a description
and a fix here:

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=#[email protected]