Unable to open/run some programs

[Guest]

I uninstalled Norton System Works2005 from my notebook. Then manually I
deleted all remaining SYMANTEC and NORTON from the registry.
Thereafter when I open Internet Explorer/ACDSee and use Search File&Folder,
it starts but before completion it disappears. I have not found other program
has the the same problem. MS Office/OutlookExpress/AdobeAcrobat/GoogleEarth
works fine.
I do not have System Restore active, although I backuped the registry using
SystemMechanic5;I have restored the backup but i doesn't help.
OS is WinXP Home upgraded to SP2, AntiVirus Kaspersky 6.
Please help, I need it so badly. Thanks a lot.

 

[Sharon F]

I uninstalled Norton System Works2005 from my notebook. Then manually I
deleted all remaining SYMANTEC and NORTON from the registry.
Thereafter when I open Internet Explorer/ACDSee and use Search File&Folder,
it starts but before completion it disappears. I have not found other program
has the the same problem. MS Office/OutlookExpress/AdobeAcrobat/GoogleEarth
works fine.
I do not have System Restore active, although I backuped the registry using
SystemMechanic5;I have restored the backup but i doesn't help.
OS is WinXP Home upgraded to SP2, AntiVirus Kaspersky 6.
Please help, I need it so badly. Thanks a lot.

When a program appears to be damaged, try repairing it.

You can do this by uninstalling and then reinstalling the program. Be sure
to copy data for that program to another location before removing it.
Restore the data according to the program's directions after the reinstall.

Or just by reinstalling the program. Many setup routines recognize the
existence of the program and then offer "repair." User data and settings
are usually preserved with a repair but it wouldn't hurt to make a backup
copy of important files anyhow. Can always delete the backup copies if they
are not needed after the repair is completed.

NOTE: May need to reinstall program updates after repairing or
reinstalling.

 

[Guest]

Dear Sharon,
I have uninstalled a program that doesn't work and then reinstalled it
again, but it is still not working (when I run the program it starts, but
suddenly it closes).
I suspect the problem is with the Windows, because when I use Search
Files&Folder from Windows Explorer it closes and disappears. Perhaps I
inadvertently deleted registry related to Windows?
Please advise. Thanks

 

[Sharon F]

I have uninstalled a program that doesn't work and then reinstalled it
again, but it is still not working (when I run the program it starts, but
suddenly it closes).
I suspect the problem is with the Windows, because when I use Search
Files&Folder from Windows Explorer it closes and disappears. Perhaps I
inadvertently deleted registry related to Windows?
Please advise. Thanks

When one program isn't working, I don't look to the operating system for an
answer. When many programs are working, that's when I might start looking
there.

Right click menu problems (capable of crashing explorer or explorer
functions) are often due to problematic context menu handlers added by
third party software in the right click menu. Since ACDSee is in trouble,
its handler may be causing this side symptom. See this reference from MVP
Ramesh:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/slowrightclick.htm

He has several "right click" solutions on his site. If this one doesn't
sort things out for you, may want to search the site for his other
recommendations.

 

[q_q_anonymous]

I uninstalled Norton System Works2005 from my notebook. Then manually I
deleted all remaining SYMANTEC and NORTON from the registry.
Thereafter when I open Internet Explorer/ACDSee and use Search File&Folder,
it starts but before completion it disappears. I have not found other program
has the the same problem. MS Office/OutlookExpress/AdobeAcrobat/GoogleEarth
works fine.
I do not have System Restore active, although I backuped the registry using
SystemMechanic5;I have restored the backup but i doesn't help.
OS is WinXP Home upgraded to SP2, AntiVirus Kaspersky 6.
Please help, I need it so badly. Thanks a lot.

do a win xp repair then maybe you can successfully start internet
explorer and your search in windows should work too.

I don't disable system restore.

 

[q_q_anonymous]

When one program isn't working, I don't look to the operating system for an
answer. When many programs are working, that's when I might start looking
there.

when IE isn't working(part of windows)
and when windows search isn't working,

I 'suspect' that windows has a problem. And when it looks like the
work of man in the registry - not a standard problem/solution - and a
reg restore of some sort didn't help, I think of doing a win xp
repair.
And if that fails, then a reinstall.

 

[Sharon F]

when IE isn't working(part of windows)
and when windows search isn't working,

I 'suspect' that windows has a problem.

There's always that possibility but...

And when it looks like the
work of man in the registry - not a standard problem/solution - and a
reg restore of some sort didn't help, I think of doing a win xp
repair.
And if that fails, then a reinstall.

Referring to Ramesh's right click page? Method 2 uses a program that lets
you switch context handlers on/off. The purpose of using that program would
be switching off non-default context handlers -- the ones that were added
by third party software. Since handlers can cause all kinds of odd
problems, this would remove them from the mix. Then test to see if IE and
Search have stabilized.

I was just trying to localize the problem for you a bit more and so that
you would be able to concentrate efforts in the right direction. Sorry if I
wasn't clear about that. Certainly didn't mean to add to your frustrations.

 

[q_q_anonymous]

There's always that possibility but...


Referring to Ramesh's right click page? Method 2 uses a program that lets
you switch context handlers on/off. The purpose of using that program would
be switching off non-default context handlers -- the ones that were added
by third party software. Since handlers can cause all kinds of odd
problems, this would remove them from the mix. Then test to see if IE and
Search have stabilized.

I was just trying to localize the problem for you a bit more and so that
you would be able to concentrate efforts in the right direction. Sorry if I
wasn't clear about that. Certainly didn't mean to add to your frustrations.

you didn't add to anybodys frustrations, you contributed a possible
solution, a good one, you provided useful information.

I'm not the original poster. I just contributed my solution, and then I
argued mine against yours. Rule number 1 is to look at all the
solutions.

apologising isn't something you should be thinking about here.

One thing that bothers me is that in Microsoft newsgroups people seem
to think this is all some personal thing, part of the microsoft
experience.
This is a computer problem, we are techies, this is a public forum,
archived, many techies post solutions, and search them, and looking at
all the solutions, they weigh one solution against another. How long
will each take, what is likely to work. Infact, your solution is very
quick to do. Itr may work for the original poster, and it may work for
many people with a similar problem to the original poster.

Nobody apologises for that behaviour. It's a positive thing. People
don't apologise for doing somethign good.

There's no reason to think your solution won't work, it's a valid thing
to try, you contributed . well.

And had your solution not worked, it's still Good, sincei t's important
to have many solutions to try.
Maybe my solution wont' work and it's his RAM or hard drive. Good. i'm
not apologising for that! He can report back if it worked or didn't
work, and then we all contribute more solutions so it can go further.

 

[Sharon F]

I'm not the original poster. I just contributed my solution, and then I
argued mine against yours. Rule number 1 is to look at all the
solutions.

Many times folks switch aliases during a thread and I thought that you were
the OP. Reading your reply with that misconception, made me think that
something I had said had added to their state of discomfort with this PC
problem. Although unintentional, I would still be sorry if that happened.

Thoroughly agree with you about the newsgroups being public and the
benefits of multiple solutions or workarounds coming from varied sources.

 

[Guest]

Dear all,
I did all your suggestions and also the winxp repair to no avail. So I
reinstall the winxp and now everything is back to normal. Thank you all for
your time and thoughts.