Applications won't launch

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Brian McMillan

2004-04-07 22:33:49 UTC

Scenario:
Windows 2000 SP4 on a Dell Latitude.
Let's start with just the icons on the desktop. You have
all the default icons plus some MS Office files (.doc,
.xls, .ppt) and a few shortcuts to other applications.

Internet Explorer will not start. Neither will Outlook or
any of the shortcuts to other apps. (Nothing in Program
Files will start. Processes usually don't start, if they
do they immediately quit.) Clicking on the actual
executable has the same result.

My Documents, My Computer, Network Places and Recycle Bin
will open.

The Office documents give an error: "Cannot find the file
'C:\xxx.doc' (or one of it's componts). Make sure the path
and filename are correct and that all required libraries
are available."

If it's a shortcut to an office document it returns a
second error:
"The object that 'C:\xxx.doc' refers to has been removed or
is inaccessible."

Right clicking works sometimes. Let me explain...
Right clicking will bring up a menu everytime, everywhere.
However, clicking on Properties (for example) only works
sometimes. It will not open Properties for My Computer.
It will open Properites of shortcuts. It will resize,
close, etc all open windows. It will open Applications
inside the System Tray (ex., Norton, TouchPad, VPN) but,
not Volume, Unplug/Eject Hardware.

Task Manager cannot be started by right-clicking. You must
press CTRL-ALT-DEL and then it will open. From there you
can open any application you wish. From the open
application you can open any file without error.

I have seen this once before and I reluctantly reimaged the
machine. I have searched the interent many different ways
looking for this issue. Please share any thoughts.

John John

2004-04-08 00:01:50 UTC

Permalink

Try merging this with the registry. Copy the stuff between the ====
lines to a notepad file and save it with a .reg extension. Then right
click the file and merge it.

==================================================================

REGEDIT4

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
"Extended"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{B41DB860-8EE4-11D2-9906-E49FADC173CA}]
@=""

======================================================================

John

Post by Brian McMillan
Windows 2000 SP4 on a Dell Latitude.
Let's start with just the icons on the desktop. You have
all the default icons plus some MS Office files (.doc,
.xls, .ppt) and a few shortcuts to other applications.
Internet Explorer will not start. Neither will Outlook or
any of the shortcuts to other apps. (Nothing in Program
Files will start. Processes usually don't start, if they
do they immediately quit.) Clicking on the actual
executable has the same result.
My Documents, My Computer, Network Places and Recycle Bin
will open.
The Office documents give an error: "Cannot find the file
'C:\xxx.doc' (or one of it's componts). Make sure the path
and filename are correct and that all required libraries
are available."
If it's a shortcut to an office document it returns a
"The object that 'C:\xxx.doc' refers to has been removed or
is inaccessible."
Right clicking works sometimes. Let me explain...
Right clicking will bring up a menu everytime, everywhere.
However, clicking on Properties (for example) only works
sometimes. It will not open Properties for My Computer.
It will open Properites of shortcuts. It will resize,
close, etc all open windows. It will open Applications
inside the System Tray (ex., Norton, TouchPad, VPN) but,
not Volume, Unplug/Eject Hardware.
Task Manager cannot be started by right-clicking. You must
press CTRL-ALT-DEL and then it will open. From there you
can open any application you wish. From the open
application you can open any file without error.
I have seen this once before and I reluctantly reimaged the
machine. I have searched the interent many different ways
looking for this issue. Please share any thoughts.

Brian McMillan

2004-04-08 14:05:23 UTC

Permalink

That was awesome John. It worked immediately without a
reboot. Thanks!

I compared all of the same registry settings to my working
machine and the users broken machine yesterday before
posting here. They were identical. The only line which
they differ from your file is this:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{B41DB860-8EE4-11D2-990
6-E49FADC173CA}]
@=""

I merged the entire file, as you suggested, and compared
the two again (his/mine machines) and the only difference
between the two was the line above. The difference had an
immediate effect and all the programs were working again.
I rebooted the machine to make sure.

The user installed Verison Online DSL software and
immediately afterwards this happened.

Thanks again,
Brian

-----Original Message-----
Try merging this with the registry. Copy the stuff

between the ====

lines to a notepad file and save it with a .reg extension.

Then right

click the file and merge it.
==================================================================
REGEDIT4
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
"Extended"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{B41DB860-8EE4-11D2-9906-E49FADC173CA}]
@=""
======================================================================
John

John John

2004-04-09 02:21:21 UTC

Permalink

Thank you for the follow up, glad to hear that it worked. The situation
you described is often referred to as "broken .lnk files". It's been
with Windows since the W95 days and it affects all Windows versions
although it is not a widespread problem.

John

Post by Brian McMillan
That was awesome John. It worked immediately without a
reboot. Thanks!
I compared all of the same registry settings to my working
machine and the users broken machine yesterday before
posting here. They were identical. The only line which
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{B41DB860-8EE4-11D2-990
6-E49FADC173CA}]
@=""
I merged the entire file, as you suggested, and compared
the two again (his/mine machines) and the only difference
between the two was the line above. The difference had an
immediate effect and all the programs were working again.
I rebooted the machine to make sure.
The user installed Verison Online DSL software and
immediately afterwards this happened.
Thanks again,
Brian

-----Original Message-----
Try merging this with the registry. Copy the stuff

between the ====

lines to a notepad file and save it with a .reg extension.

Then right