Cant click icons

[Adam Pintar]

When I start my computer up sometimes I am unable to click on the desktop icons and unable to select anything in the startmenu. The only icon that I can use that is on the desktop is the one I put there for hooking up to the internet.

I usally restart my computer and hit F8 and use #2 (bootlog) or do a step by step confirmation.

This usually fixes it until the next time I start my computer.

Thanks to any help that can be given

Adam http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

[joelen]

Adam,

Sounds to me like your operating system is on it's way out. Could be a hardware problem as well, I would make sure you back up any pertinent information as soon as possible.

If you are able to get into windows, i would also check for other applications that may be causing the problem. If this is Windows 98, you can run MSCONFIG from the start | Run.. line-- uncheck all items in Startup, reboot, and add them one by one until the problem comes back. If the problem comes back with one of the programs that are running on startup-- you have you fix.



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[Stealth]

It could be a corrupt icon cache file. The file is a hidden file in the directory where Windows is installed (C:\Windows\, C:\WINNT\, etc.) and is named ShellIconCache. Try deleteing the file, then logoff and logon again, or simply reboot.

[Adam Pintar]

Thanks stealth.

I was looking for the name of that file but the teacher at school could not find it. I will post later in here if this was the solution.

Thanks again.

[Adam Pintar]

Ok I deleted the shelliconcache file and the problem remained thanks for the help though it was good information to know and it was mentioned to me but we could not find it. thanks anyways stealth.


On the other hand I went into my msconfig and tried different things and finally when i disabled Load Startup Group Items my problem seemed to go away.
http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

On the other hand I lose 1 icon that was useful which was the one for the scanner for turning on the lamp in it.

How do i find out whick startup item is the one that is causing the problem.


Also i only turned on the computer on and off about 5 times so it could have been luck but I dont think so.

anyways thanks for the help joelen http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Paleo Pete]

Look in msconfig at each of the lines, and scroll to the right, you'll see the path to the folder the icon came from. ie C:\Program Files\Program\Folder.
That should tell you which one you need to re-enable.

And just to be on the safe side run a virus scan. Trojan (http://www.jmu.edu/computing/info-security/engineering/issues/remote.shtml) might also be a possibility. That was the first thing I thought by your comment that the internet icon was the only one that would work.

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