Icons gone, Generic icons in its place but will not run the programs. Any assistance appreciated.

[Bonnie Peebles]

My girlfriends computer kind of blinked the other day when she was
using it.
All the normal icons disappeared and were replaced by generic icons.
2x clicking on these icons will not open a program.
I cannot open any programs by going to START--->ALL
PROGRAMS--->whatever. And all of those icons are generic.

All the icons under the START menu are generic EXCEPT for her email
program and Internet Explorer. And I can run those just fine, I can
even send emails with attachments from the HD.

When I click on the CONTROL PANEL, I get a very odd error message. It
says (more or less) "CANNOT PLACE A SHORTCUT HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
PLACE IT ON THE DESKTOP." I cannot get the Control Panel to open
nor anything else.

I started the computer in safe mode, same problem.

Any suggestions or advice is more then appreciated.

(I've also tried to reboot several times with no resolution of the
problem.)

Right now all I can think to do it to remove the HD and put it into
another computer and make a copy of the HD. But then I do not know if
this problem was caused by a virus or what.

Thank You Gents in advance if you chose to help me.

Bonnie P.

 

[John Doe]

My girlfriends computer kind of blinked the other day when she was
using it.
All the normal icons disappeared and were replaced by generic icons.
2x clicking on these icons will not open a program.
I cannot open any programs by going to START--->ALL
PROGRAMS--->whatever. And all of those icons are generic.

Sounds like a pre-Windows XP problem.

You probably have to tell Windows that LNK files are shortcuts. I
think there is a tiny registry file somebody made to do that.

Right now all I can think to do it to remove the HD and put it into
another computer and make a copy of the HD.

Huh?

By the way. Before you do anything, if the user has any important
files, they should be copied to removable media. Frankly, if you
haven't done that already, IMO you aren't experienced/knowledgeable
enough to be helping anyone. If you have, good for you.

Good luck.

 

[Frank McCoy]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Bonnie Peebles

My girlfriends computer kind of blinked the other day when she was
using it.
All the normal icons disappeared and were replaced by generic icons.
2x clicking on these icons will not open a program.
I cannot open any programs by going to START--->ALL
PROGRAMS--->whatever. And all of those icons are generic.

All the icons under the START menu are generic EXCEPT for her email
program and Internet Explorer. And I can run those just fine, I can
even send emails with attachments from the HD.

When I click on the CONTROL PANEL, I get a very odd error message. It
says (more or less) "CANNOT PLACE A SHORTCUT HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
PLACE IT ON THE DESKTOP." I cannot get the Control Panel to open
nor anything else.

I started the computer in safe mode, same problem.

Any suggestions or advice is more then appreciated.

(I've also tried to reboot several times with no resolution of the
problem.)

Right now all I can think to do it to remove the HD and put it into
another computer and make a copy of the HD. But then I do not know if
this problem was caused by a virus or what.

Thank You Gents in advance if you chose to help me.

Bonnie P.

My *guess* is that you've had an entire directory destroyed or removed.
That's what your symptoms sound like. My *guess* would be the
"C:\Program Files" directory is gone, renamed, or moved. I suppose you
might try doing a search ....

Unless you can find where it got moved to and move or rename it back, or
restore it from a backup, I think you're screwed.

Yes, that *is* a common problem caused by some malicious viruses or
Trojans. ;-{

Backup, backup, and backup again.
Also run with Anti-Virus software installed.

I suspect you'll probably have to end up reinstalling everything.
;-{

 

[Bonnie Peebles]

Sounds like a pre-Windows XP problem.

You probably have to tell Windows that LNK files are shortcuts. I
think there is a tiny registry file somebody made to do that.

I'll see if I can find a program that can do that.

Huh?

By the way. Before you do anything, if the user has any important
files, they should be copied to removable media. Frankly, if you
haven't done that already, IMO you aren't experienced/knowledgeable
enough to be helping anyone. If you have, good for you.

Good luck.

Huh? I'll type it slowly for you so you can understand. ( Sorry, I
couldn't resist. I know a lot is lost in a typed message but you seem
to be coming across as kind of abrasive.)
The only programs that I can run on the entire
computer is the email program and Internet
Explorer ( as stated in the original post.)
Now, while I would guess it is POSSIBLE to back up a computer
using an email program, my time is worth more than that. However, I
guess I am a (sorry if I'm typing too fast for you) newby because I am
not sure how one would back up there entire hard drive using Internet
explorer, unless one would use an online data repository, and again,
my time is too valuable to back a system up that way.

Thus, I speculated that I would " >> Right now all I can think to do
it to remove the HD and put it into
Perhaps the HD confused you. It means Hard Drive.


Now, the person had backed there entire HD ( H a r d D r i v e)
up the day before this event, I could just reinstall that. But they
didn't. So I'm looking for something to do - after I back there stuff
up. I M H O, if it is not backed up, it is not important.


I apologize if I came across sounding like an ass.
It is just because, well, I guess I'm an ass.
For some reason when I ask for help, it tends to irritate me when
someone responds with what "I" take to be a passive aggressive message
like :
Frankly, if you

haven't done that already, IMO you aren't experienced/knowledgeable
enough to be helping anyone.

If that was not your intention, again, I apologize.
I suppose it could be you just didn't read the original message or I
was somehow unclear.


I'm use to getting this kind of response to inquires for help on the
net, but the ratio is usually not this high. In this case at least 50
%.

Regardless, I appreciate the helpful part of your suggestion.


Bonnie P.

 

[Bonnie Peebles]

Frank,

Thank you.
I suspect you are right about the reinstall.
IMHO, if it is not backed up, it is not important.
And I see system crashes as God's way of telling you that you had too
much crap on your HD.
But, this is not my system, so I'll have to make a better effort on
their behalf then I would for myself.

I cannot run anything other then email and Internet. Notta.
No diagnostic programs, nothing.
If the DIR was moved, then there is no easy way I can think of putting
it back.


Maybe when I put the HD into another computer as a SLAVE to Backup the
data, I can have a better look.

Regardless Frank, I do thank you for your help and appreciate you
taking the time to try and help me.


Bonnie

 

[John Doe]

I'll see if I can find a program that can do that.




Huh? I'll type it slowly for you so you can understand. ( Sorry, I
couldn't resist. I know a lot is lost in a typed message but you
seem to be coming across as kind of abrasive.)

It's the issue. People come in here crying about losing important
files. Too many people out there don't know enough to backup/copy
important files.

The only programs that I can run on the entire
computer is the email program and Internet
Explorer ( as stated in the original post.)
Now, while I would guess it is POSSIBLE to back up a
computer using an email program, my time is worth more than that.

You can get into Windows file manager (Windows Explorer). Even if
shortcuts don't work, you can open programs by browsing to the
executable file. Try Explorer.exe in the Windows folder.

However, I
guess I am a (sorry if I'm typing too fast for you) newby because I
am not sure how one would back up there entire hard drive using
Internet explorer, unless one would use an online data repository,
and again, my time is too valuable to back a system up that way.

You don't have to back up an entire hard drive unless they have no
idea what and where their important files are (that's possible).

A backup program is not the only way you can copy important files to
removable media.

Thus, I speculated that I would " >> Right now all I can think to do
it to remove the HD and put it into

Perhaps the HD confused you. It means Hard Drive.

You can get into Windows, so having to remove the hard drive has
nothing to do with any solution. You can copy files from within
Windows. You can make a copy of the hard drive from a bootable
CD/floppy.

Now, the person had backed there entire HD ( H a r d D r i v e)
up the day before this event, I could just reinstall that. But they
didn't. So I'm looking for something to do - after I back there
stuff up. I M H O, if it is not backed up, it is not important.

I hope your not suggesting that all users know enough to backup
important files. People lose files all the time.

I apologize if I came across sounding like an ass.
It is just because, well, I guess I'm an ass.
For some reason when I ask for help, it tends to irritate me when
someone responds with what "I" take to be a passive aggressive
message like :
Frankly, if you

When it comes to that issue, I would like to make an impression.
Apparently too many people out there don't know better.

If that was not your intention, again, I apologize.
I suppose it could be you just didn't read the original message or I
was somehow unclear.

Maybe you didn't read my next sentence?

I have no idea who you are. By your message, apparently you know
little about what you're trying to do. Alarms went off about the
possibility of losing data, partly because you're likely to make
mistakes and partly because you likely don't know enough to have
copies of important files.

Of course I could be mistaken about copies/backups, that's why I
mentioned the possibility you do know that. Though I'm not convinced.

I'm use to getting this kind of response to inquires for help on the
net,

And the Internet revolves around you, so that's not right.

but the ratio is usually not this high. In this case at least 50 %.

I also mentioned the possibility that you do know enough to make sure
the user has backups. In fact, there's no way to know except by what
you have written. Considering that, I do think you are lost.

Maybe you can provide further explanation about why you feel a need to
remove the hard drive and put it into another computer. That's strange
IMO.

Regardless, I appreciate the helpful part of your suggestion.

Satisfaction guaranteed or double your money back.

 

[John Doe]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Bonnie Peebles

My *guess* is that you've had an entire directory destroyed or
removed. That's what your symptoms sound like. My *guess* would be
the "C:\Program Files" directory is gone, renamed, or moved. I
suppose you might try doing a search ....

That would be a little more than a wild guess if iexplore.exe and
msimn.exe are in a subfolder under Program Files.

The likely reason Internet and e-mail works is because those are not
ordinary shortcuts.

Yes, that *is* a common problem caused by some malicious viruses or
Trojans. ;-{

Losing shortcut associations is not uncommon but the time(s) it
happened to me probably was caused by something other than a virus or
Trojan.

 

[Frank McCoy]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Bonnie Peebles

Frank,

Thank you.
I suspect you are right about the reinstall.
IMHO, if it is not backed up, it is not important.
And I see system crashes as God's way of telling you that you had too
much crap on your HD.
But, this is not my system, so I'll have to make a better effort on
their behalf then I would for myself.

I cannot run anything other then email and Internet. Notta.
No diagnostic programs, nothing.
If the DIR was moved, then there is no easy way I can think of putting
it back.

Actually, *IF* you can find it, then putting it back is quite easy.
Once I did something similar by clicking on an important directory by
accident and before I realized what had happened I'd *moved* the thing
into an adjacent directory!

Thankfully I caught it *right then* (once things went to crap) and
remembered what I'd been working on just previously. So, by looking in
various directories I found the one that shouldn't have been where it
was, opened two windows, clicked on the errant directory in the first
one, and placed it in the desired spot in the other.

It's really *dumb* that Windows allows you to do that without even
asking if you're sure. But it CAN happen with just the slip of a finger
on the mouse. *Poof* a directory as important as "C:\Program Files" is
seemingly *gone*; only into another directory without you ever being
aware that such a thing happened.

File names can also get corrupted.
That's usually *much* more serious though.

A rename is possible; but much less likely.
There, just look for a directory with a name that doesn't make sense
where the directory you want should be.

If the directory structure gets hosed though, generally you're screwed.
You can *try* running chkdsk /f though, and seeing if it fixes things.
Sometimes it will; or enough that a rename or move (see above) might
work.

Not too fond of Windows' automatic "fixes" for many problems.

Maybe when I put the HD into another computer as a SLAVE to Backup the
data, I can have a better look.

Regardless Frank, I do thank you for your help and appreciate you
taking the time to try and help me.

You're welcome.
I could probably do more to find out if there personally; but it's hard
to diagnose from a distance, even using the Remote Console function.