Cannot access desktop icons any longer

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I have had the strangest thing happen to me. I have WindowsXP on a laptop.
It has worked for well over a year fine.Then suddenly I cannot open (most)
files I have as icons on my desktop. I am the only user and have
administrator status. For example if a click on the Microsoft Word icon. It
comes up with:-

"Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have
permission to access the item".

If on the other hand I select the word program from the start/menu system it
comes up fine. Many (but not all) of my icons are now behaving like this.
I cannot figure out what happened. Since I am an administrator why can I
access everything?
If I make a new user the (new) desktop icons work fine, but most of my
original desktop icons and program data is missing.

Would really like suggestions. What do you think is the cause. Is there an
easy fix. Is there an easy way to drop all my icons/data access etc to the
new user I created and simply delete the old one.

 

[Nightowl]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

John Monahan wrote on Mon, 8 Aug 2005:

>I have had the strangest thing happen to me. I have WindowsXP on a laptop.
>It has worked for well over a year fine.Then suddenly I cannot open (most)
>files I have as icons on my desktop. I am the only user and have
>administrator status. For example if a click on the Microsoft Word icon. It
>comes up with:-
>
>"Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have
>permission to access the item".
>
>If on the other hand I select the word program from the start/menu system it
>comes up fine. Many (but not all) of my icons are now behaving like this.
>I cannot figure out what happened. Since I am an administrator why can I
>access everything?
>If I make a new user the (new) desktop icons work fine, but most of my
>original desktop icons and program data is missing.
>
>Would really like suggestions. What do you think is the cause. Is there an
>easy fix. Is there an easy way to drop all my icons/data access etc to the
>new user I created and simply delete the old one.
>
>
Hi John

I did already answer one of your previous posts on Sunday. Perhaps you
didn't see it? It helps avoid confusion though if you stick to just one
thread instead of three

Can you right-click on the misbehaving icons and look at the Properties?
Particularly on the General tab -- what does it say for "location"? What
is the exact path? I have a feeling your Desktop folder may not be where
it ought to be. . .

--
Nightowl