Useless, Desktop!!!

[Sapphanie]

The icons on my desk top give me an error message such as

"This file does not have a program associated with it for preforming this action. Create an association in the Set Associations control panel."

This happens for all the short cut icons on my desktop. The only way to run these programs are by right clicking and running as an administrator. So my Microsoft offices, and my games won't run unless I do that.

Is there a way to create an association or is that just a wild goose chase??

[Steve]

Hi Sapphanie,

I'm really sorry that no one has got back to you. I have been away for a while..

The file associations have gone and there are 2 ways we can get it sorted. First of all if something like this just started happening then you could use System Restore to get your PC back to the way it was before it started happening.

Secondly you can try and reassociate the files with their correct programs. On this page...File association fixes for Windows Vista there are links to file associations fixes. Get the one lnk one...http://www.winhelponline.com/fileasso/lnkfix_vista.zip and unzip it. Inside there will be a .reg file, double click this and it should fix your Desktop Icons.

To fix your Office Docs in Explorer right click on a Word file and select Open With, you should be able to find say Microsoft Word in a list of programs. There will be an box you can tick to always open Word Files with MS Word.

Hope this helps,

regards

Steve

[Sapphanie]

Hey,

I've tried both ways... First with the restore, it's not even recognizing that I click on the restore program!! so that isn't working. and secondly I downloaded the .zip/.reg files and the same message comes up.... This problem how only just come up about five days ago. The only way I can you anything on my desktop,or the even the program folders for that matter is by running they as administer.

Is there something I don't have I even tired downloading the .exe fix zip file that same message still comes up!! I need some major help!!!!

[Steve]

Hi Sapphanie,

no probs. Lets move on to the next possible fix and if that doesnt work then we can move on to the next knowing that we will get to the bottom of the problem and get it sorted.

I would firstly like to go along the System Restore route as I have found this handy in the past. Can you read this page ... Zolved - Easy way to do a system restore in Windows Vista and try to do a System Restore to when everything was ok.

If this doesnt work then we can try another possible solution....

regards

Steve

[Sapphanie]

Hi,
I restored back to the day this problem showed up... and when I tried to restore to a point before that... well there is no point before that. The problem is still there!!

[Steve]

Oh well, System Restore was worth a try.

The next thing we will try is Turning Off UAC ( User Access Control ) while you rerun the lnk file you downloaded earlier. The UAC is giving you the errors and stopping you from writing the associations to the registry. We will turn it off, rerun the .reg file and turn UAC back on.

To turn off UAC.....

1. Launch MSCONFIG by from the Run menu

2. Click on the Tools tab. Scroll down till you find "Disable UAP" (this should probably change to UAC in next Vista beta builds and in the RTM version). Click on that line

3. Press the Launch button

4. A CMD window will open. When the command is done, you can close the window

5. Close MSCONFIG. You need to reboot the computer for changes to apply

When the PC has rebooted rerun the unzipped .reg file as you did earlier and it should ask you are you sure then then it should Write itself to the registry.

You will need to turn UAC back on by starting MSCONFIG again and selecting the "Enable UAP" line and then clicking on the Launch button. You will need to reboot once again and then try your icons again.

See how this goes for you,

regards

Steve

[Sapphanie]

Ok.... I went to MSCONFIG and click the tab and wen to "disable UAP" but a message saying "A device attached to the system is not functioning" Is there anything I didn't do? Also I check in services and more than half of the services have stopped!! what does this mean. even the remote regstry is stopped

[Steve]

Things seem to be very bad indeed...

Next thing to try is the System File Checker to make sure all your files are ok...

Go to Some Windows Vista functions may not work, or Windows Vista may stop responding and follow the instructions in the resolution section.

Tell us how you get on...

Have you ever used Regedit before? cause we may have to use it soon...

regards

Steve

[Jacee]

A 'startup repair' may also help. See this tutorial:
How to automatically repair Windows Vista using Startup Repair

[Sapphanie]

I tried both you your seggestions. I first did startup repair. No problem need to be fixed so I tried the command proment system file checker!! the same "no problem" resut came up. So i guess there is nothing wrong with my systems but something else and this problem is this here!!