Desktop icons STILL not working! Help!

[Roy]

I've posted this before, but without much luck.

To reiterate: Sometimes my desktop icons will stop working. They don't
disappear, they don't move around, they just don't respond to the
mouse in any way. I can't select them, double click them, or anything.
Usually (in 64-bit Windows 7) just hovering the mouse over the icons
will highlight them. Doesn't work.

The Quick Launch, Taskbar, Start Button, etc, all work fine. So do
desktop Gadgets like the Clock.

I've noticed that this seems to happen after I use Internet Explorer,
there's no other pattern to it that I can see.

Don't bother telling me to scan for viruses, malmare, adware, etcware;
I've done that again and again with multiple products. It doesn't
help.

TIA

 

[LouB]

I've posted this before, but without much luck.

To reiterate: Sometimes my desktop icons will stop working. They don't
disappear, they don't move around, they just don't respond to the
mouse in any way. I can't select them, double click them, or anything.
Usually (in 64-bit Windows 7) just hovering the mouse over the icons
will highlight them. Doesn't work.

The Quick Launch, Taskbar, Start Button, etc, all work fine. So do
desktop Gadgets like the Clock.

I've noticed that this seems to happen after I use Internet Explorer,
there's no other pattern to it that I can see.

Don't bother telling me to scan for viruses, malmare, adware, etcware;
I've done that again and again with multiple products. It doesn't
help.

TIA

Tried a different mouse??
If you have a wireless mouse changed the batteries??

 

[John B. Slocomb]

Time to back up your data (if you can) and reinstall Windows 7. Have
fun. Course, installing Ubuntu would be faster but you probably believe
all the Win Trolls who lie about Ubuntu each and every day.

Ah yes. the much advertised new purple Ubuntu that solves all
problems.

And here is a number of posts from Ubuntu users who have tried to
install the much vaunted new version

The first on is a real winner - note the amount of tie it took to
install Ubuntu.

No help here - just upgraded online to 10 (total six hours!) and boots
in
text mode, startx gives me a softly backlit but otherwise featureless
screen. Worked ok on 9.0 and 9.1. Radeon 9200 video with athlon XP-A
1920MHz
CPU.
It managed the upgrade process in GUI mode, changing the desktop
background
in the process, but on reboot no GUI.
Just burned the ISO and getting the same result.
Plan A is to get the 9.10 ISO and use that

Regards

Mike


Thanks for the helpful reply.

I tried it because it "just worked" on the live CD of 9.10. Didn't
have
to do anything, so why waste my time figuring out stuff that I don't
have to?

As of now, though, I can't even *find* a xorg.conf so that might be
part
of the problem... not that I'd really be comfortable manually editing
it
if I *could* find it...

nate

I haven't installed it.

Thank you for sharing that piece of information with the world.

We shall await your announcement that it is safe to install
when you report back with a successful installation.


John B. Slocomb
(johnbslocombatgmaildotcom)

 

[Dave-UK]

I've posted this before, but without much luck.

To reiterate: Sometimes my desktop icons will stop working. They don't
disappear, they don't move around, they just don't respond to the
mouse in any way. I can't select them, double click them, or anything.
Usually (in 64-bit Windows 7) just hovering the mouse over the icons
will highlight them. Doesn't work.

The Quick Launch, Taskbar, Start Button, etc, all work fine. So do
desktop Gadgets like the Clock.

I've noticed that this seems to happen after I use Internet Explorer,
there's no other pattern to it that I can see.

Don't bother telling me to scan for viruses, malmare, adware, etcware;
I've done that again and again with multiple products. It doesn't
help.

TIA

Do you mean Microsoft desktop icons ( Computer, Documents, Recycle bin, Network etc.)
or icons that you have created ?

 

[Roy]

Tried a different mouse??
If you have a wireless mouse changed the batteries??

Thank you for a solution that does not involve Ubuntu! No, I haven't
tried a different mouse. I will next time it happens. No, it isn't
wireless.

 

[Roy]

Do you mean Microsoft desktop icons ( Computer, Documents, Recycle bin, Network etc.)
or icons that you have created ?

Both.

 

[Thip]

I've posted this before, but without much luck.

I've noticed that this seems to happen after I use Internet Explorer,
there's no other pattern to it that I can see.

TIA

Try opening Task Manager and see if Internet Explorer is still running after
you close it. If so, end the task and check your icons.

This really isn't a solution, but have you tried an alternative Web browser
like Firefox to see if it also causes the problem? If not, that would point
toward IE as the source. Perhaps others with more knowledge could help from
there, or you could switch browsers.

 

[Al Smith]

Try opening Task Manager and see if Internet Explorer is still running
after you close it. If so, end the task and check your icons.

This really isn't a solution, but have you tried an alternative Web
browser like Firefox to see if it also causes the problem? If not, that
would point toward IE as the source. Perhaps others with more knowledge
could help from there, or you could switch browsers.

I've been using an alternative browser since Windows95, and
believe me, it is an alternative solution. Nobody has to stick
with Windows Internet Explorer.

-Al-

 

[Thip]

believe me, it is an alternative solution. Nobody has to stick with
Windows Internet Explorer.

-Al-

Some prefer it. It's a personal choice; I use FF. I just was interested in
seeing if the problem could specifically be IE.

 

[John B. Slocomb]

And YOUR solution for the OP is what, diss Ubuntu?

It is not disrespectful to tell the truth, and the truth about Ubuntu
is that it has as many problems as any other distro and is not the end
all, be all, of operating systems as you and other newbees advertise
it to be.

As shown below in posts made to a Ubuntu discussion group it has some
fairly significant failings - which you seem to ignore, or deny.

Or perhaps you do not consider Not having a display as significant?

In short, you are very nearly guilt of fraud and certainly guilty of
lying when you extol Ubuntu as the "perfect system".


John B. Slocomb
(johnbslocombatgmaildotcom)

 

[Skipai Otter]

I've posted this before, but without much luck.

To reiterate: Sometimes my desktop icons will stop working. They don't
disappear, they don't move around, they just don't respond to the
mouse in any way. I can't select them, double click them, or anything.
Usually (in 64-bit Windows 7) just hovering the mouse over the icons
will highlight them. Doesn't work.

The Quick Launch, Taskbar, Start Button, etc, all work fine. So do
desktop Gadgets like the Clock.

I've noticed that this seems to happen after I use Internet Explorer,
there's no other pattern to it that I can see.

Don't bother telling me to scan for viruses, malmare, adware, etcware;
I've done that again and again with multiple products. It doesn't
help.

Hmm, weird as I've not had any of the issues with win7 64bit like that.

Only things I can think of before you have to start from fresh again is the
following:

1. Update graphic drivers after uninstalling them.
2. Update mouse drivers if able to download new versions.
3. If still problems, try a different mouse and see if problem comes about
again.
4. Run IE in safe mode. Does it happen on both 32bit and 64bit versions?
Also try running IE again in normal mode but with addon's disabled.
5. Run SFC to check windows core files to see if nothing has gone wrong
with those.

Not sure on anything else to check before having to do a complete clean
reinstall.

 

[Roy]

Try opening Task Manager and see if Internet Explorer is still running after
you close it. If so, end the task and check your icons.

This really isn't a solution, but have you tried an alternative Web browser
like Firefox to see if it also causes the problem? If not, that would point
toward IE as the source. Perhaps others with more knowledge could help from
there, or you could switch browsers.

You know, that is actually a great idea! I'll try that. Thanks, Thip.

(Just out of curiousity, I spent most of yesterday downloading and
installing Ubuntu 10.04--FOUR tries to get it to install without
crashing! I hate it already. Gnome is pretty, though. The way they try
to copy Windows!

 

[Death]

Beryl came out loooooooooooooooooooong before Vista and their "aero",
which is a dumbed down Compiz. You did, of course, run a MD5SUM on your
download before burning it to a CD, right? You can even do that in Windows
with a Windows program.

He had a standard experience ... don't act all surprised there, dummy.

(Actually Roy... KDE is pretty, gnome is kinda plain.)

 

[KCB]

I've posted this before, but without much luck.

To reiterate: Sometimes my desktop icons will stop working. They don't
disappear, they don't move around, they just don't respond to the
mouse in any way. I can't select them, double click them, or anything.
Usually (in 64-bit Windows 7) just hovering the mouse over the icons
will highlight them. Doesn't work.

The Quick Launch, Taskbar, Start Button, etc, all work fine. So do
desktop Gadgets like the Clock.

I've noticed that this seems to happen after I use Internet Explorer,
there's no other pattern to it that I can see.

Don't bother telling me to scan for viruses, malmare, adware, etcware;
I've done that again and again with multiple products. It doesn't
help.

TIA

Sorry I don't have an answer, but just posting to let you know that you are
not alone. This same thing happened to me twice last week, after my son had
been using the computer. I just assumed one of his games was not closing
properly, and haven't really tried to figure out what was causing the
problem. A reboot fixed it each time. Next time (if it happens again), I
will specifically check to see what was/is running and try to isolate it.

 

[undisclosed]

I had the same problem recently and found that the following solutio
fixed it

Check that you are using the 64 bit version of IE. I found tha
following an MS update the desktop Icon was pointing to the 32 bi
version and this causes the problem. I had both versions listed in 'Al
Programs' and running the 64 bit version fixed it
To check you are running IE 64 bit go to 'Help - About IE'. If i
doesn't say 64 Bit next to the version then you are running the 32bi
version
Hope that helps

 

[undisclosed]

I know that all the icons don't work, but if you use the 64 bit versio
of IE they will!
The reason the icons stop working after exiting IE is because you ar
using the 32bit version on a 64 bit OS
As I said if you use the 64 bit version of IE it will fix your problem
Try it and see and then tell me it doesn't work

 

[rjunderwood2000]

I had the same problem. I ran a system restore, which generated an error. I then did a scan of the memory. While it found no errors, the system restore worked after.

 

[feraudyh]

@somerset moose
The microsoft website says that the version I have is 64 bits.The about IE screen does not say explicitly it's 64 bits but the MS website does.

I wonder if there is going to be any more silly advice about checking my mouse.
rebooting fixes the problem temporarily but it comes back (I dont know when).
Rebooting has little influence on a mouse.

And please I dont want any advice like checking to see if my computer is switched on.

 

[feraudyh]

found a solution

OK, I must make amends, despite the fact that the Microsoft website tried to convince me that my version of IE was 64 bits, the Task Manager said that I had 4 IExplorer32.exe processes running. Now that looks like it's advertising 32 bits to me!


In any case when I killed those IExplorer32 processes (and I'm actually running Chrome)
my desktop started responding again!! By the way Internet Explorer was nowhere to be seen running when those processes were in the list of processes.