98 Start/Programs not opening the programs

I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs loaded are
available through the desktop icons but nothing will open through the
start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a new program myself. Eg
Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 11:53:01 -0800, "lamajama"
wrote:

I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs loaded are
available through the desktop icons but nothing will open through the
start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a new program myself. Eg
Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

Is there anything in the C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs folder?

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/

Please repost with more information, including what happens when you=20
left-click and right-click on a Start Menu shortcut.

Ben

"lamajama" wrote in message =
...
I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs loaded =
are=20
available through the desktop icons but nothing will open through the=20
start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a new program =
myself. Eg=20
Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not open any programs.
=20
Help!!?!!!

Yes. In all, 20 items - 13 of which are shown as folders and 7 as shortcuts.
I tried again after restarting the computer and for instance Adobe
Reader/Windows Media Player opened up thru the start/programs menu and a few
others only. What I did then was close those programs and attempt to re-open
them again and now they will not open...so there appears to be no rhyme nor
reason to this problem. The programs that did open - some were shown as
shortcuts in the c:\windows\start menu\programs folder and some were shown as
folders. Anything else I can look at to help your diagnosis? Thanks for your
help!

"Bill Watt" wrote:

On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 11:53:01 -0800, "lamajama"
wrote:

I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs loaded are
available through the desktop icons but nothing will open through the
start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a new program myself. Eg
Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

Is there anything in the C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs folder?

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/

Please see previous reply post for additional information as well but of the
20 items in the start/programs menu, 5 will expand on a right click. As I
said in the previous reply these programs that will expand or open will not
always do it a second time. As an example, I just right-clicked Word and was
able to open it twice in a row. The third time the right-click menu will not
appear and thus I cannot open it thru the start/programs process. I am trying
to find a pattern and there does not appear to be any. Is there any other
specific information I can supply? Thanks for helping!

"Ben Myers" wrote:

Please repost with more information, including what happens when you
left-click and right-click on a Start Menu shortcut.

Ben

"lamajama" wrote in message ...
I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs loaded are
available through the desktop icons but nothing will open through the
start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a new program myself. Eg
Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

This may be a dumb question but what happens when you LEFT click a
Start Programs shortcut, as Ben asked?

When you select a folder there should be a flyout where you left
click the program you want. Do you get the flyouts? Left clicking a
program not in a folder should open it. Maybe that doesn't work?

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/
_________________________________________

On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 10:07:02 -0700, "lamajama"
wrote:

Please see previous reply post for additional information as well but of the
20 items in the start/programs menu, 5 will expand on a right click. As I
said in the previous reply these programs that will expand or open will not
always do it a second time. As an example, I just right-clicked Word and was
able to open it twice in a row. The third time the right-click menu will not
appear and thus I cannot open it thru the start/programs process. I am trying
to find a pattern and there does not appear to be any. Is there any other
specific information I can supply? Thanks for helping!

"Ben Myers" wrote:

Please repost with more information, including what happens when you
left-click and right-click on a Start Menu shortcut.

Ben

"lamajama" wrote in message ...
I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs loaded are
available through the desktop icons but nothing will open through the
start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a new program myself. Eg
Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

lamajama wrote:
I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs
loaded are available through the desktop icons but nothing will open
through the start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a
new program myself. Eg Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not
open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

First of all, use Explorer to browse to C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs.
Expand "Programs" and check the "programs" (not folders, the programs
themselves). Do they all have a "shortcut" file type? If not, what?

If they do have the shortcut file type right click one and select
"Properties". Do the same for the corresponding (for the same program)
shortcut on your desktop which you say work OK and compare the
properties of the two. Are they identical? Especially the path in
"Target". If not, go to #3 below.

Next, what happens when...

1. You browse to the exe file itself and left click? Open OK?

2. You copy the path to the exe, paste it into the Start|Run window,
adding the file name at the end of the path separated from it by "\" and
enclose all with quotation marks. For example,

Path copied:
C:\Program Files\_My Programs\_Music\Winamp
Path with exe and quotes:
"C:\Program Files\_My Programs\_Music\Winamp\winamp.exe"

Press ENTER. Open OK?

3. You make a new shortcut to the exe and left click? File opens? If
not, right click the shortcut and select "Properties". Is the path
listed in "Target" identical to the path with exe in #2 above? If not,
Windows is messing up shortcut creation, no idea why, no idea how to fix
other than reinstall windows. If they are identical, whatever it is
Windows that allows it to extract and use the path isn't functioning
(though that seems unrealistic since your desktop icons work OK); same
solution; alternatively, browse the MS knowledge base. I'd rather
reinstall

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

I may be mis-understand the meaning of "flyout", but for eg if I go to
start/programs/accessories, the menu expands to all the accessories
programs eg communications, then after left clicking on an actual program,
nothing happens.

The process of going start/programs will reveal or expand to all the
programs loaded but left click will not open them.

Did I misunderstand "flyout?"

"Bill Watt" wrote:


This may be a dumb question but what happens when you LEFT click a
Start Programs shortcut, as Ben asked?

When you select a folder there should be a flyout where you left
click the program you want. Do you get the flyouts? Left clicking a
program not in a folder should open it. Maybe that doesn't work?

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/
_________________________________________

On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 10:07:02 -0700, "lamajama"
wrote:

Please see previous reply post for additional information as well but of the
20 items in the start/programs menu, 5 will expand on a right click. As I
said in the previous reply these programs that will expand or open will not
always do it a second time. As an example, I just right-clicked Word and was
able to open it twice in a row. The third time the right-click menu will not
appear and thus I cannot open it thru the start/programs process. I am trying
to find a pattern and there does not appear to be any. Is there any other
specific information I can supply? Thanks for helping!

"Ben Myers" wrote:

Please repost with more information, including what happens when you
left-click and right-click on a Start Menu shortcut.

Ben

"lamajama" wrote in message ...
I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs loaded are
available through the desktop icons but nothing will open through the
start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a new program myself. Eg
Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

Thanks for your extensive answer.

I have answered by each of your questions....

"dadiOH" wrote:

lamajama wrote:
I just installed a clean W98 on an old system. All the programs
loaded are available through the desktop icons but nothing will open
through the start/programs menu - regardless if I have installed a
new program myself. Eg Start/Programs/Accessories will expand but not
open any programs.

Help!!?!!!

First of all, use Explorer to browse to C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs.
Expand "Programs" and check the "programs" (not folders, the programs
themselves). Do they all have a "shortcut" file type? If not, what?

Yes they all list as shortcuts.

A weird thing here too...if I left click on the program name while looking
at the C;\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\"shortcut" file type, they all open.

So it appears that the shortcuts W98 has created it the Start Menu directory
is right but just not accessible then by the normal Start/Programs path

Unless that last "clue/observation" triggers a quick thought, I will either
leave it as it is and go have a cocktail or re-install Windows....

My thanks for your extensive answer and time you gave me.

If they do have the shortcut file type right click one and select
"Properties". Do the same for the corresponding (for the same program)
shortcut on your desktop which you say work OK and compare the
properties of the two. Are they identical? Especially the path in
"Target". If not, go to #3 below.

Yes they are with the exception that a few of the "target" lines has the
quotation marks around the path, while some do not. What is confusing of
course is that all these paths work via the desktop icon but not the
start/programs access...regardless of the quotation marks...

Next, what happens when...

1. You browse to the exe file itself and left click? Open OK?

Opens just fine...

2. You copy the path to the exe, paste it into the Start|Run window,
adding the file name at the end of the path separated from it by "\" and
enclose all with quotation marks. For example,

Path copied:
C:\Program Files\_My Programs\_Music\Winamp
Path with exe and quotes:
"C:\Program Files\_My Programs\_Music\Winamp\winamp.exe"


Press ENTER. Open OK?

3. You make a new shortcut to the exe and left click? File opens? If
not, right click the shortcut and select "Properties". Is the path
listed in "Target" identical to the path with exe in #2 above? If not,
Windows is messing up shortcut creation, no idea why, no idea how to fix
other than reinstall windows. If they are identical, whatever it is
Windows that allows it to extract and use the path isn't functioning
(though that seems unrealistic since your desktop icons work OK); same
solution; alternatively, browse the MS knowledge base. I'd rather
reinstall

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

lamajama wrote:
Thanks for your extensive answer.

I have answered by each of your questions....

Yes they all list as shortcuts.

A weird thing here too...if I left click on the program name while
looking at the C;\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\"shortcut" file type,
they all open.

So it appears that the shortcuts W98 has created in the Start Menu
directory is right but just not accessible then by the normal
Start/Programs path

Start/Programs shows you the same thing - the same directories,
programs - as you saw in C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs, just in a
different way. If the shortcuts work in one view they should in
another. I have no idea why they won't...are you clicking them in the
same way? Have you set your system to "point to select, click to open"
or is it still double left click?
________________

Unless that last "clue/observation" triggers a quick thought, I will
either leave it as it is and go have a cocktail or re-install
Windows....

Cocktail would be a good idea, I could use one myself. Or a
highball...still got a jug of Glenlivet here somewhere...
___________________

My thanks for your extensive answer and time you gave me.

NP, sorry I couldn't solve it for you. One other thought...what happens
if you move a program shortcut from Start|Programs to the desktop?
Work? If not, can you find anything in the shortcut properties that has
changed? If it does work, what happens when you move it back to
Start|Programs. Work?

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico