Drop Down Menu in Bad Shape

Something I did, I don't know what -

The drop down File menu in Windows Explorer seems to be on a tear, adding
and deleting
items with abandon. For example, last time I checked it showed the word
"Document" twice; after I
plugged in and removed a flash drive it appeared for a third time. One of
the "Document" had a sub-menu with the context menu for when you right click
a file in Windows Explorer.

But it gets worse. Most of the other drop down menu categories have errors,
in fact I'm not certain that the overall categories are even correct. From
left to right they a File, Edit, View, Go, Favorites, Tools, Help. View
is messed up; Go has elements of WMP6.4's "Go", Favorites had the 6.4
Favorites plus IE Favorites; Tools has the Find feature of the start menu.
Yesterday I also noticed that A/V files set to play on WMP9 did so but had
reverted to the WMP7 icon with a trace of the WMP9 icon underneath, and even
going into Tools/Folder Options/File Types and manually changing the icons
wouldn't bring them back, so there's a forensic clue right there. All in
all, quite a mess.

I've done three things to try to correct this, none has worked:
A system restore from the previous afternoon (using Fix-it).
A GoBack revert to the first boot of yesteday morning.
Removed WMP9

Oddly enough a registry check with Fix-It shows nothing amiss.

Help.

You should say what you did to fix the problem so that no one repeats what
you've already tried!!!

Have you run the Repair options in the 98 version of TweakUI?

Have you run the System File Checker by entering sfc in the Start = Run box?

Take care with the SFC. Don't replace a file that 98 adds to with a blank
copy or its BSOD time.

Eric,
PC Buyer Beware!
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/

"Roger Fink" wrote:

Something I did, I don't know what -

The drop down File menu in Windows Explorer seems to be on a tear, adding
and deleting
items with abandon. For example, last time I checked it showed the word
"Document" twice; after I
plugged in and removed a flash drive it appeared for a third time. One of
the "Document" had a sub-menu with the context menu for when you right click
a file in Windows Explorer.

But it gets worse. Most of the other drop down menu categories have errors,
in fact I'm not certain that the overall categories are even correct. From
left to right they a File, Edit, View, Go, Favorites, Tools, Help. View
is messed up; Go has elements of WMP6.4's "Go", Favorites had the 6.4
Favorites plus IE Favorites; Tools has the Find feature of the start menu.
Yesterday I also noticed that A/V files set to play on WMP9 did so but had
reverted to the WMP7 icon with a trace of the WMP9 icon underneath, and even
going into Tools/Folder Options/File Types and manually changing the icons
wouldn't bring them back, so there's a forensic clue right there. All in
all, quite a mess.

I've done three things to try to correct this, none has worked:
A system restore from the previous afternoon (using Fix-it).
A GoBack revert to the first boot of yesteday morning.
Removed WMP9

Oddly enough a registry check with Fix-It shows nothing amiss.

Help.

On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 01:42:05 -0400, "Roger Fink" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

Something I did, I don't know what -

The drop down File menu in Windows Explorer seems to be on a tear, adding
and deleting
items with abandon. For example, last time I checked it showed the word
"Document" twice; after I
plugged in and removed a flash drive it appeared for a third time. One of
the "Document" had a sub-menu with the context menu for when you right click
a file in Windows Explorer.

Would these problems have anything to do with Internet Explorer?

But it gets worse. Most of the other drop down menu categories have errors,
in fact I'm not certain that the overall categories are even correct. From
left to right they a File, Edit, View, Go, Favorites, Tools, Help.

Categories are identical to mine.

View is messed up; Go has elements of WMP6.4's "Go", Favorites had the 6.4
Favorites plus IE Favorites; Tools has the Find feature of the start menu.

Same Find stuff here.

Yesterday I also noticed that A/V files set to play on WMP9 did so but had
reverted to the WMP7 icon with a trace of the WMP9 icon underneath, and even
going into Tools/Folder Options/File Types and manually changing the icons
wouldn't bring them back, so there's a forensic clue right there.

Just a guess, but could the C:\Windows\ShellIconCache file be corrupt?
If so, then exit Windows and delete the file, or rename it. It will be
recreated with default icons next time you reboot. You may need to
type "attrib -h shelli~1" to unhide the file.

All in all, quite a mess.

I've done three things to try to correct this, none has worked:
A system restore from the previous afternoon (using Fix-it).
A GoBack revert to the first boot of yesteday morning.
Removed WMP9

Oddly enough a registry check with Fix-It shows nothing amiss.

Help.

I'd Find those files which have changed since the day you started
having problems.

-- Franc Zabkar

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

Franc Zabkar wrote:
On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 01:42:05 -0400, "Roger Fink" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

Something I did, I don't know what -

The drop down File menu in Windows Explorer seems to be on a tear,
adding and deleting
items with abandon. For example, last time I checked it showed the
word "Document" twice; after I
plugged in and removed a flash drive it appeared for a third time.
One of the "Document" had a sub-menu with the context menu for when
you right click a file in Windows Explorer.

Would these problems have anything to do with Internet Explorer?

But it gets worse. Most of the other drop down menu categories have
errors, in fact I'm not certain that the overall categories are even
correct. From left to right they a File, Edit, View, Go,
Favorites, Tools, Help.

Categories are identical to mine.

View is messed up; Go has elements of WMP6.4's "Go", Favorites had
the 6.4 Favorites plus IE Favorites; Tools has the Find feature of
the start menu.

Same Find stuff here.

Yesterday I also noticed that A/V files set to play on WMP9 did so
but had reverted to the WMP7 icon with a trace of the WMP9 icon
underneath, and even going into Tools/Folder Options/File Types and
manually changing the icons wouldn't bring them back, so there's a
forensic clue right there.

Just a guess, but could the C:\Windows\ShellIconCache file be corrupt?
If so, then exit Windows and delete the file, or rename it. It will be
recreated with default icons next time you reboot. You may need to
type "attrib -h shelli~1" to unhide the file.

All in all, quite a mess.

I've done three things to try to correct this, none has worked:
A system restore from the previous afternoon (using Fix-it).
A GoBack revert to the first boot of yesteday morning.
Removed WMP9

Oddly enough a registry check with Fix-It shows nothing amiss.

Help.

I'd Find those files which have changed since the day you started
having problems.

-- Franc Zabkar

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

I'd rather not have a corrupted OS, which is what the situation is, but at
this point, after having had the present installation for quite a few years,
and with typical user customizations or worse, a reinstallation is not too
bad an idea (been influenced by Mr. C. Quirk, MVP on this, although I don't
know where those passages are). I'd bet most older WIN98 installations are
likely corrupt, mine just shows annoying visual evidence of it. But in any
case I'm taking a different tack than reinstallation. To take care of the
"annoying visual evidence" aspect of it, and also as it turns out, to pick
up a nice performance boost, I installed a piece of software that until
today I had forgotten I had - PowerDesk by the old Mijenix Co., which (the
old) OnTrack Co. threw in with their Fix-It 2000 Utility Suite, which I
bought in a different century. If you're not familiar with it, the program
is basically an enhanced replacement for Windows Explorer, faster and with
many more useful features.The Explorer errors did not carry over to this
installation. I don't want to put down Microsoft because at the time they
were plowing through virgin soil, and under those circumstances basic
primary decisions are not always obvious, and in any case their parameters
that went into arriving at those decisions were obviously much greater than
one end user's. But in retrospect, it's a great idea to have a shell that,
when it goes bad, you just uninstall it, and reinstall it. No detective
work, no registry hacks, no DOS deletions, no posts of quiet desperation to
MVP's at 1:00 in the morning.

The media player icon problem is still there. I may give it a shot.

Roger Fink wrote:
Franc Zabkar wrote:
On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 01:42:05 -0400, "Roger Fink" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

Something I did, I don't know what -

The drop down File menu in Windows Explorer seems to be on a tear,
adding and deleting
items with abandon. For example, last time I checked it showed the
word "Document" twice; after I
plugged in and removed a flash drive it appeared for a third time.
One of the "Document" had a sub-menu with the context menu for when
you right click a file in Windows Explorer.

Would these problems have anything to do with Internet Explorer?

But it gets worse. Most of the other drop down menu categories have
errors, in fact I'm not certain that the overall categories are even
correct. From left to right they a File, Edit, View, Go,
Favorites, Tools, Help.

Categories are identical to mine.

View is messed up; Go has elements of WMP6.4's "Go", Favorites had
the 6.4 Favorites plus IE Favorites; Tools has the Find feature of
the start menu.

Same Find stuff here.

Yesterday I also noticed that A/V files set to play on WMP9 did so
but had reverted to the WMP7 icon with a trace of the WMP9 icon
underneath, and even going into Tools/Folder Options/File Types and
manually changing the icons wouldn't bring them back, so there's a
forensic clue right there.

Just a guess, but could the C:\Windows\ShellIconCache file be
corrupt?
If so, then exit Windows and delete the file, or rename it. It will
be recreated with default icons next time you reboot. You may need to
type "attrib -h shelli~1" to unhide the file.

All in all, quite a mess.

I've done three things to try to correct this, none has worked:
A system restore from the previous afternoon (using Fix-it).
A GoBack revert to the first boot of yesteday morning.
Removed WMP9

Oddly enough a registry check with Fix-It shows nothing amiss.

Help.

I'd Find those files which have changed since the day you started
having problems.

-- Franc Zabkar

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

I'd rather not have a corrupted OS, which is what the situation is,
but at this point, after having had the present installation for
quite a few years, and with typical user customizations or worse, a
reinstallation is not too bad an idea (been influenced by Mr. C.
Quirk, MVP on this, although I don't know where those passages are).
I'd bet most older WIN98 installations are likely corrupt, mine just
shows annoying visual evidence of it. But in any case I'm taking a
different tack than reinstallation. To take care of the "annoying
visual evidence" aspect of it, and also as it turns out, to pick up a
nice performance boost, I installed a piece of software that until
today I had forgotten I had - PowerDesk by the old Mijenix Co., which
(the old) OnTrack Co. threw in with their Fix-It 2000 Utility Suite,
which I bought in a different century. If you're not familiar with
it, the program is basically an enhanced replacement for Windows
Explorer, faster and with many more useful features.The Explorer
errors did not carry over to this installation. I don't want to put
down Microsoft because at the time they were plowing through virgin
soil, and under those circumstances basic primary decisions are not
always obvious, and in any case their parameters that went into
arriving at those decisions were obviously much greater than one end
user's. But in retrospect, it's a great idea to have a shell that,
when it goes bad, you just uninstall it, and reinstall it. No
detective work, no registry hacks, no DOS deletions, no posts of
quiet desperation to MVP's at 1:00 in the morning.

The media player icon problem is still there. I may give it a shot.

Speaking of quiet desperation, I'm off to check basement pump. Bad year to
be living in New England.

[snip]
.... no posts of
quiet desperation to MVP's at 1:00 in the morning.

The media player icon problem is still there. I may give it a shot.

Tweakui (i.e. Fix-It "WinCustomizer") took care of it.