desktop icons/shortcuts keep duplicating themselves

Hi all. This is my very first time I have been on ANY forum, and I hope I have posted this correctly! Every time I create a shortcut and send it to my desktop, two shortcuts are created!??? I have run various programes in search of a "gremlin" on my PC and nothing!! These are some of the programes I have used/have running:AVG Anti-Virus, Ad-aware, BHODemon, HijackThis, PestPatrol, reglite, Registry Mechanic, Sophos Anti-Virus, SpywareBlaster, xcleaner, The Cleaner. (Found some good advise on these programes on the forum!!) Thank you!!

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

I don't have any advice for that paticular problem but I don't want to take this time to welcome you to MG! I hope you have a great time here and continue to post. I hope this first experience with forums will be the best.

 

NEO stole my job -- but I'll give you a second welcome. You did a great job explaining yourself and posting all your computer specs.

Sorry though I can't help but this will "bump" your post back up to the top so someone will take notice of it (I started to post this asking you to tell us your computer specs....then I noticed that you had---oops)

 

@Halo

Don't drink coffee or soda (pop). Anyway, I tend to ignore what's under the line (signatures) because people like you put things there that make no sense.

Now back to the matter at hand. pcmum, give us some answers, we'll give you more questions

AND hopefully, some REAL answers.

 

Re: @Halo

What folder are you in when creating the shortcuts? Have you tried creating a shortcut on the desktop?...and will that appear twice as well or just once?

 

Does this still happen in safe mode?
Do you have more than one user account on your machine and if yes, does it happen in all accounts or just yours?

 

Re: @Halo

.

Hi all, thank you for such a warm welcome!!. Ken to answer your question:- I go to start bar and then click on programes and then click on whatever programe I would like to create a shortcut for. I right click, and select the option of send to desktop (create shortcut). On viewing my desktop there are two shortcuts displayed. I can detele one of them and when trying to delete the other one and error message comes up which says, "Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk". The same thing happens even it is a new programe, when asking if you want to create a shortcut to the desktop, two items are created. I have tried creating a shortcut on the desktop and same thing happens! It is driving me NUTS!!!!

 

pcmum, we need the answers to these questions please:

 

.

Started happening a few weeks ago. Whatever new software I had installed, I uninstalled and then ran full Antivirus(updated) and Spyware scans a few times and no little gremlins to be found (which is a good thing)! I am sure there is corruption somewhere, but where is the question???? Registry editing might be a good idea, but I would certainly need advice on how to go about doing that!

Cheers!!

 

Re: I know its not the lounge... so I'll leave it at this for now,

Hi all, slept in late......spent the night trying to sort out this problem but alas, no luck!! I am down under in Perth, Western Australia and gather when you guys are having fun on here, I am fast, fast asleep

 

I did a google search and came up with this link that may have possible solutions (in particular, look at Goddez1's response). Though the thread is for Windows 98, the reference for "c:\windows\all users" needs to be, for Windows 2000, "c:\documents and settings\all users". See if this helps. Some of the solutions involve the registry, so back this up first.

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=28108

 

Re: I know its not the lounge... so I'll leave it at this for now,

FYI - we have members from the UK and I know at least one other from Australia -- so you'll catch others here when you're "awake" and some of us aren't (though some of us don't sleep when we should either)

 

Hi Ken

Thank you so much. Checking out that link right now. Will let you know the outcome!!

Cheers!!

 

im feeling kind of ignored you have still not answered my original questions even after Alanc prompted you as well

 

My humble apologies!!! I have never been on ANY forum before (always a first time for everything) and am still working my way around how things work on here. Sorry. I know it sounds stupid but I was really quite shy to post my question.

In answer to your original question. I have never gone into safe mode and not sure how to!!!(feeling very stupid now!!!) I am the only user on my pc. I followed advice made by Ken's post and unfortunately I am still having the same problem. So any help would be most appreciated and I promise to reply to each post as soon as possible.

Right now in Perth it is 1.35pm on Sunday afternoon. I have a brother in Los Angeles and I know that I am 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles time. So unless I am on here very late at night, I get to read the posts the day after they are posted.

Once again thanks for all the support

 

Hi Ken

Tried out your suggestions. Thanks for that link. Checked it out and tried out Godezz1's tips, but alas, no luck!!!. Any other ideas???

 

Checking out your programmes, it's probably not a good idea to have two anti-virus programmes running at the same time. Or do you have one running and use the other for checks?

 

To boot into Safe mode, tap the F8 key repeatedly when booting starts and a boot menu will appear, choose Safe Mode.

 

I have one running and the other to use for checks.

 

Thanks for that alanc!!! From there how do I go into normal mode???

 

Just reboot and it will come up in normal mode.

 

Thanks!!!

 

Hi All

DESKTOP PROBLEM FIXED FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!

After spending days searching different forums/web searches I found a solution to my double shortcut problem.

Here are the links to these very helpful sites:

http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/duplicatedesktop.htm

http://www.wintrouble.net/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000189
(read the post by [font=Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif] pslh)

Thanks to all at Major Geeks for your support and help, and making my first experience with forums a good one! Much appreciated!!!!![/font][font=Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font]

 

Way to stick with it, and thanks for the report