I need assistance

Norton was harassing me over CPU usage, so I went into msconfig to turn off some startup programs. My actions were limited to the services and startup tabs. Ever since, I'm not allowed to customize individual folder views. It's all tiled or all something else. Not this folder tiled and the subfolder viewed as an album. It's not related to the box where you check to remember individual folder settings. I tried a regedit tip I found while searching to increase the number of folders you could customize from XP's standard 400 to 8000 (I'm conservative, so 2000 in my case), but that didn't change anything.

My desktop icons also revert to the top-left position anytime I apply a setting to anything or restart my PC. And whenever I go back to msconfig to see what I might have messed up, it won't treat me as an administrator if I attempt a change. If I don't return it to 'Normal Startup' in the general tab, it reminds me to whenever I load Windows.

Another thing I only just noticed is that I can no longer change the association of a file type by right-clicking, and going to properties. Like, if I were to change a .jpg from being associated with a specific image program to another. If the programs have specific icons it wouldn't change from one to the next, even if it acknowledges that I associated it with the other program.

I guess it's not a major problem. But I definitely wanna know what I did, because I like making and using covers for folders. And it might become a bigger problem. I'm still using XP Pro. I thought about reloading the disc, only to be reminded by my brother that he lost the sleeve that had the product key on it, and this is a different PC that my grandpa gave me, so I don't know whether or not I can use my XP Pro disc with the product key and activation code that are on the sticker on the side of it. I have no idea how that all works.

So, yeah. I wasn't lazy about this. I searched around for days, but I would only ever find fixes for one of the problems that I was experiencing, and they never worked in my instance because the the problems seem to be related.

 

No luck. I went the administrative tools-services route and tried enabling everything individually, and then together, but I didn't notice much change after restarting, so I used the default. reg provided at the link you posted to return everything to normal. I tried a system restore to a point a few days before the problem started, and it told me that no changes had been made and abandoned it.

 

Do you have a viable System Restore point from before you made any changes?

 

11:29:20 AM System Checkpoint.

This is the earliest point that I have now, and the one I attempted to go back to when it told me that no major changes had occurred.

Monday March 04 2013
11:50:35 PM Removed ViewNX 2.
11:49:03 PM Removed Nikon Message Center 2.
11:33:14 PM Removed Print Creations.
11:32:29 PM Removed Panorama Maker.
5:52:36 PM System Checkpoint.

I believe this was the point when my issues began, so I searched around for a few days before ultimately coming to bother you guys. None of those programs seemed very important, so I wasn't sure if uninstalling them might have played a part. I was wondering why it wouldn't let me check the calender prior to March 1st. I've never had to use System Restore before, but I have it set to 12%, so I figured I'd be picking from a wider range of points, but it appears to reset each month? I'll try restoring to the earliest point on the 3rd.

 

I'm an idiot. If the March 1st restore point couldn't be used because of no major changes, March 3rd couldn't either. Perhaps the restore points don't begin earlier because I deleted the user name that I used from earlier? I think I'm wasting your time here over something that's just a minor inconvenience.

 

Yes, deleting the user account will eliminate restore points.

To be honest, I do have a vendetta of sorts with Norton. Also Webroot, and McAfee. I have cleaned up after those programs more times than I have the "Geek Squad", and I honestly steer people clear of said software suites.

If you have completely lost your administrator priveleges, that will be a problem.