Shortcuts stop responding...

[mattlander09]

Hi there:

I realize the good thing to do would be to post the computer specs, but I've decided not to, because I am 99.99% sure this is not a hardware or a software problem (except for the two I will mention later).

Now, quite a few months ago I installed Adobe Acrobat onto my Vista Home Premium and, as expected, a shortcut popped up in the Start Menu. Naturally I used this shortcut to access Acrobat - that is to say, I don't click all the way to Program Files just to access Acrobat.

Suddenly, after installing some perfectly legit softwares (Perfect Disk 10, Uniblue), the shortcut stops working. As in, when I click on the shortcut, the computer doesn't respond. The program's processes don't even open. I used Uniblue's Computer Optimizer, though, but I seriously doubt there are compatability issues between two widely used softwares.

So far, I realized that the shortcuts whose "Target" area I can't modify, whose "Target" area is completely nonspecific and only says the name of the program, so,

Instead of,
"...\Microsoft Office\...Blah...\word.exe",

It would say,
"Microsoft Word"

Incidentally, none of the Microsoft products work.

Help? Maybe?

BTW, shortcuts that ARE specific, like references directly to Fallout3.exe instead of the program, Fallout 3, do still work.

Though the shortcuts may not work, the respective programs still do open but only when the .exe is selected directly or through a user created shortcut.

Thanks in advance.

[Aegis]

You might try uninstalling the two programs.  Specifically, try uninstalling the Uniblue offering, and see how the computer acts once you do that.

Coincidence is not impossible, of course, but the fact that the computer started responding differently once these two applications were installed makes me think at least one of them is at fault.

Many people on the forum do not hold "optimization" software in high regard.  They will tell you that it can often cause more problems than it solves.

Since I have no direct experience with either application, you are welcome to see what other responses you receive before you take an action.

[mattlander09]

I'm no computer expert, and my computer knowledge is just basically offhand and unprofessional, but I would dare to suggest (naively) that, given the nature of the problem (and how it affects all nonspecific shortcuts, whether installed after or before either of the two problems), the problem itself is a process or a service (or a lack thereof).

So, though I will follow Aegis' advice and uninstall the software (and first undo the setting changes I have made), I think there's a service that helps the computer relate the program name to the .exe location.

With no disrespect to the real experts . After all, I don't argue with my doctor.

[smeezekitty]

i never trust Uniblue
uninstall asap your problem may go away by itself

[mattlander09]

Nope, didn't work. 

[smeezekitty]

click the start button
click default programs
click accosiate a filetype or protical with a program button
it may take some time
without changing any setting
scroll the box
and look for an entry that starts with .lnk
now on the far right side of that entry it should say unknown application
if it doesnt post back what it says

[mattlander09]

It says "ContextMenu". Oops. Should I change it? How do I change it?

[smeezekitty]

does it say
.lnk Shortcut ContextMenu?
if thats the case do you have a recent registrey backup?
if not and you have a restore point soon before this started
try system restore (usuly i dont sugjest it but it sounds like a registrey problem)

[mattlander09]

Uhh... no backup or restores. I made the dumb mistake of cleaning out the computer after the problem.

[mattlander09]

I've set the association back to Unknown App for .lnk but the things still don't work. Meeehhhh.