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Does the key combination Windows-D still work to show it?

Damifino... my keyboard dates back to Windows 3.0 (It's a Gateway 2000 "Anykey") and it doesn't have one of those fancy-schmancy Windows keys.



tanstaafl.

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Microsoft's knowledge base has a routine for re-creating the Show Desktop icon that writes the following to the "C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\QuickLaunch" directory:

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Sorry if you already tried this!

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doesn't have one of those fancy-schmancy Windows keys.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile]
"NeverShowExt"=""
@="Windows Explorer Command"
"InfoTip"="prop:DocComments"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\CLSID]
@="{57651662-CE3E-11D0-8D77-00C04FC99D61}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\command]
@="explorer.exe"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[ShellFile(\"%1\",\"%1\",%S)]"
"NoActivateHandler"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\ddeexec\Application]
@="Folders"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shell\open\ddeexec\Topic]
@="AppProperties"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SHCmdFile\shellex\IconHandler]
@="{57651662-CE3E-11D0-8D77-00C04FC99D61}"

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it should look like the following:

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If that looks okay then copy/pasting the following into a .reg file and double-clicking

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It could be that your Windows is hiding file extensions and you created somefile.reg.txt?

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I like Windows-D better as hitting it again puts things back.

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Perhaps the file asociation for .scf files is broken.

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It could be that your Windows is hiding file extensions and you created somefile.reg.txt?

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More than that, I think the file association for many files types somehow got broken on that machine.

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There should be a button that says "Restore". Click it.

I can find no such button.

tanstaafl.

Quote:

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There should be a button that says "Restore". Click it.

I can find no such button.

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If it's non-standard, the "Advanced" button changes to "Restore". If the "Restore" button is not there, it's already set to the default.

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using TweakUI and fixing your default associations.

I remember reading that, and then it slipped my mind.

I'll try that tonight. Thanks for the reminder.

tanstaafl.

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Somewhere up above, someone suggested using TweakUI and fixing your default associations. I think it was a good suggestion. Have you tried that yet?

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pick regedit from the list (or browse...)

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I don't know what program to use for the *.reg file association.

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but don't see where it can correct/repair file associations.

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1. Access the TweakUI Control Panel applet (if you do not have it installed, read the tip elsewhere in MalekTips).
2. On the multi-tabbed dialog box that appears, click on the "Repair" tab (you may need to click on the arrows next to the tabs to cycle through the tabbed windows).
3. Click on the pulldown arrow and choose "Repair Associations."
4. Now, click "Repair Now."
5. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

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From there: File -> Import... and browse to the *.reg file you want to import.

Oh.

Now that makes me feel like a doofus. I should have been smart enough to think of that. I'll give it a try when I get home tonight.

tanstaafl.

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But my worry is that the thing that's broken is the association for .SCF files, and that's why the microsoft KB fix isn't working for him.

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But what IS a file association other than a couple of lines in the Windows Registry?

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Could the problem lie within IE?

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Yes, that's exactly the procedure he was trying to follow. It did not work, because the SCF file isn't being treated like an executable script.

At first we thought it was because the file association for SCF was messed up, but doug says the registry is correct for SCF file associations.

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Here is a collection of *.reg files. The *.scf is more complete than the one I posted further up. Amongst them there's also one for *.reg association.

Yes, indeed!

The *.scf fixer worked! So, Tony was right all along.

The *reg fixer did not work, but Schido's suggestion of just forcing regedit.exe as the default program for all files of type *.reg did work. I would have done that from the beginning but I just didn't know if regedit.exe was indeed the correct program.

So, problem(s) solved, and all is right with the world. Thanks to all, especially AndrewT, Tony, and Schido for the help. I learned a lot from this experience. Unfortunately at my advanced age, by this time tomorrow I'll probably have forgotten it all.

tanstaafl.

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I wonder which others are messed up.

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I don't think he's got a problem with installing TweakUI, I think where his problem lies is finding the option to repair default file associations buried in the extensive TweakUI property screens.

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I don't think he's got a problem with installing TweakUI, I think where his problem lies is finding the option to repair default file associations buried in the extensive TweakUI property screens.

I really need to read slower, I feel like an 1d10t.