Can't rename anything on the desktop!

[hkb]

Hi.

My OS is XP pro. Everythings stable but out of the clear blue I can't rename ANYTHING my desktop unless I:
a. drag it in another window (folder in explorer) or
b. right click it's properties and rename it at the top of the properties box.

The rt. clk rename won't do it, the ol' clk..clk won't either. AND before the cavalry comes (I HOPE!), I have full permitions, in every nook and cranny. ... ... Also, there is no system restore to that point where it was working ( or images). Any tweaks (reg type) I use were in place way before this happened.

I am thinking it's a missing reg entry or something to do with whatever controls that specific task in the OS... There isn't a restore from that time because the drive changed to ntfs and the system monitoring was on 3 drives where now it's only on C:..

And you read the Topic and thought it was gona be easy.
This has to be the most unknown function of the OS and it stares us in the face always.

Have years under my belt and do better helping others. I'm stuck.

Thanks,
Keith

[asklepios]

try this out...
open regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es

look for the keys Mouclass and mouhid. Now check all the values that are there in it. Write them on a paper if possible and now compare them with the same kinda keys in ControlSet001 and ControlSet003. Look for any changes, especially regarding ControlSet001. Make the key values of CurrentControlSet similar to that of ControlSet001. Its like turning everything to default.

BEWARE:- Either export the registry before making any changes or jot down the changes that u r making to undo if something goes wrong.

[hkb]

Before I go any further, of the 8 subkeys for both mouhid (incl. default) and Mouclass for CurrentControlSet and CurrentControlSet001 is the key 'ImagePath'. The first is a binary entry and 001 is a StringValue giving the files location, ie System32\DRIVERS\mouhid.sys or mouclass.sys

Before I make the change which is correct? I also have to check CurrentControlSet002 and 003.

You hit on something real interesting. At one time I used SystemMechanic to adjust those connection tweaks. I noticed EVERY other program was mis-reading data, so I thought. They were using binary data for a key while EVERY other inf tweak or software was using a StringValue. A year later I told them again and they caught it. I sent them the key they were inputting as binary and showed them what the other people used. That simple thing caused so much comfusion. The only program that read the keys correctly was SystemMechanic, the culprit.

I telling you this cause you just made me spot the same error. Please tell me which is correct, binary data for that subkey or the StringValue with the path. What do you have?

I just checked 001, 002 and 003 plus the original CurrentControlSet key. They are all identical except for CurrentControlSet, it's ImagePath is BINARY (hex). So what do you think? Change the oddball CurrentControlSet > ImagePath key to a string value or change the other 3 to dword values?

I'm backed up with an image and and full registry backups also. And thanks for the excellent thought.

Keith

[hkb]

Key I was speaking of fixed' itself before I could. Strange but true. I have compared all 4 CurrentControlSets, the mouhid.sys and mouclass.sys entries and they are all identical.

The problem exists still. If the current state of the O.S. wasn't so stable and hot, I would have done a repair install to see if the problem resides within the O.S. or a driver problem. I use an ATI9700 and it's speed and refresh are almost unbelievable on this machine. I thought that could be it as the desktop does seem to refresh at subsonic speed.

I just dunno:confused: This really seems to be something (this part of XP) that no one has much, if any idea as to it's internal workings. Amy idea's are welcome PLEASE. Just don't mention the obvious such as permissions and things of that nature unless there is something that most are blind to (me included).

Thanks all,
Keith