Can't delete 2 shortcuts - Explorer crashes

Margaret · 1 Apr 2008 at 11:01

Everytim I try to delete the CoD4/UT3 shortcuts it just crashes, I've tried going through All Programs and deleting them there but they aren't there to delete.

Any ideas? Little thing I know but I don't understand why they won't go away?

Edit: Ignore the IE icon, that's just for certain Pr0n sites that don't play nice with Firefox.

UKDTweak · 1 Apr 2008 at 11:02

Try deleting them via a DOS command prompt.

Margaret · 1 Apr 2008 at 11:07

UKDTweak said:
Try deleting them via a DOS command prompt.

Not sure how I'd go around doing that though, I assume I need the path of the files?

I can't actually right click them at all, as soon as I right click explorer locks up so I can't see the path.

UKDTweak · 1 Apr 2008 at 11:17

Afraid i dont know Vista well enough for the paths, but if its at all like XP it will be in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs Something like that ?

Just open a command prompt and type CD C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs, then run DIR /w/p for a dir listing and find the files Full name... etc...

Margaret · 1 Apr 2008 at 11:20

UKDTweak said:
Afraid i dont know Vista well enough for the paths, but if its at all like XP it will be in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs Something like that ?

Just open a command prompt and type CD C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs, then run DIR /w/p for a dir listing and find the files Full name... etc...

Cheers just tried that, however the shortcuts still don't show up in the command prompt listing, but are still in the start menu.

this_is_gav · 1 Apr 2008 at 12:31

Alternative location is C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Start Menu\Programs in XP (in Vista it's C:\Users\[...])

Failing that, try doing a search (include hidden and non-indexed locations to be safe) for Unreal Tournament 3.lnk and CoD4 MP.lnk, see where they are (just to make sure you're not deleting something you don't want to be) and then remove them.

There's clearly a larger problem though. Why is it crashing when trying to remove a shortcut?

Margaret · 1 Apr 2008 at 13:09

this_is_gav said:
Alternative location is C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Start Menu\Programs in XP (in Vista it's C:\Users\[...])

Failing that, try doing a search (include hidden and non-indexed locations to be safe) for Unreal Tournament 3.lnk and CoD4 MP.lnk, see where they are (just to make sure you're not deleting something you don't want to be) and then remove them.

There's clearly a larger problem though. Why is it crashing when trying to remove a shortcut?

Search is showing up nothing.

Not sure why the hell explorer is crashing, nothing else plays up on my computer except this!

Shep_Cobain · 1 Apr 2008 at 13:15

hiya Jihad, i have this problem on Vista all the time.

I take it you have uninstalled the games and the shortcuts are still there?

if that is the case then my way around it is as follows:

Just right click on the shortcut (this is the point where explorer crashes) leave it approx 1 minute and then it responds.... then choose delete and it will be gone.

With my PC being so fast i used to get frustrated when this would happen and not understand why. One day i went to try and delete the shortcuts again but my mobile phone rang mid way.... i left my pc and didnt click or anything. After my phone call it showed the right Click menu and i chose delete. Successfully i deleted the shortcuts and windows didnt have any errors

Hope this helps.

Mikoyan · 1 Apr 2008 at 13:53

installing sp1 for vista sorted this issue for me

Margaret · 3 Apr 2008 at 01:01

Mikoyan said:
installing sp1 for vista sorted this issue for me

Installed that when it came out.

Shep_Cobain said:
hiya Jihad, i have this problem on Vista all the time.

I take it you have uninstalled the games and the shortcuts are still there?

if that is the case then my way around it is as follows:

Just right click on the shortcut (this is the point where explorer crashes) leave it approx 1 minute and then it responds.... then choose delete and it will be gone.

With my PC being so fast i used to get frustrated when this would happen and not understand why. One day i went to try and delete the shortcuts again but my mobile phone rang mid way.... i left my pc and didnt click or anything. After my phone call it showed the right Click menu and i chose delete. Successfully i deleted the shortcuts and windows didnt have any errors

Hope this helps.

That worked haha thanks!