jv16 can disable certain start menu functions

mauricev

I have three systems where after running the fix and rebooting certain, certain start menu functions are no longer working. It seems to particularly affect W2KSP4 systems, but I also have one XP SP3 system affected.

In most cases, the dialog exclaiming

"The file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel."

is presented on running:

1) accessing network share via the Run menu.

2) Control Panel in the Start Menu

3) Network Connections in the Start Menu

4) Printers and Faxes in the Start Menu (complains, but does launch)

5) Documents in the Start Menu

Has anyone else ran into this?

jv16

What exactly did you before the problem started and under what settings? Did you allow PowerTools to create backups before and have you tried to restore these backups?

mauricev

On W2K system, I emptied all the temp directories I could find. Then I ran jv. It took a long time to run and found close to 5000 items. I did do a backup, but I don't think I immediately noticed the problem. I certainly installed stuff ex post facto. The question if I restored would that undo the changes I've made since, namely, the registration of the new stuff?

The XP system was similar except here I did way more; I upgraded from SP2 to SP3.

There are two affected systems, not three :

mauri

Hello, mauricev,

I had a similar issue, but it is quite vague as to what actually happened, I did'nt notice anything wrong 'til later on.

However, here is the fix to that issue http://www.dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/folder_reg.zip

'Hope that helps,

Mauri.

sybrandus

I had the same issue but I have no idea what actually caused it or even if it was connected to anything I did in JV16 as I had made a lot of changes by the time I noticed it. I did some research and realized that the problem was connected with shortcuts to .CPL files. I could open the cpl files directly but not with shortcuts. I even made some shortcuts to the desktop and had the same problem. I also originally thought it was connected to a folder association but the doug knox fix didn't work. I also fixed my "lnk" association from the same site also without any effect. Finally, after spending most of a day trying to research and fix it, had to do a restore (actually 3 of them leading to using the earliest restore point I had) and it was fixed.

I did install google chrome and Avira before the problem appeared and removed (carefully) some old program remnants but don't know if any of these could be connected.

brainstorm45

Thank you Mauri. I was having the same problem with disabled start menu functions ,and some of my shortcuts not working, but the fix you suggested worked like a charm.All is well again .

mauricev

Thank you I ran it on both systems and it worked.

Incidentally, this is what jv16 is inappropriately deleting


@=hex(2),00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
  65,00,20,00,2f,00,65,00,2c,00,2f,00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,\

00,25,00,49,00,2c,00,25,00,4c,00,00,00

Anyway, this looks like a major bug in jv16, though it has affected only about 10% of the systems I've run it on.

parkd1

This should be added to jv 2010 so this does not happen again.

jv16

parkd1 wrote
This should be added to jv 2010 so this does not happen again.

This issue has now been fixed, thank you all who reported the problem!

Not only is the issue fixed, PowerTools 2010 will contain an additional fail-safe system called System Recovery. When you install PowerTools 2010 it will automatically create a backup of many critical sections of the registry, such as file type definions such as these. You can use the Backup Tool's Tools menu to restore these backups, or import the .reg file back manually.

I will report more about this new feature on my PT 2010 development blog later today.

parkd1

The program keep getting better and better plus safer at the same time. Thanks for such a great program.

jv16

I have just sent a newsletter about the issue and posted information about the problem to our website as well.

How to avoid the problem:

Write "\folder\" and "\drive\" (Without the ""s) under the Ignore Words tab of the Registry Cleaner window.

roberta

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tullik

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jv16

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jv16

roberta wrote
jv16 wroteI have just sent a newsletter about the issue and posted information about the problem to our website as well.

How to avoid the problem:

Write "\folder\" and "\drive\" (Without the ""s) under the Ignore Words tab of the Registry Cleaner window.

Hi Jv16,

The eMail I received is quite useless:

Fixed and resent.

jv16

I have now fully analyzed the issue and the reason this issue got through all the safety mechanisms of PowerTools (including the Safety Net) was simply because the problem affected a registry key that was not pre-defined in PowerTools as a critical system key.

This issue is naturally now fixed in multiple different layers so anything similar wouldn't ever occur again.

roberta

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roberta

jv16 wrote
I have now fully analyzed the issue and the reason this issue got through all the safety mechanisms of PowerTools (including the Safety Net) was simply because the problem affected a registry key that was not pre-defined in PowerTools as a critical system key.

This issue is naturally now fixed in multiple different layers so anything similar wouldn't ever occur again.

Please issue a new fixed 2009 build.....

Best regards,

Roberta

jv16

roberta wrote

Unfortunately your reticence to release a new 2009 build correcting this issue will Not inspire any confidence from your users....,

..as this IS a Very serious issue to those affected, & You Are setting a Very alarming precedent.....

Lets look at the facts:

1. The problem does not occur in all systems, in fact it only affects very, very few systems.

2. There is a simple way to avoid the problem.

3. There is a simple way to undo the damage if your system does get affected by the problem.

An updated version of PowerTools 2009 will be released with this issue fixed in a case the problem is more common than what it now seems, that is, if we get more reports of the problem occurring.

dinny

I dont know if I have the same problem, but when I ran 2009 V590 I had problems with one or

two programs not working.

I have had to go back to V2008 and I dont get those problems now.