Open command no longer works for word or excell.

[Martha D]

Please help. I logged on today and my "open" command no longer works. I
click on it and the list of files appears. . . I click on a folder or
document and the hour glass pops up. .. and eventually the program is noted
as Not Responding. The only way to get out of the problem is to end the
program.

I have done this numerous times, have tried installing updates, have
rebooted computer repeatedly, but problem remains. I think - but am not
certain -- that the problem appeared after an automatic update done yesterday
(April 18).

Related note . following a previous update, the "close document" option on
my Word file list has disappeared. . . but I have been getting around it by
using the "X" close file feature. Could this be related. Please help.

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165 "Problems in Windows
Explorer or the Windows shell after you install security update
MS06-015".

 

[Martha D]

Garfield,

I did EXACTLY what the page you cited said to and nothing changed. What do
I do now? If there is no fix, is there a way to uninstall the secutiry
update that caused the problem in the first place?

Thanks in advance for any assistance anyone can provide.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Yes, uninstall the hotfix through Control Panel | Add/Remover Programs. In
Windows XP, there's a check box in the dialog to ensure that hotfixes are
listed.

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

Are you sure you followed the instructions correctly? The
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165 registry modification
works for most people, but a few users have reported that it does
not fix the problem for them. Two other workarounds are to either:
1. Rename the c:\windows\system32\VERCLSID.EXE file to
something like VERCLSID.OLD. This effectively disables the
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908531 (MS06-015) update, but
does not uninstall the update. Renaming the VERCLSID.EXE file
will leave your system unprotected against the issue described at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-015.mspx .
2. Uninstall the http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908531
(MS06-015) update from Start | Control Panel | Add or Remove
Programs. If automatic updates are enabled on your computer,
then the update may be reinstalled automatically. Uninstalling
the MS06-015 update will leave your system unprotected against
the issue described at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-015.mspx .