Open Dialog Box - Folders Won't Open

[Santara]

When I try to open a file in Word 2003, I can see the OPEN dialog
box, but when I try to open the folder that contains the document, the
program freezes up.

I cannot open a folder by any method. I can't double click, or right click,
or click the Open button. The whole program freezes and I have to use the
Task Pane to End the program.

I wonder if the root problem might be in the Windows program, since I can't
use the Folder Pane in Windows Explorer either.

When I open Windows Explorer and try to use the Folder Pane on the left side
of the screen, it shows the hourglass icon but never completes the task of
opening the list to show the available folders.

I can however use the right pane to open the folders.

Also, I find that I can't use the Address Line in Internet Explorer. I get
the same type of freeze problem I experience in Word.

What do you suggest to fix this problem?

Things I have already done prior to sending this message are:
1) Ran complete Norton Virus Scan
2) Cleaned out un-necessary files (Temp files, Internet files, Recycle Bin,
etc)
3) Defraged Hard Drive (Even though the system said I didn't need to)

Any help you can offer, I would appreciate.

Thank you!

Santara

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

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

 

[Santara]

Suzanne,

Thanks for the info. I had already located it after I posted, but I sure do
appreciate your input!

Hopefully Microsoft will send this fix out automatically, because the
average user is NOT going to be able to do this fix manually.

Santara

 

[Buckeye]

I want to thank Suzanne as well...I did all that Santara did...spent about 8
hours today trying to fix this...THANKS!

 

[Baraness]

Hi Suzanne- I am one of those "average" users mentioned by Santara. This
happened to my sister's computer a few days ago and mine today (after I
downloaded the updates). I've read the instructions to fix and they are
daunting - and I'm a relatively experienced user. Any chance that a fix to
this will be soon forthcoming and I don't have to start messing around in the
registry?

Thanks,

Elaine

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I believe someone has already provided a patch that will perform the
Registry edit. The link has been posted several times somewhere in this or
the .application.errors NG.

 

[Benjamin]

Hi. I have this issue, 2 computers worked with the registry edit methood. I
have another one that does not work. The difference I've noticed is when
going through the registry subkey, it does not have the cached folder (where
as the other two has and as specified by KB 908531.) I created the folder
Cached and added the d word and value. This did not fix the problem. Also, I
went to the add/remove, the patches are not listed there as they would in
other computers we have here.