Forgive me for "piling on" but the message board won't let me start a new
thread. My problems are similar but worse -- when the hyperlinks stop to
function, the ability to open Word or Excel documents via icon goes with it.
Here is a full recounting (below). The problem is intermittent but does seem
to happen after i come in and my computer has updated from Microsoft. It's
driving me crazy. I'm about to be forced to find alternatives to word and
excel because of the lost productivity of constantly having to open the
programs and browse to the documents and/or having to cut and paste
hyperlinks into IE. I am at my wits' end!!! (Post from another forum 12/12
below. I've since made other changes -- just to get it to work --
install/uninstall google desktop, back to using just Macafee,
install/uninstall mozilla. It's been broken for 3 days now and none of my
tricks work. Glarysoft says the registry is fine. I GIVE UP!!! PLEASE
HELP!!)
*****************
Problem with Default Programs & File Associations
by laurel - 12/12/07 11:59 AM
I have searched threads but can't find a situation like the one I'm
experiencing. It's driving me crazy and I hope you can help. The computer was
recently reformatted and everything reinstalled. This problem developed
almost immediately after programs were reloaded, but I was having some
similar trouble even before the reformat -- just not as continual.
System and program data:
AMD Dual Core 4200 Processor, 2 gigs high-speed ram, NVIDA video card, two
monitor array
XP Pro with SP2
IE7 (see below also IE6 and Firefox) Google toolbar installed
Office 2007 for Small Businesses ("my documents" reside on the D drive;
programs on the C drive)
Spyware Doctor with Antivirus (see below, also Avast) (Now Macafee)
Problems:
1. URL hyperlinks in Outlook 2007 will suddenly stop responding properly. If
the page does eventually open it's very slow. Sometimes, but not always,a bit
later an error of "general failure URL XXX, an error occurred sending the
command to the program" (not 100% positive of the exact language there).
Cutting and pasting the URL into an open IE browser window works fine and
rapidly.
2. When the URLs begin to act up, at the same time I lose the ability to
open any WORD and Excel documents by double-clicking the icons. I can open
WORD or Excel, browse for the document from within and it opens properly.
What I've tried:
1. Uninstalling IE7, running IE6, reinstalling IE7
2. Installing Firefox and also uninstalling Firefox
3. Office diagnostics (no problems reported).
4. Repairing Office
5. Created a "test" user to see if the user settings were somehow corrupted
(test user had same problems)
6. Control Panel/Add Remove/Set Defaults
7. File associations in Folder Options (unchecked DDE and rechecked -- made
no difference).
8. Easy Cleaner for registry problems.
9. Glarysoft for registry problems.
What happens when I try changing the web browser defaults and/or version:
1. The file associations and urls will begin to work properly. It will last
anywhere from 10 minutes to maybe a day or two. Then they revert to
erratic/nonfunctioning behavior until I try some or all of the above again.
2. Setting the defaults in the Control Panel only worked once. The rest of
the time, it goes nonresponsive when applying changes. (once I walked away
and it stayed with the hourglass overnight, totally nonresponsive)
3. Resetting IE to be the default browswer in the IE tools/internet options
will go nonresponsive as well.
4. If I install Firefox, make it the default, then uninstall it, that will
get everything working as a rule for a short period of time as well. When I
uninstall IE7 and roll back to IE6, it works for a bit and then reverts.
(neither of these tricks work anymore)
5. I thought it might be Spyware Doctor and popups somehow, so I uninstalled
it and installed Avast. Made no difference. (now using Macafee)
I am at a complete and total loss. All the file associations look
appropriate, the paths look correct. Restore points don't seem to affect the
problem. Please let me know if I have not provided complete information or
haven't been clear in the description. Thanks in advance for any assistance
you can give me!
