I recently installed Windows XP Professional on my home built
computer,and have some issues regarding opening(running)Windows
XP Professional desktop icons.Everytime I right click on a desktop icon,I get"Pin to the Start Menu" option where the "Open" option normally resides(?!).
When I left-click on any of the desktop items that are "pinned" to the start menu,however,the program opens!!
I was wondering if anyone here knows a regedit that could possibly restore(or create) the right-click "Open" option in Windows XP Professional???

Go to Start/Run and type in:

regsvr32 /i shell32

Click OK.

Restart your computer.

Hello Jephree,
I tried running "regsv" from the Run box,and the result was the
dllregisterserver and dllinstall succeeded.After rebooting into Windows,however,I attempted to right-click on Adobe Reader dektop icon,and still only have "pin to start menu","Move to Folder",and"Send to" options avallable!!
Is there any system utility software you might recommend to fix this minor,yet frustrating problem??

I am tired of having to go to the Start menu to launch any of the desktop shortcuts!!!

Did you create your own account or are you running as the "built-in" administrator?

If you created your own account (as you should have) try logging into the "built-in" administrator account.

To do this hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete (sometimes this needs to be done twice) at the Welcome screen.

See if that account behaves differently.


Alternately you can try to create a new admin account. You should have at least two in case one ever gets corrupted.

I just checked my user account settings,and found that there is only one user account:my account as "Computer Administrator."
Is it possible to "create" another administrator account-you say that one can in your reply- on the same computer?

Otherwise,I might try google to find any tips regarding the missing "open/search"
option of the desktop shortcuts.

There are some specifics-software- of my system I neglected to bmention in
my prevoius reply;a couple of days after my WindowsXP Professional installation,I found that my system was infected by:Winable.exe,AntiVirGear adware, and some Trojans(ther exact name excapes me).
I was directed by another forum to download Combofix,SDfix,and SuperAntiSpyware to remedy my sytem frequent crashing,freezing apps,etc.
I found that Combofix did remedy the Virus/Trojan problem,but it had also changed my Date/Time format!!??!!
Maybe this "fix" might have changed the right-click functionality of the desktop program shortcuts????

In general when installing XP one creates their own administrator account.

Thus leaving the "built-in" account in a never used condition for back up and emergency purposes.

You can create as many user accounts as you like. They can be either Administrator or limited. The number of either is limitless.

Malware and viruses often affect these "little" settings. I have searched Google as that is what I do here for most problems that are unfamiliar to me. I found nothing. Yet.

You might try to run the System File Checker:

Go to start Run... and copy paste this line:

sfc /scannow

You will most likely be told to insert your XP CD.

Hello Jephree,
I was thinking about using Windows XP's-also,Windows NT5/2000-
built in system file checker command;I will try that next
since I have the Windows XP Professional cd available.
Thanks for the reply!!

This is an update regarding my battle with malware,trojans,and the missing
"Open/Run as" right-click dialogue for the desktop shortcuts;I just found out today that I have the "lanmanwrk.exe" rootkit trojan/virus on my computer,so
I have postponed using the system file checker feature of Windows Xp until this infection has been eradicated by running the newly installed Super Anti Spyware program!!