Duplicate Network Connection Icons in Win XP Home Control Panel

Have you opened both of them to see what they contain. If one doesnot have any icons inside it , try deleting it ..

Sunray

HI Again:

The icons are identical but when one right clicks on one of the Network Connection entries you get "Open, Explore, & Create Shortcut" but when one right clicks on the other Network Connection entry one gets only "Open & Create Shortcut". Executing both icons does take you to the correct Network Connections page, so it is just the duplicate entry I am trying to get rid of.

regards

DanJava

I have Spybot, Adware, SywareBlaster, and SpywareGuard on the system and it does not find any issues/problems.

Since both of them have got Create shortcut in their menu , neither one would be a shortcut .

and also machine wont allow to have shortcut of network connections in the control panel..

Let me research on this more and get back

Sunray

Hi Again:

Here is more info that may help. If I create desktop shortcuts of both Network Connection icons in the control panel, one icon does point to ncpa.cpl as the source of the icon itself, but the other points to netshell.dll as the source of the icon itself. Sounds like the icon coming from netshell.dll is the one I want to get rid of, but how do I do that?? There is not netshell.cpl or any other cpl file in /windows/system32 that matches the icon.

regards

DanJava

Sunray:

When you select create shortcut from the Icon in the Control Panel it puts it on the desktop.
Right clicking on the desktop shortcut and then selecting "change icon" points you to the source of the icon itself. In my case one points to NCPA.CPL which is good, and the other points to NETSHELL.DLL which is likely the duplicate I want to get rid of.

thanks

DanJava

This may not be the direct solution

Some 'Network and Dial-Up Connections' icons are missing or your receive a 'Make New Connection' error?
http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBG/TIP3100/rh3147.htm

But according to this I feel if you UNREGISTER netshell.dll , it might solve the second icon being appearing

Sunray

Sunray:

What is the proper command to unregister Netshell.dll??

regards

DanJava

go to start --> run --> type something like this   "Regsvr32  /u <path where netshell.dll is present>"

If this doesnot solve the issue , register it again like "Regsvr32 < path where netshell.dll is present>"

Sunray

Sunray:

Interesting. When I unregistered netshell.dll it turned one of the Network Connections Icons into a plain folder. I also tried re-registering netshell.dll, netcfgx.dll and netshell.dll as indicated in the jsinc.com link you provided me above. That resulted in the same two icons still being displayed. Could there be a registry entry that needs to be edited or deleted??

regards

DanJava

Did this suddenly happen one fine day. Do you remember installing any new software or application that might have caused this..

Also did you unregister netcfgx when you first unregistered netshell.dll..   Not sure why this could be happening ..

May be if you can do system restore of xp and see if the same one was there few days  back

Sunray

Sunray:

No its is not a new problem, it's been that way for a while.
Just been living with it for a long time. Decided to spend some time
fixing it today that's all. :-) It is actually my daughters computer who is
home from college on break.

I only unregistered netshell.dll but did re-register all three files. Does one have
to unregeister first before registering? I got successful messages on all three
files when I registered..

regards

DanJava

Sunray:

The items that get displayed in the control panel, are they only from .CPL files
located in the /windows/system32 folder? Is there another folder that the
control panel checks when it is initializing? How about the registry having some
screwy entry that is confusing the control panel??

regards

DanJava

search for control.ini

if you find one, open it in notepad, then scroll to the [MMCPL] section.

see what is listed there

see if you see netshell.dll or 2 ncpa.cpl files

if that's not it, then I'd agree that it's probably in the registry.

I don't have a WinXp machine in front of me or I'd find where in the registry the .cpl files are loaded from.  I have win2k and I know that it's different.

Mark

Mark:

I have a control.ini file but it is a 0 byte file. When I unregister netshell.dll, netcfgx.dll,
and netman.dll one of the two Network Icons becomes a folder, but neither icon functions.
Meaning when I double click on either "folder" network connections or the correct icon
network connections, nothing happens. So it is likely something to do with the registration of these three files and perhaps others.

How do I find out where in the registry the .cpl files are loaded in XP??

regards

DanJava

Mark:

The NCPA.CPL key shows up two different places in the registry.  

As a subkey in the Control Panel named "Don't Load" The entry has a data value of NO.
There are 5 locations of this entry. One in section HCU, and four in HU section.

There is one other place the ncpa.cpl shows up in my registry.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

The entry is

C:\windows\system32\ncpa.cpl    Reg_DWORD and data value of 3


MMCPL is a key in the registry but is empty.

Does this mean anything do you??

regards

DanJava

Mark:

Hi again. Got it. I compared all the keys I gave you above to another XP system of mine that
is working and found one place that the NCPA.CPL Don't Load entry was missing. WHen I
put it in, the double icons disappeared. problem solved. thanks a bunch.

regards

DanJava

Great!  I'm glad that you got that working!  Hope things keep working good for you!  Take care.

Mark

Hi

I am also having the same problem.Can u tell me how the problem got resolved since I do not have any other PC to compare the Registry entries as suggested.
Regards
Chari

Hi
Following are the five entries in my registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\don't load
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Control Panel\don't load
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Control Panel\don't load
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Control Panel\don't load

Any missing item !!
Chari

HKey_Current_User\Control Panel\Don't Load

Hi
Tks for the info.I need yr help further in adding the registry key under Don't Load key.If i opt for add key option then the new registry entry is created below Don't Load key.
How to add the above entry?
Regards
Chari

Hi
Thanks alot.Hurray.Could do it with yr help.
Thanks once again
Regards
Chari

Copy the below statement and paste it into a text file (notepad), then save the file with any name.  Then, rename the text file to .reg instead of .txt and then double click the file.  It will ask if you want to add it to the registry, say yes.  Then see if the problem is resolved.  Good luck.  Be sure to copy this whole thing, including "Windows Registry......".



Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\don't load]
"ncpa.cpl"="No"
"odbccp32.cpl"="No"

Hi
yks.As stated in my earlier posting,I could do it directly.Thanks for yr help
Regards
Chari