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Internet Shortcuts on XP Desktop Do Not Work

I have reloaded a computer and put XP Professional on it. Installed all updates. Installed Symantec Endpoint protection. Computer runs great except for Shortcuts to the internet do not work (double click on the icon and nothing happens).
It has IE8 on it. I have tried resetting internet settings. I have installed firefox and tried making it
the default browser. Made IE8 the default browser. I found a registry fix for it and ran it, but that didn't work. I have tweaked the File Type settings. Found this on another site (see code snippet).
That would let me open a browser window but it would be blank.  When I right click on the shortcut and look at properties, there is no url listed, just the name of the site.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!!!
- Find in list of "Registered file types:" (NONE) Internet Shortcut
- Click on it once to highlight it, & click on the " Advanced" button ("Edit File Type" window will open)
- Find in list of "Actions:" this " open", & double click on it ("Editing action for ..." window will open)
- Double click on " Browser" button & find your fav browser .exe file in list of "Look in:"
(C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe or C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe)
- Click on .exe file once to highlight it & click on the " Open" button ("Open With" window will close)
- Click on " OK" button ("Editing action ..." window will close)
- Click on " OK" button ("Edit File Type" window will close)

- Find in list of "Registered file types:" (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol
- Click on it once to highlight it, & click on the " Advanced" button ("Edit File Type" window will open)
- Find in list of "Actions:" this " open", & double click on it ("Editing action for ..." window will open)
- Double click on " Browser" button & find your fav browser .exe file in list of "Look in:"
(C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe or C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe)
- Click on .exe file once to highlight it & click on the " Open" button ("Open With" window will close)
- Click on " OK" button ("Editing action ..." window will close)
- Click on " OK" button ("Edit File Type" window will close)

- Click on " OK" button ("Folder Options" window will close)

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Avatar of Bryon H
Bryon H
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save this to a file, and run it to restore .LNK shortcuts if that's what you mean
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/linkfilerestore.reg

extract and run the REG file from this to fix URL shortcuts:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/xp_url_shortcut_fix.zip

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vertsyeux

You can create a URL shortcut by dragging the icon that appears to the left of the address window to the desktop. If that doesn't work, create a shortcut to the browser's executable (in a subdirectoryof "Program Files" - eg. IEXPLORE.EXE or FIREFOX.EXE) and add the URL as a parameter at the end - when you run the shortcut the browser will open on that page.. Hope that helps..
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Wolfhere
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Does Firefox work? I would disable Symantec while troubleshooting just to make sure that it's not affecting anything.

You can directly open IE8 here C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore,exe
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ASKER

Internet Explorer and Firefox both run fine. However, an internet shortcut on the desktop will not do anything. It's like there is no program associated with the shortcut. They have blank windows default icons.
When you right click on the icon and choose properties, there is no url info, just the site name.


Larry
Larry, if you can create a shortcut to the program (by right-dragging executable to desktop and selecting create shortcut here), does that open the browser. If so, you can add the URL after the path to the browser executable in the target field and it will open on that page.
this will fix your blank icon and non functioning shortcuts:

save this to a file, and run it to restore .LNK shortcuts if that's what you mean
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/linkfilerestore.reg

extract and run the REG file from this to fix URL shortcuts:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/xp_url_shortcut_fix.zip

bryon,
I tried both and they did not fix my issue.

Thanks!
Why don't create a shorcut to the location of ie.
Got to > C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
Right Click > Send to > Desktop (Create Shortcut)
That fixed it! Thanks so much!
I appreciate everyone else's input as well!!!