When starting your computer you see error messages

When I start my computer, desktop notebook opens up with the following message:

[.ShellClassInfo]

LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21787

What does this mean and how do I stop desktop notebook from displaying this message every time I start my computer?

This question was answered on February 8, 2003. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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SYMPTOMS:

When you start the computer, Notepad starts and one or more text documents that contain the following lines appears on the Windows desktop:

[.ShellClassInfo]

LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21787

CAUSE:

This behavior may occur if the following conditions are true:

A Desktop.ini file exists in one or more of the following folders, where drive is the drive on which Windows is installed:

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu

-and-

The Desktop.ini file contains the following lines:

[.ShellClassInfo]

LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21787

RESOLUTION:

To resolve this behavior, use one of the following methods:

Method 1:

Delete the Desktop.ini File

Start Windows Explorer.

On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.

In the Advanced settings box, click to clear the Hide extensions for known file types check box and the Hide protected operating system files check box (if they are not already cleared), and then click OK.

Delete any occurrences of the Desktop.ini file that contains the lines described earlier in the "Symptoms" section of this article To do so:

Locate each of the following folders, right-click the Desktop.ini file (if the file exists in that folder), and then click Open:

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu

where drive is the drive on which Windows is installed.

Verify that the file contains the following lines:

[.ShellClassInfo]

LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21787

If the file contains these lines, right-click the file, click Delete, and then click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the deletion.

Restart your computer and verify that the issue is resolved.

Method 2:

Use the System Configuration Utility (Msconfig.exe) to Disable the Startup Item

Click Start, and then click Run.

In the Open box, type msconfig, and then click OK.

Click the Startup tab.

Click to clear the check box beside any desktop entries in the Startup Item column that are listed as Common Startup in the Location column, and are also located in any of the following locations (as indicated in the Command column):

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu

Click OK to quit the System Configuration Utility.

Restart your computer and verify that the issue is resolved.

About the author

Posted by Freddy of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on February 8, 2003

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