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To put it bluntly ... Microsoft messed up.

I've gotten a flurry of reports of this behavior ... all starting on 4/15. Right after Windows automated update.

Microsoft acknowledges that there's an issue, and I believe that this is the issue causing your behaviour. It affects more than just IE - but also places some of the blame on some third party software.

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First, here's the Knowledgebase article that applies: Problems in Windows Explorer or the Windows shell after you install security update MS06-015.

I first learned of the problem as a Microsoft Office issue, where people are unable to open files in "My Documents". The Knowledgebase article actually includes several symptoms:

• Unable to access special folders like "My Documents" or "My Pictures".

• Microsoft Office applications may stop responding when you attempt to save or open Office files in the "My Documents" folder.

• Office files in the "My Documents" folder are not able to open in Microsoft Office.

• Opening a file through an application's File / Open menu causes the program to stop responding .

• Typing an address into Internet Explorer's address bar has no effect.

• Right-clicking on a file and selecting Send To has no effect.

• Clicking on the plus (+) sign beside a folder in Windows Explorer has no effect.

• Some third-party applications stop responding when opening or saving data in the "My Documents" folder.

Not everyone is seeing the problem. One of two additional factors apparently need to be present: Hewlett-Packard's "Share-to-Web" software, or Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall. While I do run HP software and use an HP printer, I'm not seeing an issue. However apparently many users are seeing it.

The Knowledgebase article does include a workaround - but it involves a registry addition. A fairly obscure registry setting at that.

NOTE: the following is provided without warrantee, and should be used at your own risk. As always, be wary of anything you download from the internet, even from me. Backup first, backup often.

That disclaimer out of the way, I'd also recommend that if you can, just live with the behavior. I'd guess that the next round of updates will fix it.

But, if you need the fix now, here is a ".reg" file that will install that registry setting for you: 918165.reg. Right click it, save it to disk. Then, in windows explorer, double click on the downloaded file allow it to execute, and the setting as described in the Microsoft article will be added to your registry. (Why Microsoft doesn't provide this is beyond me.)

The registry setting apparently only deals with the HP software issue. Folks using Kerio firewall are instructed in the Knowledgebase article to make a configuration change to it.

For those who'd care, the contents of the .reg file is:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Cached]
"{A4DF5659-0801-4A60-9607-1C48695EFDA9} {000214E6-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} 0x401"=dword:00000001

(There may be some line wrapping, but it's 4 lines, total.)

I know a lot of people will start to worry about automatic updates breaking their system in the future. Obviously it can happen. However my opinion is that the benefit still far outweighs the risk. I'm leaving it on.

Related:

• Ask Leo! - Are automatic updates a good thing?

• Ask Leo! - How do I make sure that Windows is up-to-date?

Article C2625 - April 18, 2006