I recently upgraded to Windows XP Home Edition from Windows ME. I can no longer delete desktop shortcuts. It gives me an Explorer error and asks if I want to send the report. Right click and delete doesn't work. Left click and delete key doesn't work. Getting them deleted is one issue, but I also want to correct the problem. Thanks.

It helps to know what error messages say. What you see on your Desktop comes from two places: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop and C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop Where username denotes your User Account configured on the computer. -------------- Are you logged on as an Administrator ?? Watch for help from others.

I am submitting my query from another location, but I believe it merely said something like "there was a problem with Explorer and it must now close". I remember getting a similar message using IE on ME. There was nothing useful that I can recall, just generic. The good thing is that XP allows me to send the report while IE would just stop responding on ME, forcing me to cancel the program. I read that you can set XP to receive information from Microsoft if there is already a solution to the error being reported, which I have done. Yes, I am logged on as the administrator. BTW, I forgot to mention that I also cannot right click at all on My Computer when I need to access the Device Manager. Perhaps it is the same problem. Thanks.

...and also, I generally can't even right click to copy or delete a file in a folder. I've learned that I can drag a file or a shortcut to the recycle bin. I will have to always drag files, not always convenient, when I want to copy them to another folder or to the Internet. Overall, though, XP does give me less problems than ME. It's just that it added this new error.

I updated my mouse, monitor, and video drivers with no effect. Any right clicks on the desktop and start menu and in Windows Explorer cause the Windows Explorer error. I can usually right click on an e-mail attachment, though. I keep sending the error report in hopes that a solution will be found by Microsoft. Yeah, I know, don't hold my breath.

Microsoft wouldn't help me unless I first loaded XP on a clean install. After this long process, this right click problem has gone away. Everybody says to never upgrade, to clean install instead. They seem to be right. Microsoft should tell people right up front to clean install instead of upgrading, but they don't recommend that until after you have wasted time on the upgrade first. I was, however, impressed with the attentiveness of the free microsoft technician. He even sent me a free Win98 CD for proof of ownership since I don't have a regular ME CD because my machine was preloaded. Everybody I know around here is in the same boat. As it turned out, however, XP never asked for a CD. Beats me.