Win Explorer won't start from menu; proxy desktop won't close

[Michael]

Win Explorer won't start from menu.
proxy desktop won't close.

These two problems seem related (because they only occur
together).

I'm running Windows XP Pro SP1.

I can always open Windows Explorer without problems by
right-clicking on the desktop My Computer icon, then
clicking Open or Explore.

For the last few months, I've NEVER been able to open
Windows Explorer using the Start Menu item. If I click it,
the machine seems to consider the matter briefly, then I
see nothing -- neither the Explorer window nor any
message.

Also, if I bring up the Properties dialog for any Start
Menu item, pressing the Find Target button gets no
response (though Change Icon still works, as does the
Browse button in the Change Icon dialog).

Then, every time I shut down Windows AFTER I've tried to
open Windows Explorer using the Start Menu item, I get a
message that "Proxy Desktop" is not responding. Then I
have to use End Program to get Windows to proceed with
Shutdown.

A Knowledge Base search for "Proxy Desktop" turns up
nothing. I haven't installed a program by that name.
Spyware and virus checkers find nothing wrong.

Help would be appreciated, also a copy of any response to
my email address above.

[chubby541]

I have the same probelm with xp home. I started after I installed a dvd burner and some software, studio 8 , windvd and more.

Please help.

Thx

[jpepe3691]

Originally posted by Michael
Win Explorer won't start from menu.
proxy desktop won't close.

These two problems seem related (because they only occur
together).

I'm running Windows XP Pro SP1.

I can always open Windows Explorer without problems by
right-clicking on the desktop My Computer icon, then
clicking Open or Explore.

For the last few months, I've NEVER been able to open
Windows Explorer using the Start Menu item. If I click it,
the machine seems to consider the matter briefly, then I
see nothing -- neither the Explorer window nor any
message.

Also, if I bring up the Properties dialog for any Start
Menu item, pressing the Find Target button gets no
response (though Change Icon still works, as does the
Browse button in the Change Icon dialog).

Then, every time I shut down Windows AFTER I've tried to
open Windows Explorer using the Start Menu item, I get a
message that "Proxy Desktop" is not responding. Then I
have to use End Program to get Windows to proceed with
Shutdown.

A Knowledge Base search for "Proxy Desktop" turns up
nothing. I haven't installed a program by that name.
Spyware and virus checkers find nothing wrong.

Help would be appreciated, also a copy of any response to
my email address above.

Responding to Michael's original post about the Windows "end program Proxy Desktop not responding" error when trying to close or restart Windows, and Windows Explorer not starting up from the start menu........

I had the same problem with Win XP Pro
Went through the same steps- (McAfee Virus scan, tried different restore points, since I just finished installing a bunch of programs, like My DVD, Show Biz, Record Now- still no go. Now, I am not EXACTLY SURE what SPECIFICALLY got rid of the End Program Proxy Desktop not responding, but here are my final steps prior to curing this problem:
1. Looked at the cookies on my machine, and started deleting the "suspicious" ones- anything that I thought were adware or spyware relating, or simply ones that I didn't recognize.

2. Matrox has something called Matrox Power Desk-HF, and I had selected "save icons and desktop positions".
I shut that off (default)

3. Finally, (and I really think THIS is what actually cured it), when I tried to restart Windows, and got the End Program error, I went into task manager (ctrl alt delete), went into PROCESSES, and started ending all the instances of explorer.exe that were using 0 mem resources. I THINK I did NOT end task on the "active one" using memory resources. I figured that was the "good one" . Well, by doing that I had about 4 or 5 explorer.exe's on my task bar at the bottom, and started closing them, and up popped a message from Windows saying something about being unable to find the target file for MY DOCUMENTS!!??? I clicked on DEFAULT, and WALLAH! Windows Explorer, Control Panel (which I put on the desktop) worked EVERY TIME from the desktop or start menu!!! (You know, come to think of it, everytime you open up Windows Explorer, it DOES use My Documents as the default folder to start on). Hmmmmm.......?????
Hope this helps. Sorry if it doesn't sound too "scientific" but it worked!

[LorettoBoy]

I am using XP Home set up for multiple users. I am the only user that experienced this problem. It also corresponds with an inability for shortcuts that point to folders to work, which means links to explorer on the Start menu (My Documents, etc.) will not work. Because the problem did not exist for other users on the same machine I changed all of my visual settings to their default settings. Used the Windows XP theme, returned to default settings for folder views, etc. Both problems ended.