Why does Windows install those Notepad documents in the start menu and quick launch?

[mshan]

I delete them and nothing seems to go wrong.

What is their purpose?

 

[SocrPlyr]

notepad docs be default are in neither of those places
can you give me a screenshot to see what you are talking about?

Josh

 

[mshan]

I don't know how to create a screen shot, but in the start menu and in quick launch, I get little notepad documents which when I open say something like launch internet explorer and something else. They pop up every time I reinstall Windows and don't seem to create any problems when I delete them.

 

[theMan]

you mean, istead of a "launch IE" icon, there is a notepad doc?

 

[mshan]

It's not a shortcut, but when I open it up it says something like configuration settings and something about internet explorer. I think another notepad doc says something about desktop settings. Unfortunately, I deleted them so I can't click and paste.

 

[mshan]

Just realized I didn't delete them from my trash can.

In the quick launch area, I've got the following:

[LocalizedFileNames]
Launch Internet Explorer Browser.lnk=@xpsp1res.dll,-11003
Show Desktop.scf=@xpsp2res.dll,-6100


And in the start menu (where shortcuts to all of the programs installed are located), I've got the following:

[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@shell32.dll,-21786

and

[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@shell32.dll,-21782
[LocalizedFileNames]
Remote Assistance.lnk=@%systemroot%\system32\rcbdyctl.dll,-152
Internet Explorer.lnk=@xpsp1res.dll,-11001
Outlook Express.lnk=@xpsp1res.dll,-11004

 

[MobiusPizza]

you meant the left hand side of the start menu? It's called recent program list. It contains hyperlinks to recently installed/opened programs. There's also a recent opened documents list containing all recent files accessed. They are all hyperlinks but not the actual file/program so you can delete them safely. You can even go to start menu setting and disable the lists.

You do a screen shot by pressing the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard near the "F12" button. Then you paste it on image programs like MS Paint by pressing Ctrl+V or Edit->Paste.

 

[mshan]

"You do a screen shot by pressing the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard near the "F12" button. Then you paste it on image programs like MS Paint by pressing Ctrl+V or Edit->Paste."

Thanks, that's easy. Do I then just attach the created file to my message using some attach function in the bulletin board posting area?

 

[MobiusPizza]

yes. But you have to save the image first.
Save it to jpg file instead of bmp. bmp is too big to attach to forums.

 

[MobiusPizza]

A screenshot would be helpful. To be honest I don't really understand your problem
But anandtech forum doesn't have attachment support, does it?

 

[mshan]

I just copied and pasted what was contained in those Notepad documents (when I hover the mouse over these unopened shortcuts, the tool tips says "configuration settings")

So far, they seem harmless to delete. I was just wondering why Windows put them there in the first place?

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: mshan
In the quick launch area, I've got the following:

[LocalizedFileNames]
Launch Internet Explorer Browser.lnk=@xpsp1res.dll,-11003
Show Desktop.scf=@xpsp2res.dll,-6100

I've seen that once before in the quick launch area of a new laptop (ok 1 day old laptop, someone else had opened it before me). I had no idea why it was there and assumed the first person put it there. I deleted it and never thought about it again. Maybe it is a Win XP bug that occasionally puts it there.

 

[WildW]

It looks like may not have system files hidden. That "desktop" file is probably desktop.ini, but you have file extensions hidden.

Check the settings in Control Panel -> Folder Options, a checkbox that says something like "Hide protected operating system files" should be checked.

 

[DaveSimmons]

It's 8 years later, mshan has probably upgraded by now

 

[sm625]

Yeah it is the file "desktop.ini" that you are seeing. You can delete them but they always seem to come back, either right away or eventually. On windows 7, you will actually see two "desktop.ini" on your desktop, if you have hidden files visible. For that reason alone, I now choose to not show hidden files.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah it is the file "desktop.ini" that you are seeing. You can delete them but they always seem to come back, either right away or eventually. On windows 7, you will actually see two "desktop.ini" on your desktop, if you have hidden files visible. For that reason alone, I now choose to not show hidden files.

So that way, you can get P0Wned by a virus in an email attachment that says "Grandma.JPG", but is really "Grandma.JPG.EXE"? No thanks.

 

[mfenn]

So that way, you can get P0Wned by a virus in an email attachment that says "Grandma.JPG", but is really "Grandma.JPG.EXE"? No thanks.

That's "hide known file extensions" not "hide protected OS files".

 

[WildW]

Interesting. . . I appear to have committed thread necro without realising it.

It's not like I went digging a hundred pages back, the thread was just there on the front page of General Hardware. How very odd :/

 

[DaveSimmons]

Interesting. . . I appear to have committed thread necro without realising it.

It's not like I went digging a hundred pages back, the thread was just there on the front page of General Hardware. How very odd :/

There was a spam post above yours. A mod deleted it but didn't lock the thread for some reason.