[mbenson]

In Vista Ultimate, with Internet Explorer 7, when I drag and drop an URL from the address bar (e.g. the place where you type in URLs to navigate to), to the desktop or any folder, it results in a pure white icon (with the shortcut arrow).

If you double click the icon it gives you a message saying "The target "" of this Internet Shortcut is not valid. Go to the Internet Shortcut property sheet and make sure the target is correct." (Which obviously its not).

If you right click on the icon, and choose properties, then you will see under the "Details" tab a blank URL for the property.

Another symptom of the problem I am having is that if I save a web page as a htm, html, or mht file it then says it can not save the web page because one of the files is missing.

Obviously something is broken. I tried using the Vista DVD to upgrade my current installation hoping that action would find somehow to fix it - but it did not. I have a feeling either some .dll is not registered - or that something in the registry is wrong. I searched through many pages on the net suggesting that I regsvr32 urlmon.dll, ieframe.dll (doesn't register), mshtml.dll, oleaut32.dll, and some others and I did such and it did not fix this problem. I checked the registry for the .url link and obviously that is correct.

The problem is not the action that happens when you double click the icon - as if you type in a URL property into the details of an existing Internet Shortcut (that has a blank URL in properties), or had a previously saved icon that was working, it opens fine within IE. Favorites still save find and work when you navigate to the page.

Somehow the information that is in the address bar isn't being put into the URL property when I drag and drop the Internet Shortcut. Also when saving, it apparently can't find the file. I assume (and it may be completely wrong) that it can't find the file because the address of where it is suppose to get the file from to save is missing.

I have no idea how to fix this - any help would be very much appreciated. This is the third time this happened with Vista. The first time I reinstalled Vista, the second time I found a page on the web which seemed to tell me how to fix it (but I can not find it again), and the third time is where I am at now. I really do not feel like reinstalling all of Vista and every application again. Please help.

[mbenson]

I fixed this. I must give some credit to the MS engineer that worked with me last night. He thought it might be because I changed location of the directory for the desktop using the properties function of Vista on the Desktop folder (e.g. change location after right clicking). While that was not the problem. it caused me to check if the security permissions were adequate. I played around with "Enable Protected Mode" within IE7. When turned off and restarted the browser, the problem disappeared. So I researched I compared to the security permissions of a system with users' directories that worked the permissions on the directories of those that did not work. They were identical. However, I then decided just to add the current user's permissions to the main folder "mbenson" and propogate (re-inherit) all the permissions for all subfolders. Upon doing this the problem disappeared. I am not sure what folder or file had the permissions set wrong under user or if something else will now be affected by changing these permissions this way - but at least the problem is gone. I post this here for any other souls.

[mubed]

ok, but how did you transfer the permissions of the default user to your permissions?