Can't Access SOME Icons or Area on Desktop


  1. Posts : 6
    Win7 Pro 64
       #1

    Can't Access SOME Icons or Area on Desktop


    I have no idea what happened / what I did, but I have an area on my desktop that I can't right or left click in. All the other icons on the desktop I can click on but not this particular area. I'm running Win7 Pro64. Any help would be appreciated.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,285
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #2

    Download and run ProcessExplorer. It does not need to be installed.

    Drag-and-drop target to find an image. If you're not sure which application corresponds to which image in Process Explorer, click and drag the little gun sight icon on the Process Explorer toolbar, and drop it on any visible window to find out what process/image it is.
    Once the error message is on the screen, start ProcessExplorer and drag the gun sight icon and drop it on the dead area. It may show the process that generated that area highlighted in blue in the PE window.Can you post a screen capture of your desktop?
    Does anything show up in that area?

    You can try this to see if you can figure out what that dead zone is from:
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 4,566
    Windows 10 Pro
       #3

    That is very odd. Have you tried a simple restart or right clicking your desktop where your able to right click and choose refresh?

    Try maybe picking a different windows 7 theme like the standard windows 7 aero theme?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 6
    Win7 Pro 64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    This has been happening for about a week, so on a whim I went into programs to see if anything was installed about that time. I had installed a program from Samung to sync my cell phone. I also checked in msconfig / startup, and found an entry made by the Samsung prog. I disabled it, 7 restarted and now I can access that area of the desktop again. I will have to monitor it because I don't know if the app was blocking the area or if the restart fixed it.

    Edit: I have process explorer but I didn't realize it had that feature. If it happens again I will try that.

    I tried refresh several times and that didn't help. It was a 2" x 3" area that my mouse had no effect on
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 39
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit SP1
       #5

    Ztruker said:
    Download and run ProcessExplorer. It does not need to be installed.

    Drag-and-drop target to find an image. If you're not sure which application corresponds to which image in Process Explorer, click and drag the little gun sight icon on the Process Explorer toolbar, and drop it on any visible window to find out what process/image it is.
    Once the error message is on the screen, start ProcessExplorer and drag the gun sight icon and drop it on the dead area. It may show the process that generated that area highlighted in blue in the PE window.Can you post a screen capture of your desktop?
    Does anything show up in that area?

    You can try this to see if you can figure out what that dead zone is from:
    THANK YOU! This had been bugging me for weeks! (It was Avira which had created some invisible window. That program will never be installed again on my computers!)
      My Computer


 

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