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#1
%WINDIR% not working
For the last two days something has got corrupted in my system (Windows 7 Pro 64 bit).
All of the shortcuts to Notepad, Paint, Explorer etc. in my Quick Start bar have lost their icons. When I click these icons I get the message:
[Window Title]
Windows
[Main Instruction]
Can't open this item
[Content]
It might have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Do you want to remove this item?
[Yes] [No]
I can still run these components by typing their name in the Search box in the Start menu, or by going to find them in the C:\Windows\System32 directory and double clicking them.
These shortcuts are set to %WINDIR%\System32\notepad.exe. The problem seems to be with the value of %WINDIR%. If I change the shortcut to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\notepad.exe then it works fine.
If I run SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe, I can see the value of WINDIR is set to C:\Windows.
If in a command window I type "ping 192.168.0.7" (without the quotes), it says "'ping' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file." I imagine this is due to the same basic cause.
What is going on here? How can I diagnose and correct this?
I have tried doing a system restore back to a time when my PC was working properly. It made no difference to this problem.
Thanks - Rowan