When I boot up my computer, everything loads up fine; all my start-up programs; everything. But everytime I click on iTunes, Computer, My Documents, anything, it loads but windows explorer suddenly won't respond. I don't know what to do. Will anyone please help?

What do you mean with 'Desktop Icons won't load correctly' ?
> Do you mean that the program's shortcuts have wrong icons ?

Maybe this link is useful for you ...

It seems you have corrupted Windows explorer. That is not good.
Did you install any program before this happened?
Do you have beta service pace?
What about virus?

Try fixing Windows explorer by opening command prompt and entering "sfc/scannow". If you have beta software, deinstall it. System restore point might help you as well.

after trying what smallrabbit said, try making sure the handler for shortcut files is set correctly

(before i had a bug where the handler for disk drives was broken so it opened word everytime i clicked it, this seems similar?)

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/linkfile_fix.zip

That is a ZIP file, which contains a REG (Registry) file. Download the ZIP and open it. Extract the REG file, right click it and choose MERGE.

guys, thanks for all your help but my computer seems to be functioning normally.
i dont think it was the program shortcuts.
i left my computer turned off for a couple of days, turned it back on deleted AVG Free antivirus, and ran my Norton Antivirus 360.
that seemed to have gotten rid of my problem for now.

earlier i was reading about a guy with the same problem, except that it was 2004 and that he was using XP. some dude said he had a virus called hungryhands or something. i looked at the viruses deleted by Norton Antvirus but found nothing of that name.

i'm gravy for now, but if i do have problems again i shall post it up.

Yeah, it's NEVER recommended to use 2 AVs at the same time as they will interfere with each other, only causing trouble ...

oh hahah, im really dumb. its my bad, i thought it would help when the problem began, but it made things a lot worse.
my start up programs didnt load neither did my sidebar. NADA.
so yeah i uninstalled that thing and boom im pretty good now.

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