Member Avatar for sally-j

I've just been given a computer with windows ME installed all is ok except on the control panel or c: drive no icons appear. The amount of items is shown in bottom left corner (indicating that there are some) but I can't click on anything (or even see them) and therefore can't change any of the user settings etc. I've tried all the obvious things but with no luck. All other options are OK (i.e. floppy disk, recycle bin, my documents etc.) Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

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Dani AI

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Short primer: Control Panel items are actually applets stored as .cpl files in your Windows system folder, so being able to open items from Start means the applets themselves likely still exist. For clarity, “explorer” refers to the Windows shell executable (explorer.exe) that draws the desktop, Start menu and the folder/Control Panel views. (support.microsoft.com)

Quick, safe diagnostics (in this order):

  • Boot to Safe Mode (press F8 during startup) and check the Control Panel view — if icons appear there, a third‑party shell extension or startup program is interfering.
  • Restart the shell: log off/on or restart the machine; if available, kill and restart explorer.exe from Task Manager to rule out a transient UI glitch. (howtogeek.com)
  • Test applets directly: open C:\Windows\System (or C:\Windows\System32) and double‑click any .cpl file — if the applet opens, the problem is the Control Panel view or how Explorer is enumerating the applets, not the applet itself. (support.microsoft.com)

If the diagnostic above points to a shell/registry problem, try these targeted fixes before a full reinstall:

  • Restore the registry from a recent backup using the Windows Registry Checker (scanreg /restore) — note this must be run from outside the normal desktop and may require booting to MS‑DOS/Startup disk; it can roll back broken registry changes. Back up important files first. (support.microsoft.com)
  • Use Windows ME’s System Restore (Start → Programs → Accessories → System Tools → System Restore) to revert to a point before the problem; System Restore does not change personal files. (sony-asia.com)

If those fail, a repair/refresh install (as suggested by ) or full reinstall after backing up data is the last resort. Also scan for malware — some older infections hide or disable UI elements.

Member Avatar for Kinseeker69

It's possible that your explorer is corrupted. The best and easiest way to fix it is to do a "Windows Refresh". You simply install WIndows without reformatting the drive and it should restore all your settings without losing your files. it will ask you if you want to save your system files click "yes"

Member Avatar for sally-j

Thanks for your help - but how do I do a "Windows Refresh" is it by using the installation disk that came with the computer? If so, I have done this but it didn't fix, however, I have noticed that I can get the control panel files off the start menu - settings - control panel - then there is another menu with the items listed! Perhaps this is how Windows ME is set up - I don't know. If all else fails I can at least access the settings this way.
P.S. when you say 'explorer' - do you mean 'windows explorer'?
Cheers.

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