[Harold and Susan Vordos]

Gents,

It's no secret that I know very little about computers.

I have a problem that just reared its head---and I'm completely stymied.

When I double click on one of my files in My Documents (Windows XP) to
open it, instead of opening the file to disclose the items listed within, a
window opens allowing a search. I can't access any of my files.

Have I done something stupid, or did the last update screw things up for me?

I'd appreciate any guidance that can be offered.

Thanks in advance.

Harold

[Terry Coombs]

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
Gents,

It's no secret that I know very little about computers.

I have a problem that just reared its head---and I'm completely
stymied.
When I double click on one of my files in My Documents (Windows XP) to
open it, instead of opening the file to disclose the items listed
within, a window opens allowing a search. I can't access any of my
files.
Have I done something stupid, or did the last update screw things up
for me?
I'd appreciate any guidance that can be offered.

Thanks in advance.

Harold

Have you tried right-clicking on the folder , then clicking "open" on the
dropdown menu ?
--
Snag
'90 Ultra "Strider"
'39 WLDD "Popcycle"
Buncha cars and a truck

[JohnB[_4_]]

"Terry Coombs" wrote in message
. ..
Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
Gents,

It's no secret that I know very little about computers.

I have a problem that just reared its head---and I'm completely
stymied.
When I double click on one of my files in My Documents (Windows XP) to
open it, instead of opening the file to disclose the items listed
within, a window opens allowing a search. I can't access any of my
files.
Have I done something stupid, or did the last update screw things up
for me?
I'd appreciate any guidance that can be offered.

Thanks in advance.

Harold

Have you tried right-clicking on the folder , then clicking "open" on the
dropdown menu ?
--
Snag
'90 Ultra "Strider"
'39 WLDD "Popcycle"
Buncha cars and a truck




When you right click on a folder or a file, the first item in the command
list that pops up should be Open, with that word highlighted. I ran into the
same problem a while back when I tried to use one of the Windows hints that
I found on the web that was supposed to add an extra command to the right
click selection. It did add the extra command to the right click selection,
but in doing so, it changed the order of the right click command choices so
Search was first in the list, and highlighted. That made a double click on
an item launch a search instead of opening the item. The way that I got my
system working the way it was supposed to was doing a system restore to a
previously saved date. This restored my registry so the right click worked
properly.

Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore

You can read up on the system restore and what it does, but it basically
undoes changes to the Windows system all the way back to the date that the
last system restore point was saved.

John

[Larry Jaques]

On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:04:27 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
"Harold and Susan Vordos" quickly quoth:

Gents,

It's no secret that I know very little about computers.

I have a problem that just reared its head---and I'm completely stymied.

When I double click on one of my files in My Documents (Windows XP) to
open it, instead of opening the file to disclose the items listed within, a
window opens allowing a search. I can't access any of my files.

Have I done something stupid, or did the last update screw things up for me?

I'd appreciate any guidance that can be offered.

Thanks in advance.

Harold

'Arry, questions for you:

What file type did you click on? (.doc, .porn, what?

What's the title in the new window which opened?

If it's only one file type, not all of them, you may have
inadvertently linked a program to it.

To check that:
Right-click the Start button and click on Explore.
In the File Explorer, click Tools, then the File Types tab.
Find your file extension and give us the info from that window.

I hope this wasn't over your head, too.

--
"Most Folks Are As Happy As They Make Up Their Minds To Be"
-Abraham Lincoln
-----------------------------------------------------------

[JR North]

Hmmmmm. Right click, select OPEN; see if it works that way.
JR
Dweller in the cellar



Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
Gents,

It's no secret that I know very little about computers.

I have a problem that just reared its head---and I'm completely stymied.

When I double click on one of my files in My Documents (Windows XP) to
open it, instead of opening the file to disclose the items listed within, a
window opens allowing a search. I can't access any of my files.

Have I done something stupid, or did the last update screw things up for me?

I'd appreciate any guidance that can be offered.

Thanks in advance.

Harold




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

[David Billington]

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
Gents,

It's no secret that I know very little about computers.

I have a problem that just reared its head---and I'm completely stymied.

When I double click on one of my files in My Documents (Windows XP) to
open it, instead of opening the file to disclose the items listed within, a
window opens allowing a search. I can't access any of my files.

Have I done something stupid, or did the last update screw things up for me?

I'd appreciate any guidance that can be offered.

Thanks in advance.

Harold




Sounds like what happens when the file referred to by a shortcut has
been deleted.

[Harold and Susan Vordos]

"Terry Coombs" wrote in message
. ..
Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
Gents,

It's no secret that I know very little about computers.

I have a problem that just reared its head---and I'm completely
stymied.
When I double click on one of my files in My Documents (Windows XP) to
open it, instead of opening the file to disclose the items listed
within, a window opens allowing a search. I can't access any of my
files.
Have I done something stupid, or did the last update screw things up
for me?
I'd appreciate any guidance that can be offered.

Thanks in advance.

Harold

Have you tried right-clicking on the folder , then clicking "open" on the
dropdown menu ?
--
Snag
'90 Ultra "Strider"
'39 WLDD "Popcycle"
Buncha cars and a truck


Thanks to all for your comments. Right clicking works. Hadn't thought of
that. (Told you I know very little!)

Good thing Susan has more brains that I do. She noticed that if one clicks
on Search in the new window that opens, the entire contents of the file that
was selected is displayed. Goes to show, it pays to marry a smart woman.
Turns out I can view the contents by two different methods, so the crisis
has passed. :-)

Man, do I feel stupid.

Harold

[Wild_Bill]

Trust me Harold, Microsoft/crap products were never intended to be
understood by anyone that doesn't want to spend every waking moment trying
to gather all the fixes and willing to try a thousand different ways to get
it to work just enough/long enough to get the present task accomplished
(only to know that won't be the last of that problem), and realizing that
any time anything MS that allows you to get something done easily, it's just
luck.

When I am working or playing with something purely mechanical, all is well
in my existence.

WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote in message
. net...


Thanks to all for your comments. Right clicking works. Hadn't thought of
that. (Told you I know very little!)

Good thing Susan has more brains that I do. She noticed that if one clicks
on Search in the new window that opens, the entire contents of the file
that was selected is displayed. Goes to show, it pays to marry a smart
woman. Turns out I can view the contents by two different methods, so the
crisis has passed. :-)

Man, do I feel stupid.

Harold

[Harold and Susan Vordos]

"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
snip great words---:-)

When I am working or playing with something purely mechanical, all is well
in my existence.

WB

Looks like we share that in common, Bill. I've had great luck with
mechanical things---but the moment it becomes electronic----I'm more
inclined to let the magic smoke out than anything.

In a sense, I'm lucky in that I have never touched anything by MS products.
They may not be easy to use, but I don't have multiple systems to further
confuse me (as if I need any more confusion in my life!)

I've often read DoN's comments in wonder. How he has learned so much about
computers boggles the mind. Like CNC operations, I ignored computers until
they had grown substantially. I now realize I should have grown with them.
Probably never be anywhere near as sharp as DoN, but at least I'd be able to
understand them to some degree.

Harold

[DoN. Nichols]

On 2008-09-12, Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

I've often read DoN's comments in wonder. How he has learned so much about
computers boggles the mind.

Well ... I've been *very* interested in computers for many
years. First exposure was to a desktop programmable calculator by HP (at
work -- I had no way to afford one at home), and I learned that I liked
the process of programming.

I was already an electronics technician, and even had some
patents for circuits which I had designed.

About 1976 I was able to get a computer in kit form (the Altair
680b), and it was at such a low level that I had to learn a lot more to
program it (in machine language). As the computers grew and acquired
languages I was able to learn more and more, and for the last few years
before I retired I was a unix network systems administrator.

Note that there are facets of computing where I don't know as
much as some others here -- because I've never done much with Windows,
and have particularly disliked it. :-) I am learning the Mac OS-X (with
a Mac Mini) since it has a real unix hiding under it.

It is sort of related to how I learned machining. I saw what
machine tools could do for me, and managed to become friendly with
professional machinists at work and learn a lot from them, along with
chances to use the machines there to augment what I learned.

My machines at home started with a drill press made from a stand
and an electric drill, then a Unimat SL-1000 (which was lathe, mill, and
drill press -- among other things), followed by a nice sensitive drill
press. This was the limit in my apartment -- but once I got married, I
had more room to set things up, and more tools started coming in and
teaching me what they were good for.

Like CNC operations, I ignored computers until
they had grown substantially. I now realize I should have grown with them.
Probably never be anywhere near as sharp as DoN, but at least I'd be able to
understand them to some degree.

The main thing is to get the interest, and then play with things
to learn. Often it helps to have a project in mind to use the computer
for -- just as you can learn a machine tool better if you have something
in mind which you want to do with it.

But mostly -- I've never been afraid to *try* things to learn
from them.

You, however, had motivation to learn deeply about the areas of
machining which you considered your own -- and we all can learn from you
on that.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

[Harold and Susan Vordos]

"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
On 2008-09-12, Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

snip good stuff----

Like CNC operations, I ignored computers
until
they had grown substantially. I now realize I should have grown with
them.
Probably never be anywhere near as sharp as DoN, but at least I'd be able
to
understand them to some degree.

The main thing is to get the interest, and then play with things
to learn. Often it helps to have a project in mind to use the computer
for -- just as you can learn a machine tool better if you have something
in mind which you want to do with it.

Well, it appears that opportunity is knocking on my door, as we speak.

Two weeks ago a CNC HAAS toolroom mill was delivered to my shop by the
rightful owner. He is selling to upgrade to a CNC with a tool changer.
The HAAS is a three axis machine, but without a tool changer. For hobby
use, while a changer might be nice, it's not a necessary option.

The mill is now wired and operational, and I'm to learn CNC operations with
his assistance, along with the assistance of another. The mill has safe
indoor storage, in a heated and humidity controlled environment, so the
owner gets free storage while I have access to the machine. No obligation
to purchase, but I'm inclined to do so. I can see countless opportunities
to achieve ends that otherwise might be difficult for me with my manual
mill. That is one of the reasons why I have regrets. I should have learned
CNC when Bandit controls were the rage. very heavy sigh


But mostly -- I've never been afraid to *try* things to learn
from them.

I've been a very curious type all my life, but driven only by having a keen
interest in a given subject. In fact, that is what drove me to learn to
refine precious metals, which turned into a wonderful way to make a living,
until I retired. I was self taught, with nothing more than a book to guide
me in my quest. The refining business was a pleasant surprise, resulting
from my overwhelming success refining as a hobby.

Now that I have turned my attention to the CNC mill, I'll manage to learn,
but in all honesty, computers have not come easily for me. Where CNC
operations are concerned, I've been somewhat intimidated by the setup
procedures, but I'm slowly learning that I have almost always worked much
the same way a CNC does----the difference being I have done it manually.
Frankly, I'm somewhat enthused with the thing------


You, however, had motivation to learn deeply about the areas of
machining which you considered your own -- and we all can learn from you
on that.

Thank you for the kind words, DoN. I hope that my presence on RCM has been
beneficial for at least a few folks. I certainly have gleaned a serious
amount of knowledge and interesting information here. Seems a person can
learn something from almost everyone.

Harold

[DoN. Nichols]

On 2008-09-13, Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
On 2008-09-12, Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

snip good stuff----

Like CNC operations, I ignored computers
until
they had grown substantially. I now realize I should have grown with
them.
Probably never be anywhere near as sharp as DoN, but at least I'd be able
to
understand them to some degree.

The main thing is to get the interest, and then play with things
to learn. Often it helps to have a project in mind to use the computer
for -- just as you can learn a machine tool better if you have something
in mind which you want to do with it.

Well, it appears that opportunity is knocking on my door, as we speak.

So I see.

Two weeks ago a CNC HAAS toolroom mill was delivered to my shop by the
rightful owner. He is selling to upgrade to a CNC with a tool changer.
The HAAS is a three axis machine, but without a tool changer. For hobby
use, while a changer might be nice, it's not a necessary option.

Agreed.

The mill is now wired and operational, and I'm to learn CNC operations with
his assistance, along with the assistance of another. The mill has safe
indoor storage, in a heated and humidity controlled environment, so the
owner gets free storage while I have access to the machine.

And -- he gets the benefit of the machine being around someone
who knows how to take proper care of machines.

No obligation
to purchase, but I'm inclined to do so. I can see countless opportunities
to achieve ends that otherwise might be difficult for me with my manual
mill. That is one of the reasons why I have regrets. I should have learned
CNC when Bandit controls were the rage. very heavy sigh

Well ... it may work out better for you in that you can do more
with the machine with fewer lines of code than were needed previously.


But mostly -- I've never been afraid to *try* things to learn
from them.

I've been a very curious type all my life, but driven only by having a keen
interest in a given subject. In fact, that is what drove me to learn to
refine precious metals, which turned into a wonderful way to make a living,
until I retired. I was self taught, with nothing more than a book to guide
me in my quest. The refining business was a pleasant surprise, resulting
from my overwhelming success refining as a hobby.

Indeed.

Now that I have turned my attention to the CNC mill, I'll manage to learn,
but in all honesty, computers have not come easily for me.

Think of it as talking someone through doing a job when they
don't know what they are doing, but are *very* good at doing precisely
what you say -- if you make each instruction simple enough. (Imagine
that you are in a wheelchair, but you know how to do the job, and have
to explain to him what to do at each point.)

And, with a 3-axis mill, you have a worker who has three hands -- one to
crank each axis at the same time. :-)

It used to be that to mill a pocket you had to separately
command the move along each side (after calculating the path of the
center of the milling cutter to cut the final dimensions you really
want), then go deeper and repeat (which would require a center-cutting
milling cutter). Now there are what is called "canned cycles" (which
*I* would call subroutines) which allow you to tell it how deep a
pocket, what the walls are, and what the diameter of the milling cutter
is, and aside from doing all of the moves needed, it will also ramp down
to the next level -- moving horizontally and (more slowly) vertically --
so you can make the descent without a center-cutting milling cutter. So
-- the assistant is smarter now than it was in the old days.

And -- a trick to bear in mind for roughing vs finish cuts is to
run the program after lying to the machine, saying that the diameter of
the milling cutter is say 0.010" larger (and the length is 0.005"
longer) than it really is, so it will cut leaving 0.005" for a cleanup
pass. Then just tell it the truth about the diameter of the mill and
re-run the program.

Where CNC
operations are concerned, I've been somewhat intimidated by the setup
procedures, but I'm slowly learning that I have almost always worked much
the same way a CNC does----the difference being I have done it manually.

And you only have two hands, so you can move only two axes at a
time. And it is very tricky to cut an angle with the cranks on a
manual machine, but a CNC can do it nicely without needing a rotary
table to set the angles. :-)

Frankly, I'm somewhat enthused with the thing------

Great!


You, however, had motivation to learn deeply about the areas of
machining which you considered your own -- and we all can learn from you
on that.

Thank you for the kind words, DoN. I hope that my presence on RCM has been
beneficial for at least a few folks. I certainly have gleaned a serious
amount of knowledge and interesting information here. Seems a person can
learn something from almost everyone.

That's why the newsgroup exists -- and continues to exist.

Have fun with your new toy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---