(desperate ungeek) confused about wrong task pane template fix

My search term skills are failing me. I hope someone has the time to help me or send me in the right direction.

I have XP SP2

I discovered after using "classic folder view" for a while and switching back to the task pane that a number of windows task panes are wrongly displayed. I found a possible answer to the task pane template problem at;

http://computers.douglasthrift.net/winxpfaq/
Special Folders

A number of my problems were not addressed in that help.
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Firstly, my C drive is one of the affected folders.

None of my affected folders has a "customize" option in "properties". It appears these particular folders are not supposed to. They are all in my personal folder rather than "all users" so I don't know if the directions in the above link still strictly apply to me.

With many of the folders in question, when I add "\desktop.ini" and hit enter I'm asked whether I want to connect to the internet or work offline. I'm guessing, but I may have tried the desktop.ini trick while online(?). I have no idea how to get this back to the way it should behave.

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I have hardly any experience with command prompt and have no confidence in my ability to back out of a fix should I screw up. I do, however, have TuneUp Utilities 2006 which gives me a registry editor and a "Rescue Center" which supposedly allows me to roll back from mistakes (haven't tried it yet). Maybe this is an altenative avenue.

I'm sure I've left things out but, if someone choses to respond, maybe I'll remember them.

I am self-taught with large gaps in knowledge and have no one to turn to where I am.

Thank you in advance for your time, Dale

 

Please, isn't there anyone willing to help?

Dale

 

imm not sure if the faqs in the link are exactly for your problem. instead why dont you try to rollback your system using windows system restore?

 

Shaunak,

Thanks for the reply. I have this inquiry out at several places and was beginning to feel shunned.

Yeah, the links are close but not so inclusive of my problem as to make me feel comfortable to use them. Hence the pleas for personal help.

Before I started this thread, I tried System Restore. Now, the same affected files have a different wrong template and it "blew out" the program list in my Zonealarm free. There's probably more I haven't discovered yet.

Won't be making any more moves without guidance. If this weren't so important to me it would almost be funny.

Thanks for getting involved but I'm still in need, d4l3d