Shortcut stops working

Hi. I am new here, and I have a question I hope you can answer. I am an
elementary computer teacher, and we have a small WinXP server network at
school. For a long time now I have had icons on every desktop pointing to
the place
on the network where I keep all the projects
for the kids to work on. They have always worked fine.
However, for some unexplained reason the past couple of
weeks we have started getting an error message, something
like "shortcut no longer valid", occasionally when we click
on one of the shortcuts. When that happens,
I have to go to Network Neighborhood and create another
desktop shortcut - a real pain in the rear when I have kids in the
classroom! It has happened on almost all the lab
computers, but it doesn't happen every time. Why, after
all this time, would my shortcuts start not working? Any
ideas? Thanks!

"Mommio2" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi. I am new here, and I have a question I hope you can answer. I am an
> elementary computer teacher, and we have a small WinXP server network at
> school. For a long time now I have had icons on every desktop pointing to
> the place on the network where I keep all the projects
> for the kids to work on. They have always worked fine.
> However, for some unexplained reason the past couple of
> weeks we have started getting an error message, something
> like "shortcut no longer valid", occasionally when we click
> on one of the shortcuts. When that happens,
> I have to go to Network Neighborhood and create another
> desktop shortcut - a real pain in the rear when I have kids in the
> classroom! It has happened on almost all the lab
> computers, but it doesn't happen every time. Why, after
> all this time, would my shortcuts start not working? Any
> ideas? Thanks!

Several possibilities exist -- and some opportunity for you to further
clarify your problem.

1) Likely: You are mounting the "shares" under a different drive letter
and the shortcuts are referencing the Drive letter, e.g., Q:, X: rather
than the UNC name: \\Server\Share\path\to\file.doc etc.

CHECK the shortcuts and prefer the UNC name. They won't change.
Or ensure that the drive letters remain constant.

2) Unlikely: Authentication is failing -- unlikely because you can create
the shortcut anew and it works. What happens if you "retry" the failing
shortcut? Do they both point EXACTLY to the same place?

3) Unlikely: Name resolution problems (can also cause authentication
problems).
Check both DNS and NetBIOS resolution.

4) Indeterminate: Moved files. This is unlikely if you KNOW that no files
have
moved and quite likely if you have been moving files, renaming servers,
or
changing shares.

5) Possibility: Using different accounts to create the shortcuts that work
versus
those that fail: If the students are logged on and fail while you more
powerful
account can do the connection perhaps that is the problem.

Give us the PRECISE error wording next time you see this.
Try the exact path (from the shortcut) from the command line:

Dir "shortcut goes here"

Give us the precise error if any....

--
Herb Martin
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