Alexander’s Blog

Okay, may be not but that’s what Microsoft’s Web site claims.

I have been unable to select any files in Explorer in my Windows Vista Ultimate lately. I tried everything from CTRL-A, Shift-click, CTRL-click, etc. but nothing worked. I searched the Internet and discovered that this is a common problem that lots of users are experiencing. Some are experiencing in Vista x64, although I have experienced it on my 32-bit Vista (x86).

Microsoft have posted a KB article 934548 stating that “This problem occurs because certain applications add a key to the registry.” The resolution offered by the KB article is to reset the folders in Windows Explorer by going to Organize, Folder and Search Options, View tab and clicking Reset Folders. Unfortunately, Microsoft solution is not really a solution, it’s a temporary workaround to a bug in Windows Vista. The KB article makes it clear that the application may keep re-inserting the key in the registry so Microsoft’s resolution is to keep resetting the folders over, and over, and over again. Hmm? That’s a resolution? Are you kidding me? Usually Microsoft’s KB articles say something to the effect that this is a known issue and Microsoft is working on a solution. This KB article (last updated August 2007) refuses to admit that this is a bug in Windows Vista and the resolution posted seems to be the final resolution in Microsoft’s view.

Vista users are reporting on Windows forums that Microsoft’s solution is not totally correct and it has not been working for everyone either. Not to mention the fact that the problem can reappear. Here’s one solution that worked for me. I deleted the Bags and BagMRU keys in the registry to fix the problem. If resetting the folders doesn’t quite fix your problem then try the following solution.

1. Start the registry editor.
2. Go to HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell folder.
3. Delete both the Bags and the BagMRU keys.
4. You don’t need to restart the computer. However, you may have to close and reopen the Explorer.

This issue can affect the following operating systems.
• Windows Vista Home Basic
• Windows Vista Business
• Windows Vista Enterprise
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Windows Vista Ultimate
• Windows Vista Starter
• Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition

Microsoft is providing a free virtual PC hard disk image containing a pre-activated Windows XP SP2, and either IE6 or IE7 and the IE7 Readiness Toolkit to help facilitate your testing and development. The image is time bombed and will no longer function after a specific date. At the time I wrote this blog the Virtual PC image was set to expire on December 7, 2007. The previous image expired on April 1, 2007. Chances are that Microsoft will continue to extend this deadline. According to Microsoft Product Manager Pete LePage, Microsoft hopes to continue to provide these images in the future as a service to Web developers. As Pete LaPage explains in his blog, you don’t even have to buy an additional Windows license.

These images are supported on Windows Server2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP operating systems.

Click here to download these free image.

Virtual PC 2007 has several shutdown options to choose from. If you install Virtual Machine Additions then you get some additional options. I highly recommend installing Virtual Machine Additions on every Virtual PC. Sometimes it is helpful to choose the option to automatically close the Virtual PC without prompting the user to choose an option, such as in a classroom environment or if you have configured a Virtual PC for your kids. The automatic close options depend on whether the undo drive is enabled or not. The manual method of closing a Virtual PC has relatively simple options. However, the automatic close option has several caveats. Microsoft explains the various options for shutting down the Virtual PC as described below.

1. Prompt for close options
When Show messages with these options at close is selected, the virtual machine will always display a prompt with the available close options every time the virtual machine is closed. One of the options must be selected in order to close the virtual machine. The available options are described below.

Save state

Includes the Save state option in the list of available close options. If the option is not selected, you are unable to save the virtual machine state when you close it.

Shut down

Includes the Shut down option from the list of available close options. If the option is not selected, you are unable to use the operating system shut down option. This option is available only if Virtual Machine Additions is installed.

Turn off

Includes the Turn off option in the list of available close options. If the option is not selected, all turn off options are unavailable when you close the virtual machine. If undo disks is enabled but this option is not selected, none of the turn off options for undo disks will be available.

You must always have at least one option selected.

2. Automatic close options
When Automatically close without a message and is selected, the virtual machine performs the selected option automatically without any prompts every time the virtual machine is closed. The available automatic close options are described below.

a) Automatic close options when undo drives is not enabled

Save state

Closes the virtual machine window and saves the information necessary to resume using the virtual machine at a later time in a .vsv file. Resources that were in use when the virtual machine was saved, such as the virtual hard disk, cannot be used by another virtual machine. Other resources, such as serial or parallel port devices, are released. No operations are performed by the virtual machine. As a result, when the virtual machine resumes, it will operate in the same state as when it was closed. This may cause problems, for example, if a virtual machine with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) lease is closed using save state, its DHCP lease may expire while the virtual machine is not running. When the virtual machine resumes, an error message may be displayed if another computer is assigned the DHCP IP address that the virtual machine had when it was closed.

Shut down

Closes the virtual machine window and cleanly shuts down the operating system installed on the virtual machine. This option is available only if the operating system installed on the virtual machine supports the shut down options and Virtual Machine Additions is installed on that virtual machine. Any resources used while the virtual machine was running are released and may be used by another virtual machine. When you restart the virtual machine at a later time, it must go through the boot process.

Turn off

Equivalent to cutting power to a physical computer and does not give the operating system any chance to save data. When you restart the virtual machine at a later time, it must go through the boot process.

Warning
This option may damage data stored on the virtual hard disk.

b) Automatic close options when undo drives is enabled
By default all of the automatic close options, except Turn off and delete changes, keeps the undo drives. However, if you use automatic shutdown you cannot commit undo drive changes. To commit undo drive changes, you must select to prompt on close and then select Commit changes to the virtual hard disk.

If undo drives is enabled, and Turn off and delete changes is not selected, the user is prompted on close to save changes or delete, as well as whether to commit changes to the hard disk. If you want to enforce that changes to the virtual hard disk are always committed at close, undo drives should not be enabled on that virtual machine. If you do not want changes to be committed and do want the changes to be deleted, you should use differencing drives. For more information about differencing drives, see Creating virtual hard disks.

Save state

Closes the virtual machine window and saves the information necessary to resume using the virtual machine at a later time in a .vsv file. Resources that were in use when the virtual machine was saved, such as the virtual hard disk, cannot be used by another virtual machine. Other resources, such as serial or parallel port devices, are released. All changes on the undo disk are saved. No operations are performed by the virtual machine and no time passes. As a result, when the virtual machine resumes, it will operate in the same state as when it was closed. This may cause problems, for example, if a virtual machine with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) lease is closed using save state, its DHCP lease may expire while the virtual machine is not running. When the virtual machine resumes, an error message may be displayed if another computer is assigned the DHCP IP address that the virtual machine had when it was closed.

Shut down

Shuts down the operating system installed on the virtual machine and closes the virtual machine window. This option is available only if the operating system installed on the virtual machine supports shutdown and Virtual Machine Additions is installed on that virtual machine. When you restart the virtual machine at a later time, it must go through the boot process. Any resources used while the virtual machine was running are released and may be used by another virtual machine. The state of the virtual machine is not saved. All changes on the undo disk are saved.

Turn off

Equivalent to cutting power to a physical computer and does not give the operating system any chance to save data. All changes on the undo disk are saved. When you restart the virtual machine at a later time, it must go through the boot process.

Warning
This option may damage data stored on the virtual hard disk.

Turn off and delete changes

Equivalent to cutting power to a physical computer and does not give the operating system any chance to save data. Deletes the undo drive, erasing any changes written to the undo disk since the virtual machine was started. This option is available only if undo drives is enabled on the virtual machine. When you restart the virtual machine at a later time, it must go through the boot process.

In addition, a new check box is displayed in the Close dialog box:

Commit changes to the virtual hard disk

When this box is selected, changes from the undo disk are incorporated into the original virtual hard disk on close. This option is available unless you have selected Turn off virtual machine and undo changes.

Notes
The Shut down option is available only if Virtual Machine Additions is installed.

When you close a virtual machine, any shared folders are automatically unshared. Permanent shared folders are automatically shared again the next time you start or restore the virtual machine, but temporary shared folders are not shared again.

I just experience this problem recently where Word 2007 running on Vista Ultimate kept crashing. I was able to start it but couldn’t use the mouse (e.g. couldn’t highlight words or right-click). On closing Word it will crash with the following error:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: WINWORD.EXE
Application Version: 12.0.4518.1014
Application Timestamp: 45428028
Fault Module Name: mso.dll
Fault Module Version: 12.0.6017.5000
Fault Module Timestamp: 461db01f
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00039239
OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

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I tried the Office Diagnostic but that didn’t help. Then I used System Restore but that didn’t solve the problem either. I started Word in safe mode (winword /a) and that worked. As a temporary workaround, I created a shortcut that runs Word 2007 with /a switch (safe mode) until I figure out exactly what’s causing the problem.