Can't create desktop shortcut as I used to.

This is with XP SP2 and Firefox 1.0

Before Firefox I could get a desktop s/c by going Start > Programs, clicking the program and then dragging the appropriate selection from the popup to the desktop. I used the right mouse button to do this. Once the mouse arrow was where I wanted it on the desktop, I'd release the mouse button and get a popup with 2-3 items, one of which was "create s/c here." I'd select that and presto, the shortcut appeared.

I tried this after Firefox--and I don't know that there is a connection--and nothing happened. (Firefox was not running when I did this.) So I tried again this time holding down the left mouse button.) Well...it dragged. I dropped my selection to where I wanted it and indeed there was the shortcut--it had the little curved arrow.

But when I went back to Programs and clicked on the Program listing, the entry I dragged was gone from the pop-up. To get that entry back in the Program List popup I had to reinstall the program.

What can I do about this? Any ideas or must I go the route of a format if I don't want to live with it? You know how nice it is to be able to get a s/c on the desktop the way I've done it for years.

Computers! They bug me sometimes!

i just tried to make a shortcut

this page here that you posted.

press the double box (next the red x) and move the firefox browser down a little so you can see part of the desktop.

now look at the url and you see the tz icon in the url?

drag that to your desktop and a shortcut appears

just tried it and it worked!

If you want a shortcut on your desktop you should right click and select "Send To"> Desktop(Create a Shortcut) and the icon will be on the DT. You should be able to do this on any program icon.

Now right click on desktop and select "Arrange Icons by" and choose "Align to Grid" and "Show Desktop Icons" don't select the other options. Now you can move the desktop icons around the way you want and they should stay there.

If you want the program icon back that you lost because you dragged it, open explorer and go to "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs" and drag the icon back into this folder, now it'll be back where it was and no need to reinstall the program.

Egghead: Thanks for the tip. But I hadn't wanted a site icon on my desktop. Your trick indeed worked, though the favicon came out as a firefox icon shortcut. I gave up trying to get site favicons as shortcuts on my desktop. Firefox just would not let me do that

Thanks to you too, Fastgame. I followed your directions; it worked just fine. Have saved all the instructions in your post. I clearly can't use my old way any more (no problem with that) but damme, it always used to work!!!