OFF2000: Office Shortcut Bar Starts WordPad Instead of Expected Program

When you use Microsoft Office 2000, if you click a button on the Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar (OSB), the program that you select may not start. WordPad may start instead. You receive the following error message:

This behavior can occur if one of the following keys is in the registry:

• There is a SHELL folder key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
• There is a SHELL or SHELLNEW folder key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile

Neither the SHELL key nor the SHELLNEW key are normally found in these registry locations.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.


To resolve this behavior, remove the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell or HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\Shell or Shellnew registry key(s). To remove these keys, follow these steps:

1. Quit all programs, including the Office Shortcut Bar.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
4. In the Registry Editor, select the following registry key:
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell
5. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File. Confirm that the selected branch listed is correct.
6. Type a unique file name such as ShellBU, and then click Save.
   
   NOTE: If you export multiple keys, be sure to save each one to a separate file.
7. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\Shell and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\Shellnew if they are present. After you have removed the folders, restart your computer.

The Office Shortcut Bar buttons now function as expected.

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: