Unable to access system properties...

[thechemgeek]

Win98. When right clicking on "my computer" and choosing "properties", nothing happens. In control panels, the "System" icon is missing, so I'm not able to access that way either. There are no other problems with this system. I've accessed this "properties" tab before, but for some reason it won't work now. I have run defrag/scan-disk/norton systemworks find/fix. Nothing. My Norton Antivirus files are up to date and i just finished a system scan, nothing. I've never had this problem on this system before...and actually it's running great, just can't see the system properties.

Ever heard of this?

[Norm]

Search in windows\SYSTEM\ for a file called SYSDM.CPL

If it's there, you may have used a tweak program to hide the icon in control panel, or 'My Computer' right click. If you click that file, the system properties will open.

[thechemgeek]

it's not there. how strange. :(

[Norm]

Do you have "show all files" enabled in folder options. And "hide files of know exentions" enabled.

If so, try a reboot. If that doesn't help, try sfc from the run line to extract it from the win98 CD

[thechemgeek]

perhaps this???

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System Icon Causes Computer to Lock up or Other Errors
When you click the System properties icon your starting the Sysdm.cpl. The following files are required to start either. Sometimes certain software installationss cause these files to be replaced with incorrect, inappropriate or older files without the customary notice that they are being replaced. Commctrl.dll, Commdlg.dll, Shell.dll, Lzexpand.dll, Ver.dll and Mmsystem.dll
To fix this it's best to extract from your Windows CD-Rom all the files mentioned:
Sysdm.cpl
Commctrl.dll
Commdlg.dll
Shell.dll
Lzexpand.dll
Ver.dll
Mmsystem.dll

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found this here (http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/ctrlpanel.html).