Thanks, guys, good suggestions. Last night I copied all my desktop shortcuts into a folder, which I left sitting on the desktop when I switched off. Fortunately it (and all shortcuts, both inside and out of it) were still there when I booted up this morning, but Windows 7 is capricious, and I am not confident that it won't butt in and cause more mischief at some stage. It has left me unmolested before, just long enough to build up trust, and then BLAM.

So, I've now made a duplicate copy of this shortcuts folder and stuck it in Documents, and whenever I add a new shortcut I will clone a copy both folders. That'll teach SM (which always brings to mind Sado-Masochist) to mess with me.

The programmes are all simple, common, Windows-Approved ones, and I am the only one who works on this computer so it's not password-restricted for different users.

Honestly, what a palaver! Just to use a standard feature that is supposed to make life more convenient. I don't know why they haven't fixed this, except that being the biggest baddest kid on the block, they don't really have to. There are too many people like me who rely on certain programmes that MUST be run on a PC. I have a Mac too, at which I am casting longing glances as I type.

Thanks so much - I'll have to work out how to do an honorary Mudcat Gratitude icon. Cheers -

Bonnie (feeling happier now)