applications do not execute desktop base start menu

Dear Colleagues,
From many locations, double clicking an application's icon does not start that application.
Double clikcing a FrontPage 2003 or Acrobat icon on desktop does not start FrontPage or Acrobat. From the Start Menu, clicking on any MS Office application does not start the application.
However, clicking on an MS Office application from within the subdirectory "Microsoft Office" as displayed off the Start Menu does start the application.
I generally have to open files by double clicking the file, rather than clicking the application's icon displayed on the desktop or on the root of the Start Menu.
Perhaps this has to do with execution permissions and locations of the .lnk files. I've disabled User Access Control, and my account type is administrator.
Thanks very much!
Lightfoote Dell Opliplex GX 280; RAM 2 Gb DDR 533; SATA 80 Gb; Intel 3.2 MHz Processor; ATI FireMV2200PCIe with video RAM 128 Mb; Rating = 3 (only!)

See reply to this message in the Security group for a potential cure.
"Lightfoote" wrote in message

Dear Colleagues,
From many locations, double clicking an application's icon does not start that application.
Double clikcing a FrontPage 2003 or Acrobat icon on desktop does not start FrontPage or Acrobat. From the Start Menu, clicking on any MS Office application does not start the application.
However, clicking on an MS Office application from within the subdirectory "Microsoft Office" as displayed off the Start Menu does start the application.
I generally have to open files by double clicking the file, rather than clicking the application's icon displayed on the desktop or on the root of the Start Menu.
Perhaps this has to do with execution permissions and locations of the .lnk files. I've disabled User Access Control, and my account type is administrator.
Thanks very much!
Lightfoote Dell Opliplex GX 280; RAM 2 Gb DDR 533; SATA 80 Gb; Intel 3.2 MHz Processor; ATI FireMV2200PCIe with video RAM 128 Mb; Rating = 3 (only!)