Start Menu Periodically stops working

From: Morac (morac99-usenet_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 08/26/04 

Date: 26 Aug 2004 16:58:18 -0700

I was running XP Pro SP1 (now running SP2, but that didn't cause it)
and I noticed a problem shortly after I installed a logitech quickcam
pro 4000.

Periodically the Start Menu will stop working correctly. In regular
mode, clicking on the Start menu brings up the menu, but the left side
(where recently run programs usually are) is all black. When I hover
over "All Programs" nothing happens. Also nothing happens when I click
it.

When I hover over items on the right that usually open a submenu, they
do not. Clicking on these items opens their container as if I right
clicked on them and selected open. For example if I click on Control
Panel, it opens the control panel instead of the menu.

Clicking on run, search or help and support brings up a "Shortcut"
question popup that says "Windows cannot create a shortcut here. Do you
want the shortcut to be placed on the desktop instead?"

If I switch to classic mode, the start menu does not work at all.

If I end the explorer.exe process and restart it, the start menu will
work again for a while until it breaks again.

Anyone have any idea why this is happening or more specifically how to
fix it?

Here's a screen shot of the problem:
http://www.broadbandreports.com/r0/download/659622~3696c791fa5762c4ffe4ccee9250b577/startmenu.JPG

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