The RAM and XP question

[Tellos Athenaios]

EDIT: here's an example. I see that to add folders to the start menu I need to go to C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\S tart Menu\Programs. I can go as far as users\froggy and that's it. There's no AppData. It's not hidden either. It's just not there.

Well some folders are just more hidden than others. But it's not a phantom, it exists for real and you have it too: the easiest way to access it is by typing the full path in the location/breadcrumb bar thing at the top of the Explorer. Double click it and it should change into a simple text field wherein you can type the path to the directory you would like to go, hit enter and get there. So if you are Froggy to your Windows, then C:\Users\Froggy\AppData\ would get you there. In case like me (C:\Users\Tellos Athenaios\AppData\) that is somewhat more than you care to type, %UserProfile%\AppData\ will work too.

[frogbeastegg]

I know it doesn't solve your problem, but I can verify that what you describe with icons being different sizes does not occur on any Win7 install I have used. For me, I can resize the icons with the CTRL+scroll method and any additional icons I place on the desktop are the same size as all the others.

I wonder if the difference is down to a setting somewhere?

I also wonder if this install is faintly borked.

Well some folders are just more hidden than others. But it's not a phantom, it exists for real and you have it too: the easiest way to access it is by typing the full path in the location/breadcrumb bar thing at the top of the Explorer. Double click it and it should change into a simple text field wherein you can type the path to the directory you would like to go, hit enter and get there. So if you are Froggy to your Windows, then C:\Users\Froggy\AppData\ would get you there. In case like me (C:\Users\Tellos Athenaios\AppData\) that is somewhat more than you care to type, %UserProfile%\AppData\ will work too.

Oh thank heaven, something worked at last. I did have to try repeatedly before it worked; to begin with it kept saying it couldn't find the folder.

Now, why did no one say you had to do this in the instructions? Everywhere I saw it mentioned the folder was implied to be in plain sight.