Shortcut to c:\windows\explorer.exe inside MyPicture folder

I have tried to remove IE6 in WindowsMe by going back to IE5 and since then I have weird stuff happening.

To start with, I can't open My Pictures folder and cannot drag-and-drop files from one folder to another.

Also, the objects in Control Panel are only visible in safe mode, and Start>Search is not working.

I was able to open My Pictures in safe mode and noticed that there is a shortcut to c:\windows\explorer.exe in it.

Could it be what is causing the problem? Is it safe to delete that shortcut? I still have the shortcut to Explorer on the desktop.

I only use Firefox and thought I'd save some space by removing IE. Apparently big mistake.

Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

Have you tried just installing Internet Explorer again?