So I finally got home from Sunny SoCal today, and connected my camera to the mini-USB cable to download all the "vacation" photos. I double-clicked on the "My Computer" icon, and then TRIED to double-click the icon for the "Removable Drive" (my camera), and instead of opening it immediately, it went into Search mode... WTF???

I repeated the operation for each of my hard drives, to see if it was just something with my camera being exposed to 100+ temps every day for like 20 days, but no, all my hard drives are doing the same thing... I can still access stuff in each of my HDs, just have to right-click and Explore to do it, instead of the easier left button double-click...

Anyone got a quick and easy fix for this, other than a reinstall of XP?

And, BTW, WTF is up with my C: drive icon???

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Well, as far as the C: drive icon goes, check if there are any .ico files in the C:\ directory (just the first one) because that icon will supercede the default icon usually...Dunno about the search thing...just sounds like a "my windows install is dying a painful death" kind of thing, but I figuired you already knew that...

I'll check on the icon thing... just kinda funky to my mind, since the hard drive icon shows up for all the other HDs...

I'm not sure how it could be going bad already, I just did a fresh reformat/reinstall before I took off for SoCal...

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 I'll check on the icon thing... just kinda funky to my mind, since the hard drive icon shows up for all the other HDs... I'm not sure how it could be going bad already, I just did a fresh reformat/reinstall before I took off for SoCal...

No, if there is a .ico file in the immediate directory of any drive, the .ico file's icon will take over that over the default one. It would only affect the drive that the file is in.

Also... and not to be painfully obvious here and sound like Dell Tech Support... have you tried a restart yet? You didn't mention whether you had or not. That typically fixes "glitchy" problems like that for me.

Edit: Also check the SMART status of the HDD with a diagnostic tool.

Actually, I'm treating the drive icon thing as if it were something that has a definitive cause and solution, which I really shouldn't. Often random icons will stop showing properly at random times. This isn't really going to help, but there is a way to refresh all the icons without restarting....but it's dramatically easier to just restart, which should fix most of your problems...(wow, this was a pointless post)

No, I hadn't restarted, but I just did, and no dice, still the same nondescript icon for the C: drive...

Ran TweakUI for the Rebuild Icons feature, and still nothing...

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 Ran TweakUI for the Rebuild Icons feature, and still nothing...

That's what I was referring to as something pointlessly complicated that could be done with just restarting...I have no idea now...

couple of things to check... one check disk manager and make sure every thing looks normal in there ( that it can see the drives and that they have been assigned drive letters...

second go to start --> run and type cmd or command
inside of dos see if you can view your files...

also it my be an issue with "my computer" way of accessing the files....

try accessing them like this: right click the start menu and choose explore...

laslty it may be an issue with internet explorer...(as it is the same program as file explorer)

Open fire fox and in the part where you put a web address type: c:\

let me know the results and we will go from there....

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 Anyone got a quick and easy fix for this, other than a reinstall of XP?

How about a repair install? At least then. you don't have to re-load all the programs!

Check out these guides for procedures, the bottom one might have a guide that helps without doing the repair install.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Quote: Originally Posted by THRiLL KiLL one check disk manager and make sure every thing looks normal in there ( that it can see the drives and that they have been assigned drive letters... second go to start --> run and type cmd or command inside of dos see if you can view your files... also it my be an issue with "my computer" way of accessing the files.... try accessing them like this: right click the start menu and choose explore... laslty it may be an issue with internet explorer...(as it is the same program as file explorer) Open fire fox and in the part where you put a web address type: c:\ let me know the results and we will go from there....

Done all of them, in the sequence you described, and all my drives show up every time... It's when I double-click on My Computer from the desktop, then try to double-click on any of the harddrives to open them that I get the Search function... Just like the pics I posted above...

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 Done all of them, in the sequence you described, and all my drives show up every time... It's when I double-click on My Computer from the desktop, then try to double-click on any of the harddrives to open them that I get the Search function... Just like the pics I posted above...

reinstall internet explorer...

when you right click on one of the drives... what is bolded in the right click menu?

Quote: Originally Posted by TiZakit when you right click on one of the drives... what is bolded in the right click menu?

Search, right at the very top...

I had this issue with a customers system not too long ago, I believe it was some malware. I suggest you run AdAware.

the bolded action is what is set as the default action when you double click on it... I don't know how it may have gotten changed, and I forget how to fix it, lemme do some quick research.

Try this out, though I have no idea what the file type associated with it may be...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320036

Quote: Originally Posted by joecoin I had this issue with a customers system not too long ago, I believe it was some malware. I suggest you run AdAware.

AdAware, Spybot, CCleaner, and AVG... Turned up nothing out of the ordinary...

EDIT:

Ok, I had to link the double-click function to IE, tested it out, and so far so good... Now to get my HDD icon back...

ya kno, I'm gonna have to keep an eye on what happens here, because the same thing is wrong on my rig. No HDD icon anyway. It never really affected anything so I just ignored it for awhile, and now its bugging me too. Hope you guys can resolve this.

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 AdAware, Spybot, CCleaner, and AVG... Turned up nothing out of the ordinary... EDIT: Ok, I had to link the double-click function to IE, tested it out, and so far so good... Now to get my HDD icon back...

Go here:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Look at number 119, maybe.

Thanks for the link, I tried it, but still stuck with the "generic" icon...