Windows XP - Hard drive issues

  • Thread starter Thread starter Polish Don
  • Start date Start date
P

Polish Don

My PC had some virues and now, after I've cleaned it off, when I try to open
my hard drive C: or D:, I get a "browse program" window

How can I fix this ?
 
Problem is, I cannot open the drive c: or d: easily. If I double click, It
opens a "Select Program" window. If I try to explore, I get the same
response. The only way I can access is to right click on the start bar, and
select the C: drive from there. All files are in tact and the PC boots fine.
 
Polish said:
Problem is, I cannot open the drive c: or d: easily. If I double click,
It
opens a "Select Program" window. If I try to explore, I get the same
response. The only way I can access is to right click on the start bar,
and select the C: drive from there. All files are in tact and the PC boots
fine.
Click to expand...

Open it in any way that works and look for an auto.inf file as I already
told you. If you have the computer set to hide file extensions (example is
the .inf in "auto.inf") then set it to show these from Folder Options>View
tab, uncheck "Hide file extensions....".

If there is no auto.inf on either drive, the computer is either not really
virus/malware-free and/or the operating system has been damaged. What you
do next depends on that and your level of technical skills.

Malke
 
Well,

I'm checking a perfectly good PC that is identical (make/model/OS) that
works fine in this regard and there is no Auto.inf on that PC either. Both
PC's have Windows XP Media Edition 2002 SP3
 
I'm checking a perfectly good PC that is identical (make/model/OS) that
works fine in this regard and there is no Auto.inf on that PC either. Both
PC's have Windows XP Media Edition 2002 SP3
Click to expand...

My guess is that the file association / action that's normally
supposed to open your C: or D: has been disassociated or damaged and
the only way to fix it would be to manually do it by seeing the file
associations on a working PC and compare them to the broken PC or
maybe to do a repair install using a slipstreamed SP3 CD for your MCE.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
The other PC is virus free and acts properly

Polish Don said:
Well,

I'm checking a perfectly good PC that is identical (make/model/OS) that
works fine in this regard and there is no Auto.inf on that PC either. Both
PC's have Windows XP Media Edition 2002 SP3
Click to expand...
 
Ok, How do I fix it? How/where do I find the file associations ?

Start by opening a session of Windows Explorer or My Computer. From
the top, click Tools > Folder Options. Now, you'll see the "File
Types" tab. These are all the file extensions and associated actions
with files and devices (i.e. CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Physical Drive, etc.).
You'll want to look specifically at "(NONE) File Folder", "(NONE)
Folder",and "(NONE) Drive" associations. Highlight one, and click the
Advanced button. Drive should only have "Find" as an action, if not
add it. File Folder should only have "Find" as an action, if not add
it. Folder should have "Open" and "Explore" as actions, if not add
them.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
Ok, How do I fix it? How/where do I find the file associations ?

Additionally, from the browse program menu, you can scroll down and
choose explorer or browse your C:\Windows\... folder for it and when
you choose it, you'll see a check-box down on the bottom that says
"always use this program to..." or some such message. Try that as
well.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
ok,

I tried the tools option, they show the proper find/explore as stated. I
cannot set Windows explorer as default in the use program window
 
I tried the tools option, they show the proper find/explore as stated. I
cannot set Windows explorer as default in the use program window
Click to expand...

The last thing I can think of is to try the registry fix from Doug
Knox's web site to fix Drive associations:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

Look for the link "Drive Association Fix (Restores default settings
for hard drives)".

Beyond that, I don't know what else to say.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
Well,

I tried that. It installed an line "Expore from here" in the tools menu,
but I still cannot enter the drive by double click. I created a new item
"Open 2" that works in the right click menu, which opens the drive fine, but
I cannot make it the default for the double click. (even when set to default
in the tool menu)
 
Problem is that "set as default" box is ghosted out. I cannot select that.

Yeah, I was hoping it wasn't as by default it should be allowed to be
manipulated or changed from being explorer.exe.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
I tried that. It installed an line "Expore from here" in the tools menu,
but I still cannot enter the drive by double click. I created a new item
"Open 2" that works in the right click menu, which opens the drive fine, but
I cannot make it the default for the double click. (even when set to default
in the tool menu)
Click to expand...

Using regmon to monitor what explorer.exe does when I double-click my
C: drive, I see it query HKCR\DRIVE and HKCR\FOLDER keys. I compared
my settings there to the .reg fix from Knox's web site and it's the
same. So perhaps it's you HKCR\Folder associations that off. Here's
what I see in mine:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder]
@="Folder"
"EditFlags"=dword:000003d2
"TileInfo"="prop:Size"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\

65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,33,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore]
"BrowserFlags"=dword:00000022
"ExplorerFlags"=dword:00000021

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\

65,00,20,00,2f,00,65,00,2c,00,2f,00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,\
00,25,00,49,00,2c,00,25,00,4c,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec]
@="[ExploreFolder(\"%l\", %I, %S)]"
"NoActivateHandler"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec\application]
@="Folders"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec\ifexec]
@="[]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec\topic]
@="AppProperties"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open]
"BrowserFlags"=dword:00000010
"ExplorerFlags"=dword:00000012

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\

65,00,20,00,2f,00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,00,25,00,49,00,2c,\
00,25,00,4c,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[ViewFolder(\"%l\", %I, %S)]"
"NoActivateHandler"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\application]
@="Folders"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\ifexec]
@="[]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\topic]
@="AppProperties"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ColumnHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ColumnHandlers\{0D2E74C4-3C34-11d2-A27E-00C04FC30871}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ColumnHandlers\{24F14F01-7B1C-11d1-838f-0000F80461CF}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ColumnHandlers\{24F14F02-7B1C-11d1-838f-0000F80461CF}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ColumnHandlers\{66742402-F9B9-11D1-A202-0000F81FEDEE}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ColumnHandlers\{F9DB5320-233E-11D1-9F84-707F02C10627}]
@="PDF Column Info"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
@="NetWareServerMenu"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\DragDropHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\DragDropHandlers\{BD472F60-27FA-11cf-B8B4-444553540000}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]
@="NetWarePage"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{b8777200-d640-11ce-b9aa-444553540000}]
@=""

If you're feeling brave and know what you're doing, you can export
your current HKCR\Folder key to a reg file, and import my settings to
see if it works.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
Yeah, I was hoping it wasn't as by default it should be allowed to be
manipulated or changed from being explorer.exe.
Click to expand...

I meant to say "shouldn't"

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
It Worked !!!

But I'm still going to reformat the PC and reinstall everything, I think
it's for the best, since I had over 36 viruses on the PC + spyware and the
Antivirus had not updated since 1/2007.

Thanks again, all of you !
 
Polish Don said:
It Worked !!!

But I'm still going to reformat the PC and reinstall everything, I think
it's for the best, since I had over 36 viruses on the PC + spyware and the
Antivirus had not updated since 1/2007.

Thanks again, all of you !
Click to expand...

You're welcome Polish Don, and good luck.

Donald Anadell
 
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