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Local Disk C: acting odd...

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12 replies

by troy

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When I open "My Computer" and double-click "local disk C:", a search window pops up instead of the contents of my HDD.
Does anyone know what's going on?!?

12 replies

by thumbsup2

Is it a search window with a flashlight as if it's searching for something, or is it a window asking you what you want to search for?

Can you right click drive C from My Computer and get to properties and see if anything else is out of place, like is the free space displayed? Or, is the C icon really a shortcut with an arrow on it which tells you nothing at all about the drive when you right click and go to properties?

Sorry, more info needed.

by troy

I double click on my "My Computer" icon, and the "My Computer" window opens. I then click on "Local Disk (C:)" and that window doesn't do anything, but another window opens, a "Search for Files or Folders" window, as if I'd gone "Start"->"Search" and "local disk C:" is checked as the search location.

by older mycroft

You say that you are clicking on your "My Computer" icon - Why are you clicking on the 'icon'?

What happens if you (if it is enabled) click on "My Computer" at the top of your Start menu?

[ If your problem happens while clicking on an icon then your problem exists in your Desktop, but not in your Shell ]

ALSO - What OS are you talking about here?

by troy

I am running Windows XP Pro W/SP2 on a Gigabyte G-MAX N501 Laptop (Pentium M 1.5, 1GB RAM, 40GB, 64MB Intel 82852/82855 Graphics)
It's not getting into My Computer that's the issue, as I can open "My Computer" fine from either my desktop or my start menu. It's once in there, if I double click "Local Disk C:" a "Search for Files and Folders" window pops up, and I can only get to C: by typing it into a windows explorer address bar.
I can, however, browse through my D:(ODD) or E: (SD Card Reader) through "My Computer" as normal.
I have not made any recent changes to my OS, any settings, or installed any new hardware or software. Most major change I have made in a few weeks has been an 80mb World of Warcraft patch yesterday.

by older mycroft

That your C: drive has somehow 'become' something other than a DRIVE.

I reckon, and I'm still knocking this round inside my ancient brain as I type this drivel, that your C: has become a folder by definition of how it is viewed by the system.

THAT is why the explore box is popping up.

I'll be back....

by older mycroft

Waited to see what the 'search' box does?
How long have you let it run?
Have you shut it before it completes?

I've got a feeling it's either what I posted above OR you have a problem with the C: index.

Have you run a dskchk on this drive?
How is the fragmentation?

by ic-it

For the drive; open a cmdprompt (or Run) and type - regsvr32 /i shell32.dll

I would also do a spyware check with Spybot Search and Destroy and with AdWare, both are free and can be found at sites like;
www.download.com

by troy

That command repaired it, though I'm still unsure as to what caused it. Can you give a brief explaination to the situation with that error and the repair method, just curious and would like to know more.

Ta,
Troy

by ic-it

Regsvr32 used with the /i switch basically tells windows to allow the dll to install itself (again). Here is a Microsft link for an explaination.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/249873

The problem can be caused by a few things, software installation that adds or modifies the context menu handlers, a registry modification, and meanest of all malware or trojan/virus infection. There are probably a few more things that can cause this too.

by david.beck

Hi there,

Thanks for the tip. I had the same problem and your solution worked. It also fixed another problem I had where I could not "view" the hidden files on my drive - despite repeatedly activating that feature in the tools/folder options/view/advanced settings window. I?ll sleep soundly tonight.

Thanks!

david

by clemgi2002

I have a completely different problem and I'd be glad if someone helped me. I'm running Windows xp pro sp2,on a dell laptop, 60gb hdd,504mb ram, 1.1ghz. When the laptop boots a dos window appears then quickly disappears.When I double click drive C, the same dos window appears and disappears immediately and C doesn't open unless I go to the address bar. what could be the problem? Thanks.

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