Windows XP delivers another disappointment

[Tenacious]

When forced to use Windows in the past, I could click on My Computer and manipulate files and folders on various drives.  Usable.

Recently, I installed Service Pack 2 and other updates on my work laptop.  Now, clicking on drives or folders brings up an empty finder window titled "Search Results", everytime.  Unusable!   I don't want to do a search everytime I click on an icon!  Not only was the behavior of my desktop changed without permission, I've spent the last several hours trying to change it back.  Folder Options isn't cutting it.  Has anyone else seen this?

[adolescent]

Check the Drive, File Folder and Folder file types to make sure that Find isn't set as default.  

(ie. Tools -> Folder Options -> File Types tab -> Select Drive -> click Advanced)

[mr_a500]

No, no - don't change it. Microsoft has decided that this is the way you should be working. They know best. I always trust large capitalist corporations to decide what's best for me... and you should too. (yeah, right)

When Microsoft says things like "We design software to work the way you want to work", what they actually mean is "We design software to work the way we want you to work". I spent years trying to work the way I want and nearly went insane fighting Windows. The worst thing is that there's no way to boycott Microsoft. Every possible job you can get now requires you to use Windows. (unless you're one lucky MF)

[keropi]

what are u saying? the "My Computer" concept is the same from win95->xp64 ... SP2 or not it makes no difference...

My guess is that u got a lame virus or something...

[dfreniche]

The worst thing is that there's no way to boycott Microsoft. Every possible job you can get now requires you to use Windows. (unless you're one lucky MF)

Well, I'm that lucky MF! And everyone who wants to work with computers can choose the Free Software option. Increasingly, more and more people are using Open/Free/GPL'd soft (Linux, OpenOffice.org, Apache, Gimp, Mozilla, ...)
So nowadays you can find a job using only Open Source soft. skills.
Maybe the solution for the supervivence of Amiga OS would be changing to Open Source?

[huronking]

I was a lucky MF and spent the last 5 years on Sun.

They "Upgraded" our Ultra10's to ultra thin clients and made out lives miserable. As bad as it got, we were still
better off than with m$.

[twizzle]

i think you might be refering to the new msn toolbar/desktop search indexing tool which is a pain in the ass
thats why i keep an early version of msn toolbar

[Tenacious]

Thanks for the responces everyone.

@ adolescent

Your right, sort of.  Or, maybe I'm thick.  'Find' is the only option in Advanced for Disk and File Folders.  There are 4 buttons to the side, new, edir, delete, and set default.  Edit and delete are ghosted.  I can't delete or edit 'find'.  I tried adding a new entry like open, it wouldn't take it.

My wife reloaded XP last week on her machine without SP2 (another horror story).  She stepped through these same steps and has only 'find' in hers as well.  Interestingly, under some of the other tabs, I have options available that she does not.  I'm guessing these updates installed someone's preferences by default.

How do you unset 'find' as default, hit the button again?

[_ThEcRoW]

@Tenacious

First learn how to configure and use a system before blaming it. I know windows isn't perfect, but the problem you described i haven't see it, and i work with many computers with win on it. As some mate from this board suggested, maybe your system is infected with a virus or a misconfigured spyware.

[adz]

Tenacious wrote:
When forced to use Windows in the past, I could click on My Computer and manipulate files and folders on various drives.  Usable.

Recently, I installed Service Pack 2 and other updates on my work laptop.  Now, clicking on drives or folders brings up an empty finder window titled "Search Results", everytime.  Unusable!   I don't want to do a search everytime I click on an icon!  Not only was the behavior of my desktop changed without permission, I've spent the last several hours trying to change it back.  Folder Options isn't cutting it.  Has anyone else seen this?

Can't say I've ever had that happen to me, or any of the 1000+ XP machines that plague my networks.

[T_Bone]

_ThEcRoW wrote:
@Tenacious

First learn how to configure and use a system before blaming it. I know windows isn't perfect, but the problem you described i haven't see it, and i work with many computers with win on it. As some mate from this board suggested, maybe your system is infected with a virus or a misconfigured spyware.

Nope, it's a bug, I just recreated it here on a clean install that wasn't previously affected.

I don't know how it happened to him originally, but if you go to Tools->Folder Options->File Types->Drive->Advanced, you will normally see just "find" although it won't be selected.

Try selecting it and "set as default" and chaos ensues.  :roflmao:

There's no freaking way to unselect it in the GUI!

I had to create a new action, "browse" and use "explorer.exe" as application used to perform as a workaround untill I find out how to undo it.

[T_Bone]

T_Bone wrote:

_ThEcRoW wrote:
@Tenacious

First learn how to configure and use a system before blaming it. I know windows isn't perfect, but the problem you described i haven't see it, and i work with many computers with win on it. As some mate from this board suggested, maybe your system is infected with a virus or a misconfigured spyware.

Nope, it's a bug, I just recreated it here on a clean install that wasn't previously affected.

I don't know how it happened to him originally, but if you go to Tools->Folder Options->File Types->Drive->Advanced, you will normally see just "find" although it won't be selected.

Try selecting it and "set as default" and chaos ensues.  :roflmao:

There's no freaking way to unselect it in the GUI!

I had to create a new action, "browse" and use "explorer.exe" as application used to perform as a workaround untill I find out how to undo it.

Here's how I fixed it.

do what I did above, making sure "find" is not the default by making your own (like "browse" above) and setting it as default.

Then open regedit, and go to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\Shell

Now you'll see "find" and "browse" (or whatever command you added), delete everything but "find".

Now when you look at it in the GUI, find will be there, but will no longer be selected as default, and should behave normally again.

edit:

other solutions:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321186

http://forums.wugnet.com/Customize-Exploring-HDD-ftopict392177.html

According to the second link, a simple " regsvr32 /i shell32.dll " will work.

[SyrTran]

@T_Bone

I had to create a new action, "browse" and use "explorer.exe" as application used to perform as a workaround untill I find out how to undo it.

I'm sure it's as simple as editing the Registry. :-D

EDIT-

HEY!! You changed your post while I was replying! :-P

[Tenacious]

@ T_Bone

Thank you!  I'm impressed.  

In general, its great to log on here with a problem outside my experience and almost everyone is helpful without jumping conclusions or responding in a patronizing manner.  Grin.  That's the beauty of this community.

[KThunder]

well there are some of us who really really love microsoft  :-)  (exp8lorer is spy8ing on me because i actualy didnt read the eula i just skimmed)
some people get ticked off when someone slags off ms for some simple little thing they screwed up in the first place, but your problem definitely is more complex than that. i hope you can fix it.