Strange file/folder desktop refresh quirk

[THE4MAN]

Hello everyone,

I have run into a recent desktop problem with my Windows XP Pro system that hopefully someone knows of a fix.

Whenever I try to right click to create a new folder or create a new text file on the desktop (or in any subfolders that reside on the desktop), nothing happens visually. Windows acts as though it has done what I requested with no errors but I don't see the new file or folder I created. Unless I right click and hit refresh. Then POOF! Whatever I created appears. So then of course, Windows has named the file "New Text Document" or "New Folder". To change the name I follow the regular right click/rename process but once again Windows doesn't visually show the change after I hit enter. But when I refresh the desktop, POOF! The name changes to what I renamed it.

If I try to drag and drop anything to the desktop, same thing. It appears as though the file doesn't exist until I refresh, then it's there.

If I try to drag and drop anything over the network from my Win2000 machine to this XP machine, I get an error that says the file is in use and it cannot copy. If I go the other way and try and drag and drop *from* the Win2000 machine, it lets me, but again with no visual icon present until refresh.

Finally, I am seeing another possible related problem... whenever I try and view any PHP file that's located in a folder on my desktop, IE displays the page's code as text. If I refresh, then the page appears as it's supposed to. This is only in IE as Firefox and Netscape work fine.

I tried the registry fix I found in the FAQ for the drag and drop problem but that didn't work.

Any suggestions on the cause of this or any possible solutions?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Dave Fore

 

[linney]

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFIX.htm

Some general things to try.

See if System Restore will get you back to a restore point before your problem with Explorer.

Try Safe Mode (Do you have this problem in Safe Mode?).

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

814684 - You Cannot Specify a Folder Name When You Create a New Folder on a Mapped Network Drive

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;814684&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates (no problem if you substitute them with SP2) but your files and programs will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[THE4MAN]

Thanks for the info.

I tried the IEFIX. Nothing changed.

Safe mode does *not* exhibit this problem.

For some reason when I try to restore to an earlier point, it goes through the motions then at the very end after it's rebooted and about to show me the desktop, it says that it can't restore to that date and that no changes have been made. This message on *any* previous restore point that I have tried - same error.

ChkDsk = good disk

System File Checker = no problems found

Unsigned device drivers showed some offending drivers, but nothing that wasn't already there prior to this problem manifesting itself. Everything that's there I put there and need so uninstalling programs is not an option.

Tried the folder in root drive set to "write" but that didn't work either.

I am skeptical on trying to repair Windows. I actually have a pretty recent Ghost file I could reload, but quite a bit of work would follow to bring it to current status before the problem started.

What I was really hoping for was an "easy; here change this one setting" solution to avoid having to Ghost the drive, but it looks like all the "easy" solutions have been tried.

Anything else, or is it Ghost time?

Thanks for the help.

Dave Fore

 

[bcastner]

Do you happen to have on the Desktop a folder named Desktop?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;323681&Product=winxp

 

[THE4MAN]

No file or folder on the desktop named "desktop". No shortcut to desktop on the desktop either. Desktop is shared in docs and settings since I transfer stuff to it regularly from another computer. But even with sharing turned off, I still have the same problem.

 

[bcastner]

Read this discussion:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;816375

 

[linney]

What is running in Normal Mode that is not running in Safe Mode? The answer may be Anti Virus or Networking. Try Safe Mode with Networking and see how that performs.

Further elimination/experimentation can be achieved via these -

310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310353&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

It may be helpful to have a look in the Event Viewer for any errors or warnings.

Part of the trouble with System Restore is that it will not allow you to restore to any point in time where the computer configuration is faulty (at that selected point).

It is also worth trying any restore with System Restore while in Safe Mode as for some unknown reason that may succeed even though it fails in Normal Mode.

Further, on a repair as opposed to Ghost. If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates (no problem if you substitute them with SP2) but your files and programs will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp