misconfigured harddisk right-click menu

[Guest]

hello,

i'm running WinXP Pro SP2.

my machine has recently been infected with a spyware. i have removed them,
though. the problem left by the spyware is, when i right-click on the
harddisk icon in My Computer, the first and default option in the right-click
menu becomes 'Auto', followed by 'Search ...', 'Open' and 'Explore'.

how can i remove the 'Auto' option (for it doesn't serve any meaningful
purpose) and set the 'Open' option as the default one?

thanks.

Xero

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Delete the file named autorun.inf (may be hidden) from the drive's root, and restart Windows. And then follow the steps below:

Issue: Search Companion Starts If You Double-Click a Folder

This problem occurs when you alter the "Drive" / "File Folders" entries via File Types dialog, to add a "Command Prompt here" or "Print Directory" feature for drives / folders. (example)

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321379
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321186

Resolution:

Click Start/Run and type this command to fix this problem:
(Tip from David Candy)

regsvr32 /i shell32.dll

-or-

Fix "Search" Opens Instead of Explorer:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_folder_open.htm

-or-

To fix this manually via registry:

If this problem is seen for Drives:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell
Set (default) to "none" (without ")

If this problem is seen for folders:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
Set (default) to "none" (without ")

=

Search Companion Starts If You Double-Click a Folder:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321186

Alternately, using Command-line.

Click Start/Run and type:

reg add hkcr\directory\shell /ve /d none /f


--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


hello,

i'm running WinXP Pro SP2.

my machine has recently been infected with a spyware. i have removed them,
though. the problem left by the spyware is, when i right-click on the
harddisk icon in My Computer, the first and default option in the right-click
menu becomes 'Auto', followed by 'Search ...', 'Open' and 'Explore'.

how can i remove the 'Auto' option (for it doesn't serve any meaningful
purpose) and set the 'Open' option as the default one?

thanks.

Xero

 

[Guest]

hello,

thanks for replying but i don't see any autorun.inf (i have chosen to show
all files). i have tried to search for it but still i can't find it.

is there anything else that can go wrong?

thanks again

Xero

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Is the "Auto.." option displayed for other hard drives also?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


hello,

thanks for replying but i don't see any autorun.inf (i have chosen to show
all files). i have tried to search for it but still i can't find it.

is there anything else that can go wrong?

thanks again

Xero

 

[Guest]

no, just one
(i have two hard disks, the 'Auto ...' one is the one on which Windows is
installed, and the other 'normal' one does not contain an OS.)

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Xero,

I really meant other "drive-letters", rather than "hard drives".

How many partitions do you have?
Is the "Auto" (Autorun?) option shown for all the drive-letters, or only one in particular?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


no, just one
(i have two hard disks, the 'Auto ...' one is the one on which Windows is
installed, and the other 'normal' one does not contain an OS.)

 

[Guest]

i have two drive-letters and the "Auto" option is shown only in the letter on
which Windows is installed.

btw: the exact wording of the weird option is "Auto", rather than the usual
"Autorun". when i choose it, Windows prompts me to select a program to open
it (as if the drive-letter were a file that it didn't recognise).

Xero,

I really meant other "drive-letters", rather than "hard drives".

How many partitions do you have?
Is the "Auto" (Autorun?) option shown for all the drive-letters, or only one in particular?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


no, just one
(i have two hard disks, the 'Auto ...' one is the one on which Windows is
installed, and the other 'normal' one does not contain an OS.)

Is the "Auto.." option displayed for other hard drives also?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


hello,

thanks for replying but i don't see any autorun.inf (i have chosen to show
all files). i have tried to search for it but still i can't find it.

is there anything else that can go wrong?

thanks again

Xero

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Xero,

Assuming that the problem is not seen in the other user accounts:

Can you export the following registry key to a REG file, and send it to my by email? If so, drop "XOX." from my email address.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2

The "Auto" entry must be hiding somewhere in the above location.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


i have two drive-letters and the "Auto" option is shown only in the letter on
which Windows is installed.

btw: the exact wording of the weird option is "Auto", rather than the usual
"Autorun". when i choose it, Windows prompts me to select a program to open
it (as if the drive-letter were a file that it didn't recognise).