My Computer Disappeared

[Bob]

Hello:

I don't know how it happened, but "My Computer" has disappeared. I can get
to it from a straight explorer, but it's gone from my Start Menu and any
program now that opens a "Select Folder" type dialog opens My Network Places
and My Computer cannot be accessed.

Note I keep it off my desktop, but even if I try to re-enable it on the
desktop (Display-->Desktop-->Customize Desktop, Select it, OK), it doesn't
work. When I go to Customize Start Menu, It's Listed as "Display as a Menu"
but won't show up !!?? Kindof wierd?? My guess is some line(s) in the
Registry got erased somehow. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Robert

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Robert,

See if this command gets back the My Computer icon. Type in Start, Run:

regsvr32 /i shell32.dll

 

[Bob]

Thanks for the reply Ramesh,

I tried it, but it didn't change anything.

The most frustrating thing about this problem is that whenever I use the
Down Arrow in a directory dialog, instead of landing in My Documents or
somewhere in My Computer, I get a list of all folders under My Network
Places (which in my case is a huge list).

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Bob,

Is this registry key present? If so, export and post the contents here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

 

[Bob]

Ramesh:

Yes, that key is present. I also tried SFC.EXE" & " /SCANNOW and no luck.

Any more ideas?

Thanks again Ramesh for your reply!
(Sorry, I accidentally sent this reply as email the 1st time)

Bob

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Bob,

There is a Policy setting that I know, but that hides the My Computer icon
in the Start Menu AND in the Desktop ( and the user can't enable it). As
you're telling that the My Computer icon displays find in the Desktop, I
don't think it's the Policy setting that I was talking about.

In the original post, you stated:

Can you give me an example, the program name?

 

[Bob]

Ramesh,

It could be the Policy (possibly)... can you tell me how to access it (I'm
using XP Home SP2 - the Group Policy Editor gives me nothing).

As for an example: When I open Notepad, File-->Open, then click the Down
Arrow on top ("Look In") I get My Recent Documents -- Desktop -- My Network
Places -- Entire Network -- Then all root folders on the network. My
Computer is nowhere inbetween or anywhere to ne found.

Wierd, huh??

Thanks, Bob

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Bob,

1. Open Regedit.exe and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\NonEnum
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\NonEnum
2. Backup the branch to REG file.
3. In the right-pane, delete the value
{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
4. Restart Windows

If that does not help, export the contents of this key: Post it here.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}