Windows Explorer folder icons have gone

[Jim Boyle]

Small but irritating problem here:

In Windows Explorer in the Folder Pane I no longer see the folder icons
next to each node, like My Computer, Desktop, My Network Places, My
Documents, etc, etc.

Is there a registry setting I can change, or is this terminal and my
machine can no longer function without those crucial icons?

I am running Windows XP Pro with all the most recent updates.

I read somewhere that this can be caused if you delete a partition with
the C: label and are no longer left with a C: drive. That's exactly
what I have done but I don't know how to fix the folder icons problem
now. Any help appreciated.

 

[Jim Boyle]

Here's the solution in case anyone else has the same problem:

The Folders Bar in Windows Explorer Does Not Contain Any Icons



View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q307028



SYMPTOMS

When you view files in Windows Explorer, the Folders bar may not contain any
icons.



CAUSE

This problem may occur if there is no drive C on your computer.



RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, use the subst command to point to the drive
that Windows XP is installed on. For example, if Windows XP is installed on
drive H:



Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK to start a command
prompt session.

At the command prompt, type subst c: h:\, and then press ENTER.

Type exit, and then press ENTER.



Note You can add this subst command to a startup script or to a logon script
so that you do not have to repeat this procedure every that time you start
your computer.



STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products
that are listed at the beginning of this article.

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Last Reviewed: 5/27/2003 (2.0)

Keywords: kbbug kbenv kbtool kbui KB307028