Windows Explorer Search Not Working

[Coffier]

When I click the Search button in Windows Explorer on a Windows 2000 SP4 machine, the left panel appears gray, if there weren't any other toolbar buttons pressed previously (i.e. Folders). If there was a previous button pressed (i.e. Folders followed by Search), the Folders window appears. to the last toolbar button. How do I get the Search button to work for searches again?

 

[search66]

I just don't understand the question...

 

[bcastner]

http://forums.techguy.org/t113867/s.htmlx?scid=kb;en-us;314060

 

[Coffier]

Repeat of the previous question for those who didn't understand it:

1) The Search button used for searching for file, computers, devices, etc. is pressed
2) With no previous button pressed: a gray panel appears on the left side of Windows Explorer.
3) With a button, such as Folders pressed earlier: the Search button behaves like the previous toolbar button used.

How do I correct this so that the Search button operates OK?

 

[bcastner]

If the instructions in my earlier link did not do the job, remove through Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, the hotfix "Internet Explorer Q824125"

Test to see if it sorts the issue.

This is a valuable hotfix, and removing it is generally speaking not a great idea. To restore the hotfix, head to the Windows Update site. It will immediately want to replace the Hotfix.

While I am unhappy about doing it, I have removed this Hotfix as the other unintended consequences of keeping it bothtered me too much.

 

[Coffier]

I don't hava a Hotfix Q824125, I have Hotfix Q824145 for IE6.

 

[bcastner]

My typo, and my apologies.
This is the problem:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/20031111_windows.asp

Remove the hotfix and test.

If the problem is resolved you have to balance the advantages/disadvantages of keeping the Hotfix or restoring Explorer back to normal.

My own choice was the remove the Hotfix. The many issues it has created is promised to be fixed, soon, by Microsoft.

My guess is at the mid-January 2004 security Hotfix rollout date.

 

[1stITMAN]

have a look here

http://windows.oreilly.com/news/winmeannoy_0301.html

I.T Systems Support Engineer
Bsc. (Hons).

 

[Coffier]

1stITMan:

I tried all of the methods that were suggested and the left panel is still gray.

 

[bcastner]

1. Start, Run, sfc /Scannow

2. It might be your best hope if #1 does not help. You will lose service packs and hotfixes, but not installed programs or data:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=292175

 

[Coffier]

I would hope to keep the hotfixes because they provide fixes that would be devastating to lose to correct a single problem.

Start-Run-sfc /scannow shows everything is fine and doesn't fix anything (hotfixes are still there).

The solutions at the other URL's didn't work. I think there may be a missing file or something. Do I need an All Files.fnd somewhere for this function to work? What does this file contain, if I need one?

 

[OIIIIIO]

Try re-installing IE. We had this problem with one of our servers where windows explorers folder pane was greyed out and that did the trick for us.

 

[Coffier]

OIIIIIO:

That leaves one question:

What would happen when Hotfix Q824145 is reinstalled by Microsoft Windows Update Service? Would the panel grey out again, or will it remain correct?

 

[bcastner]

open notepad and start a new file to be called fix_explorer.reg

copy/paste the below, save the file and double-click to merge the change with your registry. Reboot and test.

********* start copy/paste below this line
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{EFA24E64-B078-11d0-89E4-00C04FC9E26E}]
@="Explorer Band"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{EFA24E64-B078-11d0-89E4-00C04FC9E26E}\Implemented Categories]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{EFA24E64-B078-11d0-89E4-00C04FC9E26E}\Implemented Categories\{00021493-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{EFA24E64-B078-11d0-89E4-00C04FC9E26E}\InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25, 00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00, 64,00,6f,00,63,00,76,00,77,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"
***end copy/paste above this line

 

[Coffier]

Result of advice by OIIIIIO:

I did a clean install of IE6 SP1. After restart, I tested Windows Explorer and found that the problem wasn't fixed. So, I went to Windows Update for 35 minutes and restored IE6 to where I had it before. Thanx.

Result of advice by bcastner:

I installed your registry "patch". I get two errors at startup. Both of them are the same:

The instruction at “0x01321221” referenced memory at “0x01321221”. The memory
could not be “read”.

Click OK to terminate the program
Click CANCEL to debug the program

OK CANCEL

The Windows Explorer search problem is not corrected. Thanx.

 

[bcastner]

I am sorry it did not work.

"The problem of the Grayed out Explorer Folders Pane has been traced to a single registry key.

This one:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{EFA24E64-B078-11d0-89E4-00C04FC9E26E}\InProcServer32

The Default value for this key points to the file which builds the Explorer Band. That file is either Shdocvw.dll or Browseui.dll. The file varies according to which version of Internet Explorer is installed. If this entry is not correct, the Pane will not be built.

Internet Explorer 5.5 uses Browseui.dll
All other Internet Explorer Versions use Shdocvw.dll

For All Internet Explorer versions EXCEPT IE 5.5

Go to Start>run and type Regedit. Press Enter

Navigate to this key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{EFA24E64-B078-11d0-89E4-00C04FC9E26E}\InProcServer32

Highlight InProcServer32 in the left pane. In the right pane, double click on Default. Modify the value data in the box which will come up, by typing in the correct path to shdocvw.dll. Click Ok. Close the Registry."

The .reg file was built on this principle.

Source:

http://forums.techguy.org/t113867/s.html

If Windows Update should cause the issue to reappear, consider making the entry change above by hand rather than a .reg file. It really does work. I have had issues before with the site tendency to truncate long line lengths in .reg file postings.

My apologies.

 

[Coffier]

The registry is already as you stated in your post. The left pane is not corrected. It only grays out when Search is selected. With the other functions it works normally.

The previous test I did by backdating IE6 and checking indicates that this might be a problem exclusive to Windows Explorer.

 

[bcastner]

Try a repair of "Internet Explorer".
Yes, I realise you typed "Windows Explorer",
but the two are linked.

Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs
Highlight "Microsoft Internet Explorer"
Click Add/Remove Button
Checkmark in "Repair Internet Explorer"

Source: Geeorge Maltby

"A reader alerted me to an odd problem he was having with his version of Windows Explorer; seems his left page had gone completely grey on him. That's not good. Both he and I suspected Registry corruption, but we were both wrong; he found the solution to be an upgrade of his version of Internet Explorer. Why, you ask? Because WinEx and MSIE are tightly integrated, and a bad installation or corruption in one can affect the other. If this happens to you, try reinstalling MSIE, either using the same version or an upgrade."

Source: carrituck7

 

[Coffier]

bcastner:

CPP (Check Previous Posts), especially the one to OIIIIIO on January 7. Please notice that it said that I did a "clean install". That means that I would have a new IE6 installed.This is even more than repairing an installed copy of IE6. It is practically starting over! I have already done this twice! Enough already.

 

[Coffier]

I did some more research and found that not all of the registry entries for shell32.dll are entered. This is why the search window is grey.

How do I reinstall the registry entries for shell32.dll that are in its reginstall section under its resource table? This is the only thing that needs a reinstall.