Troubleshooting Folders, Files, and Shortcuts

Here are some common problems and their solutions for working with files and folders in Windows Explorer. Remember, Windows Explorer is the program that opens whenever you open any folder. You don’t need to specifically open Windows Explorer from the All Programs menu.

The Classic Menu bar is missing from Explorer

When re-creating Windows Explorer for Vista, Microsoft moved the most used functions to the different toolbars in the product. Not all of the functionality appears on the toolbars, though. As mentioned in Article 28 under “Windows Explorer Components,” you can temporarily bring back the Classic Menu by tapping the Alt key. If you want the menu to show up on a more permanent basis, do so by selecting Organize  ->  Layout  ->  Classic Menus.

Where is the Up button to go to the parent folder?

There is no Up button in Vista’s Explorer. To go to the parent of the current folder, click its name in the Address bar. Or click the arrow to the left of the current folder’s name and choose a folder from there.

What happened to the Folders list?

The Folders list is in the Navigation pane. Click the word Folders at the bottom of the Navigation pane. If the Navigation pane isn’t visible, click Organize and choose Layout  ->  Navigation pane.

Slide Show is not available as an option in the Explorer Toolbar

Based on the contents of the folder, Windows Explorer builds the items that appear on the Toolbar on the fly. If Windows Explorer has determined that the folder you’re looking at doesn’t require the Slide Show option and you want that option, follow these steps to enable it:

1. Make sure no files are selected within the folder and choose Organize  ->  Properties from the toolbar.

2. In the Properties window for the folder, click the Customize tab.

3. From the “Use this folder type as a template” choose Pictures and Videos.

4. Optionally, you can choose a different template from the drop-down list.

5. Check the box “Also apply this template to all subfolders” if you want folders below this folder to also use the same format. 6. Click the OK button, and the Exp

lorer interface should now contain the Slide Show button in the toolbar.

I don’t see the file extensions on files

By default, the file extensions are not shown under Windows Explorer. Sometimes, it is necessary to alter the file extension of a file. To show the file extensions, follow these steps:

1. Select Organize  ->  Folder Options.

2. In the Folder Options window, select the View tab.

3. In the Advanced settings section, scroll down to Hide extensions for known file types, clear the checkmark from its checkbox, and click OK.

For more information on this topic, see the section titled “Options on the View Tab,” in Article 28.

When I try to select by dragging, the icons move, and nothing is selected

To move an item, you put the mouse pointer on the item you want to move, and then drag. To select items by dragging, start with the mouse pointer near the first item you want to select, but not at a point where it’s actually touching an icon. It’s tricky in Vista because the mouse pointer selects when you get close to an icon. You can tell an icon is selected when the background color changes. The Tiles view is the easiest one to use when you want to select multiple icons by dragging.

Error message “Application is using this file. You must close the file before proceeding.”

Whenever you see this message, it means that the file you’re trying to delete, rename, or move is currently open. Close the open document on the desktop (or from the taskbar, if it’s minimized). Then, try again.

Error message “If you change a file name extension, the file may become unstable.”

You’ve attempted to rename both the filename and the extension. Changing a filename extension can be bad news because the extension will no longer accurately reflect the format of the data in the file. Choose No and then rename the file. This time, don’t change the file extension.

Error message “This location already contains a file with the same name”

No two files in a folder can have the same name. Here, you’re trying to move or copy a file to a folder that already contains a file with the name of the one you’re trying to move or copy. Your best bet would be to choose Keep this original file. Next, rename the file or folder you’re trying to move or copy and then move or copy the renamed file. Optionally, if you choose Copy this file, the file that’s already in the folder will be replaced by the one you’re trying to move or copy, which means that the original file will be lost forever. You’re also given a third option of Copy using another name that will copy the file to this folder and give the file you’re copying a different name. Windows will give the new file the same name as the original but append a number enclosed with parentheses.

“Problem with Shortcut” dialog box opens

When a shortcut stops working, that means the folder, file, or Web page to which the shortcut refers no longer exists. In the case of a file or folder, you’ve deleted, moved, or renamed the original item since creating the shortcut. If the file or folder has been deleted and still remains in the Recycle Bin, Windows gives you the option of restoring the file or folder. If the file or folder has been deleted and removed from the Recycle Bin, Windows only gives you the options of deleting or keeping the shortcut. In the case of a Web page, either you’re not online, or the Web page no longer exists at that location.

Deleting a shortcut from my desktop deletes it from all users’ desktops

When you create a desktop shortcut in your own user account by right-clicking an icon and choosing Send To  ->  Desktop (create shortcut), that icon is unique to your desktop. So, when you delete the icon, it should disappear from your desktop only. That’s because the icon is stored in the Desktop folder for your user account only. That folder’s name is C:\Users\Username\Desktop, where Username is the name of your user account. Sometimes, when you install a new program, that setup procedure automatically creates a new desktop shortcut icon on every user’s desktop. That icon is stored in the Public Desktop folder at C:\Users\ Public\Public Desktop. So, when you delete that icon from your desktop, you actually delete it from the folder and all other users’ desktops. If you just want to get the icon back, so that other users have it again, open the Recycle Bin and restore the icon from there. If you’re a patient administrator, you can then copy the shortcut from the Public Desktop folder to every other user’s Desktop folder except your own. If you’re not that patient, you can just remind other users that they can create any shortcut they want in two seconds flat by right-clicking any icon and choosing Send To  ->  Desktop (create shortcut) to make any shortcut they want.

Troubleshooting Documents

It’s very frustrating trying to save a document that you’ve spent hours on only to have the system tell you that you can’t save it. This section covers some of the common problems when trying to save your hard work.

You cannot save in the folder specified

The folder you’ve chosen in the drop-down list can’t be used to store files. Click OK to close the message box. Choose a different folder, such as Documents, from the drop-down list. Then, click the Save button again.

The file name is invalid

The filename you entered contains an invalid character. Try a different filename; make sure that it doesn’t contain any of the following characters: \ : / * ? " > < | Click the Save button to save the document with the new name.

Please insert a disk into drive A:

The error occurs when you attempt to save a document to an empty disk drive. Your best bet would be to click the Cancel button and choose a folder such as Documents. However, if you really want to save the document to a floppy, you’ll need to put a floppy disk with sufficient empty space on it into the floppy drive.

My document isn’t in the Open dialog box

Make sure that the location at the top of the Open dialog box is showing the name of the folder in which the document is contained. If it doesn’t, navigate to the appropriate folder. If the document still isn’t visible in the main pane, change the file type option at the bottom-right corner of the dialog box to All Files or the type of file you’re trying to open.

Troubleshooting CDs and DVDs

CDs and DVDs pose some unique problems because unlike most computer storage media, they use laser technology rather than magnetism. You can’t read from and write to CDs and DVDs as you can other types of disks. And, CDs and DVDs are likely to generate some unique error messages, described and addressed in the sections that follow.

Error message “Invalid function” when attempting to write files to a CD

You can only write files with CD-R and CD-RW drives, not a CD-ROM drive. Also, the recording capabilities of your CD-R or CD-ROM drive must be enabled as follows:

1. Click the Start button and choose My Computer.

2. Right-click the icon for your CD drive and choose Properties.

3. In the Properties dialog box that opens, click the Recording tab.

4. Make sure that your drive shows up under “Select a drive that Windows can use as the default recorder for your system.” 5. Click OK.

An invalid or outdated CD driver can also cause the problem. See Article 51 for the goods on finding an updated driver. Finally, a conflict with third-party CD-burning software can generate this message. Try using that thirdparty program to copy files to a CD. For general information about Roxio CD-burning products, see www.roxio.com. See www.nero.com for general information on Nero Burn products.

I’m unable to read recorded CDs and DVDs on other computers

The most likely cause of this problem is that you did not properly close the session after you were finished copying information to the CD or DVD. To close the session:

1. Put the CD or DVD back into the drive.

2. Navigate to the contents of the disc if they don’t come up automatically.

3. Right-click within the window and select Close session.

Even though you have closed the session, you can add more data to the disc later. Closing the session allows you to use the disc on other computers.

Troubleshooting Searches

Searches in Windows Vista are a whole new ballgame, nothing like Search Companion or similar tools from earlier versions of Windows. The kinds of searches that return keystroke-by-keystroke results don’t search the entire file system. If they did, the searches wouldn’t be nearly as fast. Searches that return keystroke-bykeystroke results are searching only the search index. By default, the search index includes only the kinds of things most users access all the time, like documents, messages, programs, and dialog boxes.

Search didn’t find my file

Where you start a search has a big effect. When you search using the Search box in the upper-right corner of a folder, you search only that folder and its subfolders. Limiting the search in that manner is what allows Vista to return keystroke-by-keystroke results. For more traditional file system searches, you have to use the Search window, and extend the search beyond the search index. When a search fails, click Advanced Search under the search results to expand your search. Use techniques described in Articles 30 and 31 to master Vista’s instant searches.

No Search option on the Start menu

To add the Search option to your Start menu, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Properties.

2. Click the Customize button next to the Start menu.

3. Scroll down to and select (check) the Search option.

4. Click OK in each open dialog box.

More Troubleshooting Resources

For live help with troubleshooting files, consider the Microsoft.public.windows.vista .file_management newsgroup in Microsoft Communities. Whatever problem you’re having, chances are you’ll find someone who has had that same problem and solved it. You can also search Vista’s built-in Help and Support for the specific topic with which you’re having a problem. Here are some examples of searches you might enter into the Search Help box:

- troubleshoot folders

- troubleshoot files

- troubleshoot search

- troubleshoot cd

- troubleshoot dvd

- troubleshoot backup

- troubleshoot previous versions