I can't use find

[Yathi]

I have a windows XP Media Centered Edition. For the past few days me Find is not working. The only major change which I have done is unintalling MS Office.
From find I mean the windows find (Windows + F) or search as it is called in XP.
Please can any one tell me what is the problem.

 

[siriusb]

From this forum:

I had used Tweak-XP to 'Hide "Search"' (from the Classic Start Menu) Apparently, this also makes the Explorer Search button not to work.

Maybe you or someone else has done something similar (there's probably numerous programs for doing this kind of thing). You can also check/edit your registry yourself for this effect.

If you're comfortable with regedit use it and see if you can find the following entry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoFind

If "NoFind" has the value "01 00 00 00" change it to "00 00 00 00" and it will probably solve your problem. You will need to restart ("log off & log in" will probably suffice).

 

[Yathi]

I have also tried nofind but the key is not there in the registry. I have also tried in the local machine location. So do you or anyone else have any other suggestion?

 

[Vishal Gupta]

Is <WIN>+F working?

 

[Vishal Gupta]

Copy-paste the following code in notepad and save it as <anyname>.reg:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch]
@="{169A0691-8DF9-11d1-A1C4-00C04FD75D13}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\0]
@="For &Files or Folders..."
"LocalizedString"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,32,00,33,00,32,00,33,00,32,00,00,00
"RunInProcess"="1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\0\DefaultIcon]
@=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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,\
  45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,31,00,33,\
  00,34,00,00,00
"HotIcon"=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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,\
  35,00,30,00,00,00
"GrayIcon"=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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,\
  35,00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\0\HelpText]
@="Search for files or folders"
"LocalizedString"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,32,00,33,00,32,00,39,00,36,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\0\SearchGUID]
@="{169A0691-8DF9-11d1-A1C4-00C04FD75D13}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\0\SearchGUID\UrlNavNew]
@=hex(2):3a,00,3a,00,7b,00,65,00,31,00,37,00,64,00,34,00,66,00,63,00,30,00,2d,\
  00,35,00,35,00,36,00,34,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,31,00,2d,00,38,00,33,00,\
  66,00,32,00,2d,00,30,00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,30,00,64,00,63,00,38,\
  00,34,00,39,00,7d,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\1]
@="For &Computers"
"LocalizedString"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,32,00,33,00,32,00,33,00,33,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\1\DefaultIcon]
@=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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,\
  45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,31,00,33,\
  00,35,00,00,00
"HotIcon"=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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,\
  35,00,32,00,00,00
"GrayIcon"=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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,\
  35,00,33,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\1\HelpText]
@="Search for computers on the network"
"LocalizedString"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,32,00,33,00,32,00,39,00,37,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\1\SearchGUID]
@="{996E1EB1-B524-11d1-9120-00A0C98BA67D}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\1\SearchGUID\UrlNavNew]
@=hex(2):3a,00,3a,00,7b,00,31,00,66,00,34,00,64,00,65,00,33,00,37,00,30,00,2d,\
  00,64,00,36,00,32,00,37,00,2d,00,31,00,31,00,64,00,31,00,2d,00,62,00,61,00,\
  34,00,66,00,2d,00,30,00,30,00,61,00,30,00,63,00,39,00,31,00,65,00,65,00,64,\
  00,62,00,61,00,7d,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\2]
@="For &Printer"
"LocalizedString"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,32,00,33,00,32,00,33,00,34,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\2\DefaultIcon]
@=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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,\
  45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,31,00,33,\
  00,35,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\2\HelpText]
@="Search for a printer"
"LocalizedString"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,32,00,33,00,32,00,39,00,38,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindExtensions\Static\ShellSearch\2\SearchGUID]
@="{D515F311-B78B-11d1-9123-00A0C98BA67D}"

Double-click on the file and then click on YES and then OK.
May be it can solve ur prob?