Search Companion Error When You Search for Files and Folders

When you search for files and folders in Windows XP (click Start, and then click Search), you may receive a Search Companion pop-up window that displays an exclamation mark in a yellow triangle.

This issue may occur if the registry key for the Search Results folder is missing from the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key.
4. Type {e17d4fc0-5564-11d1-83f2-00a0c90dc849}, and then press ENTER.
5. Click the (Default) value in the right pane.
6. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
7. Type Search Results Folder, and then click OK.