Select the product you need help with

A drive is represented by a "?" character in Windows Explorer when you remove a removable storage drive or disconnect a network drive on a Windows XP-based computer

Article ID: 834241 - View products that this article applies to.

SYMPTOMS

After you remove a removable storage drive or disconnect a network drive on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, the drive may be represented by a "?" character in Windows Explorer.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

CAUSE

This issue may occur in the following scenario:

You open Windows Explorer in Folders view.

In the Windows Explorer folder list, a removable storage drive or a network drive is followed immediately by an empty CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
After you remove the removable storage drive from the computer, or after you disconnect the network drive by using the net use :x /delete command, the focus moves to the empty CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. Additionally, you receive the following message:
Please insert DISK to x: drive
After you click Cancel in response to this message, the focus moves to the storage drive that you removed or to the network drive that you disconnected, and the drive is represented by a "?" character.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389/EN-US/ )

How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

(http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)

Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language. The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name        Platform
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   20-Jan-2004  18:08  6.0.2800.1334   8,241,664  Shell32.dll      x86 
   20-Jan-2004  18:08  5.1.2600.1331     680,448  Sxs.dll          x86 
   19-Jan-2004  23:08  5.1.2600.1333     586,752  Xpsp2res.dll     x86 
   20-Jan-2004  18:08  6.0.2800.1331     921,600  Comctl32.dll     x86 
   20-Jan-2004  21:13                      1,812  Controls.man     x86
   20-Jan-2004  21:13                        621  Comctl.man       x86
   20-Jan-2004  17:52  6.0.2800.1334  14,372,864  Shell32.dll      IA-64
   20-Jan-2004  17:52  5.1.2600.1331   2,030,592  Sxs.dll          IA-64
   19-Jan-2004  23:08  5.1.2600.1333     586,240  Xpsp2res.dll     IA-64
   10-Jan-2004  11:54  6.0.2800.1331   2,639,872  Comctl32.dll     IA-64

Back to the top | Give Feedback

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section of this article. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Back to the top | Give Feedback