Help - Windows Explorer Opens the Search Companion instead of the Folder
Windows XP Tips Posted by Shawn DesRochers September 5th, 2007Scenario: You know you double clicked the folder but instead of the folder opening up to access the content you get the search companion instead.
This has happened to me, and it can be frustrating when you don’t know what’s going on. You start to think your computer is possessed, but instead it’s just the folder option has been changed.
To correct this do the following.
- Go to Start -> Run – and type Regedit
- On the left hand menu select the plus signs + and navigate to the following.
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Drive \ shell]
- Right click and select Edit the default value to be explorer or none.
- Logoff and back on again.
Now double click a folder you should see the content and not the search companion.
If you don’t feel comfortable editing the registry. I suggest downloading the registry fix below.
Explore Directory Registry Fix
Popularity: 10% [?]
If you found this page useful, consider linking to it.
Simply copy and paste the code below into your web site (Ctrl+C to copy)
It will look like this: Help - Windows Explorer Opens the Search Companion instead of the Folder
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May 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for providing a registry fix that actually worked.
I am still wondering who or what caused this “Search Companion” to pop up uninvited, so that I can prevent
this in the future.
Another thing I would like would be a complete and definitive list of any and all “user settings” in XP that can be changed by the user, and how and where they are located. Of course that’s too much to ask.
Anyway, kudos to you, and my usual thumbs-down to the
“evil microsoft programmers, lawyers and marketing guys”
that made Windows settings so cryptic, un-intuitive and
insanely unworkable, that it turns normal well-adjusted
guys like myself into raving barbarians with pie catapults.