Repairing Search for Windows XP

Repairing Windows XP Search is quite simple. You may need your Windows XP Installation CD for the following procedure. Administrative privileges are required to perform the solution.

Manual Steps Using INF File

1. Click the START button to open the Start Menu.
2. Click Run… to open the Run dialog box.
3. Type:

   %windir%\inf
   

4. Press ENTER on your keyboard.

   NOTE

   Windows Explorer should open at %windir%\inf. Typically, the located is C:\Windows\INF.

5. Locate and select srchasst.inf..
6. Right-click srchasst.inf to select Install.
7. If prompted for your Windows XP CD then insert the Windows XP CD into your CD / DVD Drive.
8. Reboot the computer if prompted to do so.

Manual Steps Using Command Line

1. Click the START button to open the Start Menu.
2. Click Run… to open the Run dialog box.
3. Type:

   cmd.exe

4. Press ENTER on your keyboard.

   NOTE

   A Command Prompt Window should now be open.

5. Type:

   rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction DefaultInstall 128 .\srchasst.inf
    

6. If prompted for your Windows XP CD then insert the Windows XP CD into your CD / DVD Drive.
7. Reboot the computer if prompted to do so.

Platforms Tested

• Microsoft Windows XP Editions

Related Articles

• A Search Window Opens When Double Clicking a Drive and/or Folder Icon
• Search is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• Repairing Scheduled Tasks Manager for Windows XP

Version 1.2
Edited: May 11, 2012

Repairing Scheduled Tasks Manager for Windows XP

Repairing Windows XP Scheduled Tasks Manager is quite simple. You may need your Windows XP Installation CD for the following procedure. Administrative privileges are required to perform the solution.

Manual Steps Using INF File

1. Click the START button to open the Start Menu.
2. Click Run… to open the Run dialog box.
3. Type:

   %windir%\inf
   

4. Press ENTER on your keyboard.

   NOTE

   Windows Explorer should open at %windir%\inf. Typically, the located is C:\Windows\INF.

5. Locate and select mstask.inf.
6. Right-click mstask.inf to select Install.
7. If prompted for your Windows XP CD then insert the Windows XP CD into your CD / DVD Drive.
8. Reboot the computer if prompted to do so.

Manual Steps Using Command Line

1. Click the START button to open the Start Menu.
2. Click Run… to open the Run dialog box.
3. Type:

   cmd.exe

4. Press ENTER on your keyboard.

   NOTE

   A Command Prompt Window should now be open.

5. Type:

   rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction DefaultInstall 128 .\mstask.inf
    

6. If prompted for your Windows XP CD then insert the Windows XP CD into your CD / DVD Drive.
7. Reboot the computer if prompted to do so.

Platforms Tested

• Microsoft Windows XP Editions

Related Articles

• Repairing Search for Windows XP

Version 1.2
Edited: May 11, 2012

Slipstreaming Service Pack 2 into a Bootable Windows XP CD

In this blog post, I will describe how to slipstream or integrate Windows XP Service Pack 2 into a Windows XP RTM or Service Pack 1 CD.

One of the benefits of slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 into a bootable Windows XP CD is being able to reinstall Windows XP without the need to download and install SP2 from Windows Update afterwards. All Windows XP system files will updated to the Service Pack 2 level. Your computer will still need updates to be fully patched. Visit Microsoft Update to check your PC for Critical and Important updates. If you experience any problems with Microsoft Security updates then please call Microsoft support for help. There will be no charge for support on Security Updates.

Microsoft has set up newsgroups for self-support. If you need help for Security updates or any other updates that is issued by Microsoft then please visit the Windows Update newsgroup at using your newsreader news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsupdate.

NOTE

To enlarge the images, simply click on the images you would like to view. With Internet Explorer 7, you can right-click on the image to select Open in New Tab.

What I Used

• UltraISO Premium Edition v8.6.3.2056 from EZB Systems
• Blank CD
• Windows XP RTM or Service Pack 1 CD
• BitsAdmin.exe from Microsoft Windows XP SP2 Support Tool
• Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Package from Microsoft

What I Did

1. Create a folder called WinXP in the root of the system drive, C:\WinXP.
2. Create four folders called BOOT, CD, ISO, and SP2 in the WinXP folder, C:\WinXP\BOOT, C:\WinXP\CD, C:\WinXP\ISO, and c:\WinXP\SP2.

    

3. Copy your original Windows XP CD to C:\WinXP\SP2 folder or use the following command assuming your CD Drive is letter D.

   xcopy d:\*.* c:\WinXP\CD /H /E

4. Download Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Package Microsoft to c:\WinXP\SP2 folder.NOTE: The Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Package is quite large to download. You may want to use BitsAdmin.exe to download the install file without worries of being disconnected during the download. If you are going to use BitsAdmin.exe to download Windows XP Service Pack 2 then use the instructions further down this blog post.
5. Slipstream or integrate Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Package to C:\WinXP\CD by using the following command:

   C:\WinXp\SP2\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe /integrate:C:\WinXP\CD

6. Open UltraISO and insert your Windows XP RTM or Service Pack 1 CD into your CD Drive. On the File menu, select Bootable then Extract Boot File from CD/DVD…. Click … ,name the file BootFile, and save it to C:\WinXP\BOOT folder.

    

7. Click Make. A message box should appear stating "Boot image file extracted successfully!". Click OK then Close.
8. On the File menu for UltraISO, select File > New > Bootable CD/DVD Image. Select the extracted boot file named BootFile located in C:\WinXP\BOOT. Click Open.
9. In the bottom left window pane for UltraISO, select C:\WinXP\CD.

    

10. In the bottom right window pane for UltraISO, select all of the contents. To do this, simply right-click in the bottom right window pane and select Select All. Click Add to add all the contents in the bottom right window pane of UltraISO.

     

11. In the top left window pane for UltraISO, rename the ISO image by selecting the ISO name to select Rename. Rename the ISO Image to what you like.

     

12. Now save the ISO image to C:\WinXP\ISO. To do this, go to the File menu and select Save. Type in your ISO file name and save to C:\WinXP\ISO.
13. You can now burn the ISO image to a blank CD using your favorite CD Burner software or using UltraISO like I did. Open UltraISO, go to the File menu to select Open…. Navigate to C:\WinXP\ISO to select the ISO image we have created.
14. Insert a blank CD into your CD / DVD burner.
15. Click the Burn CD/DVD Image button on the toolbar for UltraISO.

     

16. A Burn Image should appear, click Burn to starting the burning process.

     

17. Congratulations, you have made a Bootable Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD with your Windows XP RTM or Service Pack 1 CD.

NOTE

To enlarge the images, simply click on the images you would like to view. With Internet Explorer 7, you can right-click on the image to select Open in New Tab.

Download Windows XP SP2 Network Package using BitsAdmin (Optional)

1. Download and install Windows XP SP2 Support Tools.
2. Open a Command Prompt Window (Start > Run > cmd.exe) and type:

   bitsadmin /Create /Download SP2Job
    

   NOTE

   This creates a download job called SP2Job.

    

3. Type:

   bitsadmin /AddFile SP2Job http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/5/165b076b-aaa9-443d-84f0-73cf11fdcdf8/WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe C:\WinXP\SP2\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe

   NOTE

   Adds the Windows XP SP2 Network Package to SP2Job.

4. Type:

   bitsadmin /Resume SP2Job

   NOTE

   Starts the download for SP2Job.

5. Type:

   bitsadmin /GetState SP2Job

   NOTE

   If GetState returns TRANSFERRED then the SP2Job is finished transferring the bits and you can continue with Step 6.

6. Type:

   bitsadmin /complete SP2Job

   NOTE

   Completes the SP2Job.

7. Some other switches which may interest you.

   bitsadmin /GetBytesTotal SP2Job   [NOTE: Checks how many bytes are for the SP2Job]

   bitsadmin /GetBytesTransferred SP2Job  [NOTE: Checks how much bytes have been transferred for the SP2Job]

   bitsadmin /cancel SP2Job  [NOTE: Cancels the SP2Job]

   bitsadmin /Suspend  [NOTE: Pause the SP2 Job. Use ‘bitsadmin /Resume SP2Job‘ to resume the SP2Job.]

Platforms Tested

• Microsoft Windows XP Editions x86 Versions

Related Articles

• Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 3 into a Bootable Windows XP Install CD

Version 1.4
Edited: May 11, 2012

Search is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu

Windows XP Search link is missing from the Start Menu and is also missing when you try to customize the Start Menu using the Taskbar and Start Menu applet in the Control Panel. The most likely cause of this is malware utilizing Group Policy Objects which enforces policies for system settings and/or user accounts settings. The Group Policy for Remove Search menu from Start Menu will cause the Search link to be restricted/disabled (removed) from Start Menu when enabled.

Group Policies are typically applied at businesses to control access to programs, system properties, and user account settings. For Home users, Search link can be removed from the Start Menu by these Group Policies but usually malware is the culprit. If you are a home user and the Search link is missing from the Start Menu and looks like the pictures below then there is a good chance you are infected with malware.

Search Missing – Start Menu	Search – Start Menu
Search Option Missing – Taskbar and Start Menu Properties	Search Option – Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

NOTE

Ensure your computer is malware free before applying the following solutions.

CAUTION

Before making any changes to the Windows XP Registry, please backup your Windows XP Registry using the direction from "Using ERUNT to back up the Windows XP Registry".

Manual Steps Using Group Policy Editor

NOTE

The Group Policy Editor requires Administrative privileges and is only available for Windows XP Professional Edition. Windows XP Home users can use the Windows XP Registry method to remove the Group Policy restriction.

1. Click Start and then Run.
2. Type gpedit.msc in the Run dialog box.
3. Press ENTER on your keyboard.
4. In the Group Policy Editor navigate to:
   
   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

5. Double-click Remove Search menu from Start Menu.
6. Select Not Configured.

NOTE

If the Search link is restricted/disabled (missing) from the Start Menu on a per User account basis then the above method will not work, you will need to use the Registry Editor to remove the Group Policy.

Manual Steps Using Windows XP Registry

1. Click Start and then Run.
2. Type regedit.exe in the Run dialog box.
3. Press ENTER on your keyboard.
4. Navigate to:
   
   HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

5. Right-click NoFind to select Modify.
6. Change the value to 0.
7. Navigate to:
   
   HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

8. Right-click NoFind to select Modify.
9. Change the value to 0.
10. Quit the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

NOTE

You may need to log off then log on to your user account or restart your computer for the changes to take affect.

Manual Steps Using REG ADD

1. Open a Command Window.
2. Type:
   
   REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoFind /t REG_DWORD /d 0

3. Press ENTER on your keyboard.
4. Type:
   
   REG ADD "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoFind /t REG_DWORD /d 0

5. Press ENTER on your keyboard.
6. Type EXIT and press ENTER on your keyboard.

NOTE

You may need to log off then log on to your user account or restart your computer for the changes to take affect.

Automated Fix Using an Registration File

1. Download SearchStrtMnu.Allow.reg to a folder on your hard drive.
2. Right-click SearchStrtMnu.Allow.reg to select Merge.
3. Now the registration entries are added for you.

NOTES

The SearchStrtMnu.Allow.reg file is from my web server (http://lprf.homeserver.com). You also can view the contents of the SearchStrtMnu.Allow.reg file by right-clicking the file and selecting Edit. You may need to log off then log on to your user account or restart your computer for the changes to take affect.

Platforms Tested

• Microsoft Windows XP Editions

Related Articles

• Drag and Drop / Context Menus Restricted – Start Menu
• Favorites Menu is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• Help and Support is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• My Documents is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• My Music is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• My Network Places is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• My Pictures is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• My Recent Documents History Is Not Adding Recently Opened Items – Start Menu
• My Recent Documents History is Cleared / Deleted at Logoff – Start Menu
• My Recent Documents is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• Network Connections is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• Programs Menu for All Users Profile is Missing from the Start Menu – Start Menu
• Run Command is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• Shutdown Icon is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu
• Logoff Icon is Missing (Restricted) – Start Menu

Version 1.1
Edited: May 11, 2012

Microsoft Released Windows Vista Updates – October 9, 2007

Two updates were released by Microsoft on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 for Windows Vista. The two updates are classified as Recommended (KB905866 and KB941651).

NOTE

This articles does not show Windows Vista Security Updates. Please review MSFT Security Updates blog category for Windows Vista Security Updates.

Recommend Updates

KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [October 2007]

Affected Software

• Microsoft Windows Vista, 32-bit versions – Download Update
  • Supersedes "KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [November 2007]"
  • Supersedes "KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [September 2007]"
• Microsoft Windows Vista, 64-bit versions – Download Update
  • Supersedes "KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [November 2007]"
  • Supersedes "KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [September 2007]"

KB941651: Cumulative update for Windows Media Player 11 in Windows Vista

Affected Software

• Microsoft Windows Vista, 32-bit versions – Download Update
• Microsoft Windows Vista, 64-bit versions – Download Update

Updating your Windows Vista System

Please keep your computer up to date with Critical and Important updates by using the Windows Update feature in Windows Vista (refer to Checking for Updates on Windows Vista Manually blog article for help) or by visiting Microsoft Update. If you experience any problems with Microsoft Security updates then please call Microsoft support for help. There will be no charge for support on Security Updates.

Microsoft has set up newsgroups for self-support. If you need help for Security updates or any other updates that is issued by Microsoft then please visit the Windows Update newsgroup at using your newsreader news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsupdate.

Version 1.2
Edited: May 11, 2012