A friend of mine who is running a Microsoft Windows XP contacted me in Skype and asked me how can he fix a problem with his My Computer and Windows Explorer not able to open his C and D drives
Below is the screenshot illustrating the problem of Windows File Explorer unable to open the C: drive:
After some quick search in Google I’ve found out that the problem is caused by some kind of silly usb stick (flash drive) autorun.inf virus.
This virus alters the way the Windows Internet Explorer works by adding some autorun.inf into the hard drive partitions, e.g. C:, D:, E: etc.
Solution to the problem actually appears to be quite easy and can be done in two general directions;
1. Using a specific cleanup autorun.inf program for instance Flash_Disinfector.exe
This method is quite easier especially for people who don’t know how Win XP command prompt and basic Windows terminal commands works:
To fix the Cannot open local drive C XP issue this way all you have to do is Download Flash Disinfector.exe and run it on your PC
If you don’t want to bother with binary .exe software which you had no clue what contains (e.g. the preferred method in my view to solve the cannot open drive C is done via cmd.exe
2. Through using Win XP’s command prompt atrib and autorun
– Here run the cmd.exe through:
Windows -> Run
type in cmd.exe inside the Run box, the Windows Terminal will popup:
Inside the terminal type in:
C:Documents and SettingsAdministrator> cd C:
C:> attrib -h -a -r -s autorun.inf
C:> del autorun.inf
C:> cd D:
D:> attrib -h -a -r -s autorun.inf
D:> del autorun.inf
Your problem should be solved.
Now make sure to secure your XP PC with some good antivirus software like NOD32 in order to prevent it from getting infected again with some kind of autorun.inf worm or some other terrible type of malicious soft.
Hope that helps.
