Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive?

elaurvick · 07-06-2008, 03:09 PM

I backed up my files to my external hard drive this morning. When I finished, I turned off the hard drive - - - and most of the icons on my desk top disappeared! After spending hours on this, I've discovered:
1) If I turn the external hard drive back on, the icons all reappear on my screen. It's off as I write this. I normally keep it turned off.
2) The desktop folder is still on C:\, all the shortcuts are still there, and they all point to the correct files on C:\
3) I have the Desktop folder open, and I can open any file by clicking on the shortcut INSIDE the folder
4) Desktop is on my toolbar, but only brings up these icons:
My Computer
Recycle Bin
My Documents
My Network Places
Internet Explorer
3) I can delete and recreate a new shortcut within any folder, but when I try to move it to the desktop, I get a popup with this message "E:\ refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be a hard drive on this computer, or on a network. . ."
4) The backup of this folder on the external drive shows the file names as being on C:\. It did NOT convert them to point at the E:\ drive, and if I use these I can also access the files on C:\

E:\ is assigned by Windows to the external drive. I checked for malware, spyware, and viruses, found nothing. My system is clean. I have a firewall running at all times, has never caused problems. I'm running Windows XP Home Edition, Service Pack 2. I don't think I've installed Service Pack 3 yet, if I have I can't find it anywhere (I searched). My system has an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual, 2.21 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM. No network drives. 689 GB of Free Space.

Can anyone tell me how to fix this? Everything works OK, but I'm having a terrible time finding anything! I can't see how copying files to another device can cause this, but that's what's happened.

**simpswr** · 07-06-2008, 04:26 PM

and welcome to the Forum

How did you backup your files? Drag and Drop? Copy and paste??

What files did you backup?

Have you tried Restoring the system to a date prior to the backup?

elaurvick · 07-06-2008, 08:36 PM

I copied from my C:\ drive and pasted to the E:\ drive. Nothing else has been affected, just my Desktop.

elaurvick · 07-06-2008, 08:38 PM

Sorry, didn't finish. I backed up only my data files. I'm not sure why I backed up Desktop, I usually don't.

I've never done a system restore, never had any reason before and don't know how to do it.

**simpswr** · 07-07-2008, 05:32 AM

Well . . it sounds like you moved the desktop items rather than copied them . . Have you tried copying them back from the external to the desktop folder?

Otherwise, you can click Start . . Help and Support . . in the search box type system restore then clic on the "Start the System Restore Wizard and follow the yellow brick road

**ThorXP** · 07-07-2008, 06:22 AM

Why would you want to turn-off the external hard drive unless you were going to move it to another computer, the hard drive is regaitere3d into the windows operating system to be in a certain place and really should be left on all of the time.

I also agree with simpswr that you should copy the desktop info back to the same place it was originally this might help.

Do you have the recovery disk set for the computer?

elaurvick · 07-07-2008, 08:48 AM

I checked and I did not move them, I copied them. The same list was in both my c:\ drive and the external e:\ drive. Just in case, I tried deleting all of them from the c:\ drive and copying them back in, didn't help. When I boot up I get a message that the system can't find E:\. . . . \desktop, so that's where it's looking from the getgo.

My external hard drive is NOT registered on my system. Everytime I turn it on, it gets treated as a "new device" and Windows installs it. I don't need the space, I use it strictly for backups and for storing extremely large files that I don't use very often.

I guess I'm going to learn how to restore the system. I don't have a recovery disk for this computer, I guess I'll have to contact the store (it's only six months old).

**simpswr** · 07-07-2008, 11:50 AM

Have you run the System Restore wizard?

elaurvick · 07-07-2008, 04:20 PM

I've never heard of the System Restore wizard, but I'm certainly willing to give it a try. I did a search and can't find it on my system. How do I get it and how do I run it?

**simpswr** · 07-07-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simpswr

Otherwise, you can click Start . . Help and Support . . in the search box type system restore then clic on the "Start the System Restore Wizard and follow the yellow brick road

07-06-2008, 03:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
elaurvick Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California Posts: 5 OS: Windows XP Home Edition	Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? I backed up my files to my external hard drive this morning. When I finished, I turned off the hard drive - - - and most of the icons on my desk top disappeared! After spending hours on this, I've discovered: 1) If I turn the external hard drive back on, the icons all reappear on my screen. It's off as I write this. I normally keep it turned off. 2) The desktop folder is still on C:\, all the shortcuts are still there, and they all point to the correct files on C:\ 3) I have the Desktop folder open, and I can open any file by clicking on the shortcut INSIDE the folder 4) Desktop is on my toolbar, but only brings up these icons: My Computer Recycle Bin My Documents My Network Places Internet Explorer 3) I can delete and recreate a new shortcut within any folder, but when I try to move it to the desktop, I get a popup with this message "E:\ refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be a hard drive on this computer, or on a network. . ." 4) The backup of this folder on the external drive shows the file names as being on C:\. It did NOT convert them to point at the E:\ drive, and if I use these I can also access the files on C:\ E:\ is assigned by Windows to the external drive. I checked for malware, spyware, and viruses, found nothing. My system is clean. I have a firewall running at all times, has never caused problems. I'm running Windows XP Home Edition, Service Pack 2. I don't think I've installed Service Pack 3 yet, if I have I can't find it anywhere (I searched). My system has an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual, 2.21 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM. No network drives. 689 GB of Free Space. Can anyone tell me how to fix this? Everything works OK, but I'm having a terrible time finding anything! I can't see how copying files to another device can cause this, but that's what's happened.

07-06-2008, 04:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
simpswr Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 4,462 OS: XP, Vista	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? and welcome to the Forum How did you backup your files? Drag and Drop? Copy and paste?? What files did you backup? Have you tried Restoring the system to a date prior to the backup? __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Spyware Cleaning \| How to Post a Screen shot \| PC running slow] Last edited by simpswr : 07-06-2008 at 04:29 PM.

07-06-2008, 08:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
elaurvick Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California Posts: 5 OS: Windows XP Home Edition	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? I copied from my C:\ drive and pasted to the E:\ drive. Nothing else has been affected, just my Desktop.

07-06-2008, 08:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
elaurvick Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California Posts: 5 OS: Windows XP Home Edition	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? Sorry, didn't finish. I backed up only my data files. I'm not sure why I backed up Desktop, I usually don't. I've never done a system restore, never had any reason before and don't know how to do it.

07-07-2008, 05:32 AM	#5 (permalink)
simpswr Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 4,462 OS: XP, Vista	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? Well . . it sounds like you moved the desktop items rather than copied them . . Have you tried copying them back from the external to the desktop folder? Otherwise, you can click *Start* . . *Help and Support* . . in the search box type *system restore* then clic on the "*Start the System Restore Wizard* and follow the yellow brick road __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Spyware Cleaning \| How to Post a Screen shot \| PC running slow]

07-07-2008, 06:22 AM	#6 (permalink)
ThorXP Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2,192 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3, Kubuntu 8.04.1	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? Why would you want to turn-off the external hard drive unless you were going to move it to another computer, the hard drive is regaitere3d into the windows operating system to be in a certain place and really should be left on all of the time. I also agree with simpswr that you should copy the desktop info back to the same place it was originally this might help. Do you have the recovery disk set for the computer? __________________ Mentor I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one. Heaven goes by favorites, If it didn't then your dog would get in first. Amen.

07-07-2008, 08:48 AM	#7 (permalink)
elaurvick Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California Posts: 5 OS: Windows XP Home Edition	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? I checked and I did not move them, I copied them. The same list was in both my c:\ drive and the external e:\ drive. Just in case, I tried deleting all of them from the c:\ drive and copying them back in, didn't help. When I boot up I get a message that the system can't find E:\. . . . \desktop, so that's where it's looking from the getgo. My external hard drive is NOT registered on my system. Everytime I turn it on, it gets treated as a "new device" and Windows installs it. I don't need the space, I use it strictly for backups and for storing extremely large files that I don't use very often. I guess I'm going to learn how to restore the system. I don't have a recovery disk for this computer, I guess I'll have to contact the store (it's only six months old).

07-07-2008, 11:50 AM	#8 (permalink)
simpswr Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 4,462 OS: XP, Vista	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? Have you run the System Restore wizard? __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Spyware Cleaning \| How to Post a Screen shot \| PC running slow]

07-07-2008, 04:20 PM	#9 (permalink)
elaurvick Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California Posts: 5 OS: Windows XP Home Edition	Re: Why Is Desktop Looking for External Hard Drive? I've never heard of the System Restore wizard, but I'm certainly willing to give it a try. I did a search and can't find it on my system. How do I get it and how do I run it?