W DRIVE SHOWS UP

Thanks Dane I will try it now. Just so you will know, that if I close windows explorer out, and then reopen it again, the W drive is gone. All by itself.It is no where to be found, and on top of that it does not show up on My Computer even though it will show on windows explorer.

Thanks for the info. Yes, it comes up clean on my latest virus scan. But I do not know how to do what you are suggesting. Like put a line that equals e in the config system. I have a adrive, c drive for my hard drive, d for the zip drive, e for the dvd player, and f for the cd rw.

I really don't know what is causing this, but was wondering what would happen if you put that line in the config.sys.
Choose start, run and type in sysedit. close the first box which is the autoexec.bat. The next box is the config.sys. Type a line in there at the bottom if anything else is listed, just like this:
LASTDRIVE=F
Now close the box and save the changes and close the rest of the boxes.
Now start, run, type in msconfig (OK ) and under general put a dot in selective startup and make sure that the process config.sys is selected to load at startup. Now save changes and exit and see if the W drive shows up. PS: you can also add the line to the config.sys while running msconfig. If you want to do it this way click on config.sys and then select new, Then add the line LASTDRIVE=F. Select apply if it necessary. After the changes reboot the system for them to take affect.
Dave

That is strange. Do you mean windows explorer or Internet explorer? Maybe someone else will read this post and have some ideas. If you are not online then it isn't someone tapping your system for information. I see new stuff all the time and this is a new one for me.
Dave

Dave if I go to start, programs and then to windows explorer, that is when I would see the W drive at the bottom of the list. It appears way after all the other stuff. Now like I said, it only happens once in a while. And again, if i go to My Computer, it does not show up there. Yes it is strange. But worries me a little. Basically it happens while on the internet, like right now. But the drive is empty. Has nothing in it, and it is invalid when I click on it, or it says it has been moved or removed.

I have heard that some viruses can do this. Have you scanned your system lately? Put a line in you config.sys that reads like this:
LASTDRIVE=E
(if you have a hd and a cd-rom that will be c and D, so you can make that line say Lastdrive=d and see what happens then. You may need to run msconfig and check the box to process the config.sys.
Dave

no, you didn't exhaust me. My wife demanded equal time on the computer. Let me know if this stops the W drive, but this should mot be necessary to do. Never have seen this. Will be interesting to see if anyone else has and how they corrected it. I wonder if you have a rw cd in you drive if it does this? Have you tried that to see if it will make a W show? By any chance, does this show after burning a cd?
Dave

Looks like ESQuire has your answer. In that case, don't change the things I suggested.
Dave

Sorry I exhausted you out. But many thanks for all your help. I am going to try what you told me to do.
Fastpentium

It would worry me also. You can still try what I said just to see if it will appear again. Does it actually look like it is a HD letter? When have you updated your virus software or gotten the lates codes from them? It still seems like one of the viruses I read about. Go here and read some of this:
http://www.computerhope.com/vlist.htm#06
Got to log off a few minutes.
Dave

Sounds like a man that knows what he is talking about to me and it makes more sense than actually being another HD letter. Try refreshing like he said. Don't sound like anything to worry about.
Dave

Check out what Esquire man is saying. What do you think. If it is true it sure is a relief.

It's not a virus. It's a minor bug in Windows. Some folks get it, some don't.

The W drives are in fact 2 system folders not being displayed properly in Windows Explorer: Control Panel and Printers. Press F5 key to refresh will usually do the trick.


GENIUS IS PAIN
... so what you don't know won't hurt you.

D266 / I3200 / T450 / T500 / I5000
PortStation 7-ports USB Hub
QuickCam Pro USB
WingMan Force Feedback USB/Formula Force USB/Gamepad Extreme USB
ZIP100 USB/ZIP250 PCMCIA+USB
Visor Deluxe
Perfection 1240U PHOTO
PenPartner USB

What a relief, thought it was something new out and I was the victim. So it is a windows problem, and yes you are right, it looks like a folder symbol somewhat but when you click it it shows up just like a drive. It looks like a blue disck, that is empty and nothing on it.

Blue disk? It shows up with the Wordpad document icon on 3 of my computers. Doesn't affect the rest.

Anyhow, next time it behaves like that, take a note of how many system folders are being displayed, then press F5 key to refresh and see if the folders are restored. You should have 4 system folders in yellow: Printers, Control Panel, Dial-Up Networking, and Scheduled Tasks.


GENIUS IS PAIN
... so what you don't know won't hurt you.

D266 / I3200 / T450 / T500 / I5000
PortStation 7-ports USB Hub
QuickCam Pro USB
WingMan Force Feedback USB/Formula Force USB/Gamepad Extreme USB
ZIP100 USB/ZIP250 PCMCIA+USB
Visor Deluxe
Perfection 1240U PHOTO
PenPartner USB