Hi ,
try opening windows explorer and then check folder options. Just for information -- XP SP2 can be catastrophic if you had spywares before upgrading.

regards,
aj.wh.ca

what folder options? that's my problem!
Folder Options are nowhere to be seen.
Not from windows explorer, not from control panel.

i solved half the problem, through meddling with regedit.

now the Folder Options do appear, but they do not contain the Hidden Files and Folders header.

how come?

help please...

Hi ,
I am attaching a pic of where "view hidden..." comes in my folder options. I have win xp home SP2.

Hope this helps.
cheers,
aj.wj.ca

Hello Everyone,

I am using XP home edition in my laptop and I had the same problem of missing folder options.
I found some registry tweaks available in various blogs to correct the problem. After that I was able to see folder options, but inside view > advance settings > nothing was there, I mean nothing!
So I exported the essential registry entries from my friends machine and imported that onto mine... After that everything is perfect.

Anyone who is having similar problems can try to export the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder

registry entry from anyone and import onto yours. Your problem will be solved.

If you need the registry from me, email me at pajeganATyahooDOTcoDOTin

Regards,
Jegan

Great, You saved every bit in my computer.I was about to format when got your solution from google.

Hi,
I think your computer just got a virus called 'Brontok.A'
This virus is pretty deadly when it reach higher and when you always ignores it.
What it do is
1)Disable Folder Option
2)Restart PC when you try to run a .EXE program or run 'regedit(regisrty editor)
3)It paste a link at my pictures and will auto run it with IE saying STOP DRUGS and etc
And it is pretty deadly when it reach 'Brontok D' or higher

SOLUTION:
You can either do it manually which I don't recommended you to do so.
and we should thanks BitDefender for this.
Go to google.com and type Remove Brontok.A.mma and it's probably at the second link
After you finish downloading it(don't worry it's free), After you run it(DONT'T SCAN IT FIRST), it says Brontok A located and blah blah blah then written at the right side 'Will be deleted/killed when restart' you might think that you need to restart pc, But don't do that, just close it and restart the program and there it's removed but 'Brontok.A' might have some back-up files so it's still encouraged to scan it again.