[thebestboy]

Have win xp. When I go into "start", "search", the search window comes up, but is empty of text on left hand side, other than the stupid dog icon on bottom. Not sure why. Does anyone know? Thanks.

[seahwk83]

Any changes that either happened or that you perhaps made to your computer around the time that the problem started; particularly any Software or Hardware that you installed or setup.

Give this a try:

Will need XP CD to try this

Go to Start>Run>type C:\Windows\inf
Look for a file called srchasst.inf
Right click it and click Install

-insert the XP CD when prompts, if you do not have the XP CD,

[thebestboy]

This is on a laptop where os was pre-installed, no cd available. You started to say if I did not have the cd, but never finished the answer. Advise. Thanks

[seahwk83]

Any changes that either happened or that you perhaps made to your computer around the time that the problem started; particularly any Software or Hardware that you installed or setup.

When worked last?

[thebestboy]

None. It's actually been missing for awhile, never tried to do anything about it before. So without the cd( which never came w/it, I'm out of luck?

[seahwk83]

-click on tools the folder options and then click on the view tab
-go down to "do not show hidden files and folders" and take check out in that box then click apply and then OK

-also, take check out of Hide protected system files and apply

Now find out where i386 folder is
-Usually,
Here are the 4 folders with C\i386:

I386 at C:\
I386 at C:\WINDOWS\DRIVER CACHE
I386 at C:\WINDOWS\SERVICE PACK
I386 at C:\Windows\Options\Cabs

Make note of where you find this folder (if found, pick one with most files)

Go to Start>Run>type C:\Windows\inf
Look for a file called srchasst.inf
Right click it and click Install

Now if you do not have the CD, browse to one of the folders above and see if it can install - try all that you find one by one and hopefully one will complete the process.

If above does not work, see if you can get hold of a XP CD to try

Would suggest when done with processes to put the checks back in the boxes you took checks out of above

[thebestboy]

Thank you very much for the detailed answer. It seems a lot easier to borrow an xp home cd, so that's what I'll do.