You are welcome. Uhuh, well, try that online McAfee scan. It won't hurt to double check on Norton, & it isn't as if you are installing all of McAfee. It will leave an entry at... C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files\McFreeScan Class..., is all.

The only other thing I can think is the computer expects you are Networking & want access to another computer's files. I don't know much about that. You'd probably have an otherwise unexplainable drive letter, though, showing in Explorer. Also, may as well uncheck both items at...
"Control Panel, Network, File & Print Sharing button",
which allows the reverse.

Finally, can you have installed a legitimate app that might want to be connecting to the NET to check for updates?


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"refugio" wrote in message ...
| Thanks PCR for your post-reply.
|
| I neglected to state in my original posting that my desktop is not utilizing
| Active Desktop. Thus, (1) is already set up as you had advised.
|
| I've applied (2) to my system and will update on your second response (I use
| Norton Antivirus/SystemWorks 2004 Pro on my machine, and scan weekly for any
| viruses/other troublesome malware) once I have performed a cold reboot to
| determine if the problem persists.
|
| Once again, many thanks for taking the time to address my question!
| -refugio
|
| "PCR" wrote:
|
| (1) Undo Active Desktop.
|
| (a) R-Clk the Desktop, point to Active Desktop, & select Customize my
| Desktop.
| (b) Uncheck "View my Active Desktop as a WEB page" & Apply.
|
| Is there anything in the box under that item? Those are WEB sites that
| would appear on the Desktop. Delete them.
|
| (c) At the Effects tab, uncheck "Hide icons when the Desktop is viewed
| as a WEB page" & OK.
| (d) R-Clk the Desktop, & uncheck "View as WEB page".
|
| (2) "START, Settings, Folder Options, General tab". Set to "Classic
| style". If all gets better, click "Custom...", & gingerly go back to how
| you like it. But stay away from "Enable all Web related content...".
|
|
| --
| Thanks or Good Luck,
| There may be humor in this post, and,
| Naturally, you will not sue,
| should things get worse after this,
| PCR
|
| "refugio" wrote in message ...
| | Recently Windows Explorer opens irregularly, with a dialog box indicating
| | that there is no Internet connection available and halts local browsing of
| | files until this dialog box is closed. No dial-up connection has been made,
| | yet Windows Explorer apparently seeks one before allowing access to local
| | drives. Having searched extensively the Knowledge Base, I cannot locate any
| | instructions which might aid me in defeating this annoying habit of Windows
| | Explorer (WE). [WE worked fine until this point.]
| |
| | My question: how do I restore the independence of WE from Internet
| | connectivity and return to using WE for local file management without having
| | each session to click "Try Again" or [X] (closing) this dialog box to proceed
| | with local file management? It seems as though Internet Explorer (IE) and WE
| | now have become completely linked and I would rather not have to rebuild my
| | machine, as support for Win98/SE will soon be unavailable (a rebuild might
| | thus cause me toloose all of the patches from Microsoft Critical Updates
| | section) -- WE previously operated separate from IE, was not dependent on an
| | Internet connection, and this problem has surfaced only in the last month or
| | so.
| |
| | System details:
| | -Windows 98 SE with all critical updates
| | -dial-up connection only
| | -IE 6.x version
| |
| | I'm familiar with registry edits, can successfully change said without
| | harming system, and am wondering if some sort of registry key has been
| | altered somehow to now expect access to the Internet when opening WE (which I
| | SOLELY use for local file management; browsing is ALWAYS through IE). Any
| | help would be greatly appreciated.
|