[Elanor]

Hi. I'm a Windows XP SP1 user and I used to have no problem using Bluetooth. I hadn't used it in a while, though, and when I tried to connect my phone to my laptop today, for some reason, I couldn't access My Bluetooth Places. When I tried to explore it, I got the error "path does not exist or is not a directory."

I don't really know what could have happened there. Does anyone know how to recover My Bluetooth Places? I don't think I can explore my bluetooth devices without it, and I'm on the verge of panicking.

I'd really appreciate any help you can give.

Hope this is in the right forum.

Thank you!

[TerryNet]

On my notebook I can get to My Bluetooth Places by double-clicking the Bluetooth icon in the notification area. Else click on Bluetooth Configuration in Control Panel. Do youhave these options?

[Elanor]

I did try to click into My Bluetooth Places via the system tray icon, but that's when I got the "path does not exist" error. And I'd been hoping to just reinstall via the Bluetooth Configuration in the Control Panel, but since it's already installed, that doesn't seem to be an option.

[gulbrain]

So it's been a while since you posted this - I got that error, too.

I then found a link to "how to remove the icon from your desktop".
http://straightnochaser.org/goodies/...con-remove.htm

That says to delete the key:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Deskt op\NameSpace\{6af09ec9-b429-11d4-a1fb-0090960218cb}

I didn't have that key - and the error was complaining that something of this name didn't exist. So, I created the key and the error went away. I also regained the icon on my desktop.
Moments later I ran the Desktop CleanUp wizard - which suggested that it would happily remove this again for me. I thought better of it.

What I learnt was that this (the recycle bin, My Computer, Network Neighborhood, ...) are Namespace Extensions. More info at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...e_junction.asp

Apparently, however, My Bluetooth Places can't be moved from the desktop - although the cleanup wizard has other ideas !

As far as I could find nobody had posted this answer anywhere. If there's anyone at Microsoft picking this up then hopefully they'll take note of this anomoly. It would appear that the desktop cleanup wizard will really mess up your bluetooth options without much trouble and no warning. They've called less important problems "critical" before ...

Regards,
Tim

[Elanor]

Thank you SO much for this, Tim. I had posted this issue to a couple of groups and never received a reply, nor gotten a solution to my problem. I feared that it was the deletion of the icon that was at fault, indeed.

So I take it all I have to do is create a key in the registry to bring it back?

Thanks again for all your help; I highly, highly appreciate it.

[gulbrain]

Yes - add the key and beware the Desktop Cleanup Wizard !!
There are similar keys next to it in your registry so you can have some confidence in what you've done.
[ I did see this question posed verbatim on other forums, but this seemed the friendliest to register with. With the time involved I had suspected that you may have unregistered, changed email, ... given up ! ]

[Elanor]

I had all but given up, but luckily, I've been a member of this forum for a while (definitely the most friendly and helpful, IMO) and I was subscribed to this thread. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email notifying me of a reply.

Thanks again for the tip. You don't know how grateful I am.

I'll beware that Cleanup Wizard from now on.