BleepingComputer.com: I'm seeing red ! (exclamation marks) in Windows Explorer File Listings

I'm seeing red ! (exclamation marks) when Windows Explorer is used for file finding/maintenance etc. This can't be good. A search of BC.com has not yielded an answer as to why nor a solution.

Problem is only seen this in My Documents. Checking Admin user file and Program Files do not reveal files with the Red Exclamation Marks.

Problem has been seen for over a week and was after Windows Explorer crashed but the problem and crash may be totally unrelated.

My system details: I'm a bit handicapped and use notebooks only. This one is a Sony Vaio Notebook Sz370P, WinXP sp3, Firefox browser. 2gig ram, 180gig harddisk. My Internet Access: Verizon Broadband using Pantech Card

For a senior lady, I'm a bit of a system fiddler and can recall doing the following over the last two weeks:
* Ran Revo Uninstaller to delete unused programs and used its Junk Files Remover Tool. Ran more than once over last few weeks.
* Ran TweakNow Registry Cleaner 3.8.1.1 Trial Version in Custom Mode. Ran twice I think last couple weeks
* Ran System Information for Windows by Gabriel Topala to try to reveal a couple forgotten passwords. Didn't work by the way. Did this about 1-2 weeks ago.
* Ran Windows Disk Cleanup
* Ran Windows Disk Defragmenter
* Installed Blackberry and Blackberry Desktop Manager. Everytime it tries to synch it reports an Internal Error and says to view log. I can't find the log. Don't know how relevant this is.
* More than once I've moved data files around from where I found them to where they should be. I also reorganized, replaced and moved from folder to folder genealogy data, picture, doc & Excel files.

Any help given is help mightily appreciated!

Could you post a screen shot of the errors? Here's a how-to: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/how-to-take-and-share-a-screen-shot-in-windows/

Thank you John. I've downloaded Irafan viewer and saved a couple of screens. Today I went through dozens of files in My Documents and substantially all files have the little green check mark. Had to keep looking to find some with the Red Exclamation Point. Can't upload them yet because I'm having trouble signing on to Photobucket. After entering data to enroll it goes into a forever "loading" cycle. Have to leave in few minutes and won't be back for hours. Thus I will close down notebook and start up again later in hopes that shutting down clears whatever glitch exists in signing up if its at my end. Thanks for responding! Later! Simona

Usasma

Here are three images of screenshots regarding files found with Windows Explorer (file manager) with red exclamation marks where I usually see tiny green check marks. At least one is a view listing files as icons and one viewing file(s) under the "details" setting. , , .

I saw that PhotoBucket also yields HTML file names. I can copy those if you want them instead of the IMG file names. I frankly didn't go looking for more files on my notebook with the red ! tonight.But if you want me to go through all my directories to determine where they all are - I will.

Any help you can give me about the whys and how's and what-to-do's will be extremely wonderful to receive! SM

Hello macwheeler,

Do you use Mozy backup software? There are quite a few reports of a recent update which causes the green check mark or red exclamation mark to be displayed on file icons.

"Why is there a green check mark on my Word, Excel ico":

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21282181-...-Word-Excel-ico

I'm not sure, but I think the red exclamation mark may mean that the file has not been backed up yet.

The same feature is apparently present in Norton software (see the last posts at the above link).

Yes and further confusion. Please read "Everything came to a head yesterday." Given M....s message, yesterdays events and today's talkwith Sony's Level 2 Tech I'm not sure what I'm sure of. Are the Red Marks harmless but I have other - worse- problems!!! Please dear experts read on and offer your insights.

Yes M... I do use Mozy backup software! Could all the red simply mean that files aren't backed up? Hmmmm Wonder if the time I saw hundreds of files with the red mark was after updating Mozy but before New Mozy software backed up for 1st time.

Everything came to a head yesterday.
Yesterday I tried to install a NeatReceipts Receipt Scanner. I think/hope I mentioned in first post that my laptop has been running hot and slow. It was no hotter then usual yesterday but much slower. The installation kept failing. I kept uninstalling, rebooting and reinstalling. Eventually scanner software installed but despite running many receipts through the scanner only one image appeared. Yes I checked to make sure I wasn't scanning them upside down. After giving up on scanning, I noticed all my desktop icons were messed up and desktop wallpaper had disappeared. I tried to clean up memory and speed up notebook by shutting it down and restarting. It wouldn't boot at all!! By this behaviour I figured everything pointed to a serious problem of which the Red !!!s were just the first visible warning after increasing problems with heat and slowdown. Time for Sony Expertise since I have a service contract on this device.

This morning I called Sony's contract service department out of desperation. I couldn't log on to web to check for Bleeping Computer responses. Sony tech says notebook needs new internal fan. Fan is working - I can hear it. I cried when told my Sony Vaio service contract is only good for the USA, I must send notebook away, no repairman will come to the house and fix it quick.

The Sony Level 2 tech said all the red marks are write errors because my fan is going out even though I hear it working. (FYI I removed the battery the other day thinking perhaps the battery was bad. Clearly heat is not battery related.) According to tech, machine is heating up and causing slow down and inability to write files correctly and handle demands of installing hardware and related software. I asked techman to think of other reasons for the refusal to boot other than in Safe Mode. Wanted him to tell me how to run diagnostics on hard-drive or check my Ram. He refused. Said it was cut and dried. The fan was bad and probably had a clogged vent and/or had a bent blade issue. That is the problem and a replacement will fix all my problems.

Later it dawned on me that if the problem was heat yesterday it should have booted fine this morning when it was cold. But it still wouldn't boot. I called Sony back and asked for same Level 2 tech or another at same level to relay my revelation. After being on hold for 20 minutes I hung up ticked off and more discouraged. Isn't one of the benefits in buying service contracts and registering purchases supposed to be better, quicker help when needed?

I did boot in safe mode this morning. I then picked a restore point from several days ago. It was making a tremendously slow effort to restore and was quite warm by then. I then laid my hinged open notebook on its right side, took sealed freezer packs and put them in back and front of keyboard but not touching and went into town. I arrived home this evening at 9:45pm to find the notebook had successfully restored itself to Nov 13 and it has booted normally twice so far. Its now 11:15 pm.

Now my questions are: Will defective fans cause the slowness and errors and refusal to boot normally? Must I send my notebook for repair? Sony says they won't return my notebook to Scotland where I will be when its fixed. If the fan replacement leaves me problems after being without a computer and not able to finish my taxes - I'm going to be sick and mad. Is/Was my problems loading NeatReceipts their software or machine or my notebook? Or do I have a combination of errors? How can I find out if something else IS NOT working or is trying to fail on me???

Will mention again that I daily update AVG Free and scan for viruses. None found. Also downloaded Ad-Aware, scanned couple times before yesterday and found only couple spyware. Posted originally that I have Win XP SP 3 but just checked and it is SP2 not 3. Recently have disabled several non-critical programs from startup to try to increase boots and system speed.

Hope you guys (sex neutral term) have as much or more techspertise as Sony Solutions and can put me on the road to sanity. Senior Procrastinator with Major Confusion currently in California.

Thank you to M..... You were right on the money with your Mozy hint and link. I just checked the link then checked my configuration. I did the fix suggested on your link and NO MORE Red Exclamation Points. Thank you, thank you.

Can you help with my other (presently known to be unrelated) notebook worries? Please

See this thread for the things to try first (i.e., cleaning with compressed air, etc.) -- an overheating computer can cause very strange problems, including some of those that you mention, and laptops in particular can overheat very easily:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/ind...st&p=974412

P.S. I'm fairly certain that the red exclamation marks were caused by the Mozy software. If the Sony technician were correct about them being the result of "write errors", then changing the option in Mozy (to not display that status) wouldn't have made a difference.

This post has been edited by M...: 16 November 2008 - 01:38 PM

Thanks, I tried the canned air but not through the vents, just at keyboard area. Have to get new can now that I'm in Scotland. Not easy to find in the Highlands and fairly expensive! I did buy a fan notebook lap pad which has been keeping it cool but its still slow and erratic. Appreciate your suggestions, Thanks. IsleMartin

The makrs are caused by Mozy, but it is not because of corruption. The makrs indicate that they have yet to be backup by Mozy. this feature can be disabled in Mozy's settings by going to:
CONFIGURE >> OPTIONS >> GENERAL >> and uncheck the box for "Show Backup Status Icon on files and folders"