Microsoft KB Archive/315330

= Error Message: &quot;A File That Is Required to Run Search Companion Cannot Be Found&quot; =

Q315330

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional
 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

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SYMPTOMS
On your Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, when you click Start, and then click Search, you may receive the following error message:

A file that is required to run Search Companion cannot be found. You may need to run setup.

As a result, you cannot start Search Companion.

CAUSE
This behavior can occur if there are files missing from your installation of Windows XP, or if some Windows XP files are damaged.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, use the following procedure.

NOTE: You must be logged on as Administrator or as a member of the Administrators group in order to perform this procedure.

  Click Start, click Run, and then type the following command: "%systemroot%\inf" NOTE: There are no spaces at all in the preceding command line.  Click OK to open the INF folder. Locate the file Srchasst.inf. Right-click the file, and then click Install. This will reinstall the files that Search needs to proceed normally.

NOTE: In some cases, when you disconnect from the Internet, the problem may occur again, even if it was previously fixed. This is the result of Internet filtering software on the client's network or the user's ISP redirector. You can view the files in question (open them in Microsoft Notepad, not Microsoft Internet Explorer) to determine the source of corruption.

WORKAROUND
If internet filtering software or an ISP redirector is corrupting the files and you cannot change this, you can make the three files that are involved read-only after they have been repaired. This will not disrupt your search, but you will no longer get any updates. To do this, navigate to the following folder in Windows Explorer: "C:\Windows\srchasst\mui\0409" Right-click each of the following files and then click Properties. Select Read-only, and then click OK. Balloon.xsl

Bar.xsl

Lclsrch.xml

MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about how to activate Windows XP, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q307890 How to Activate Windows XP" "Q302806 Description of Microsoft Product Activation" "Q291983 Ports That Are Used by Windows Product Activation" For the most recent information about Windows Product Activation, see the following Microsoft Web site: "http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/evaluation/overviews/activation.asp" For a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about Microsoft Product Activation, see the following Microsoft Web site: "http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/mpafaq.asp" For information about how to contact your software or hardware manufacturer, click the appropriate article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

Q60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

Q60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z The third-party contact information included in this article is provided to help you find the technical support you need. This contact information is subject to change without notice. Microsoft in no way guarantees the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Additional query words:

Keywords : ocsso

Issue type : kbprb

Technology : kbWinXPHome kbWinXPPro kbWinXPProSearch kbWinXPHomeSearch kbWinXPSearch

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