Help: flash drives viewed as folders in XP

This week, I don't know why that my flash drives are viewed as folders and not as drivers in My Computer. Last week, it wasn't like this. Moreover, I cannot reformat my flash drives, or perform disk error-checking. When I right-click and picked format, it says, "Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or other programs using this drive, and make sure that no windows is displaying the contents of the drive. Try reformatting again." And whenever I want to perform error-disk checking, it says, "the disk check could be performed because the disk utility needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk. These files can only be accessed by restarting Windows. Do you want to schedule this disk check to occur the next time you restart the computer?".

What shall I do now? Please help me. Thank you.

 

Could be a usb drive worm/virus.

Have you tried in safe mode?

 

I would try it in safe mode. If it works in safe mode, you have a virus for sure. Icons of drives changing to folders is *not* normal behavior.

 

Thanks a lot. By the way, I am now running Windows 7 and I don't know how to boot-up in safe mode. Could you tell me how? Thank you

 

Restart, Tap F8 a few times after the BIOS screen loads. Select safe mode.

 

Tap F8 or F5, I can't remember, to see a list of boot options, then select safe mode.

EDIT: ^^ Bother, I got bet.

 

Alright, thanks a lot!
Btw, for my problem regarding the usb drive seen as a folder and not as a driver, I just did system restore. However, if the next that happens again, what can you possibly suggest to cure such problem? I am currently using Avast! Anti-virus Professional Ed., would you recommend me switching either to NIS, ESET, or Kaspersky to get rid of such recurring problem? Thank you

 

I do not know. But As for your question regarding Security, I recommend ESET - I use ESET Smart Security, and it is the lightest sec software I've ever used! I love it.

 

Do they sell that cheap? I just went in a nearby computer store in a mall. Apparently, ESET is the most expensive anti-v. They don't even sell it singly. They sell it good for three users and the amount is like $75...

 

You can go on the ESET site and get a single license. Which country do you live in?

 

Philippines

 

This oddly sounds like what I just found the other day (It was one of the things I didn't list it did though).

MSE was enough to get rid of it for me though.

 

Blaze-senpai, what do you mean by your comment? Mind elaborating a bit?