Mapped network drive asks "Open With"?

I've recently set up 2 different new Windows XP Pro workstations on a domain
network both of which brought up the file association request window, "Open
With", when trying to map a network drive to a resource that available to
most of the other workstations on our network. Both machines have other
mapped network locations that work fine and this location works fine on all
the other machines that are using it as well. I can choose "Browse" in the
"Open With" window and select Windows Explorer to access the resource but the
option to "Always use the selected program..." is not available. I can also
navigate directly to this network resource and open it on both of these
machines however mapping the drive causes this response no matter how I try
to do it.

Does anyone have any idea what may cause this issue?

Account disabled?

Incorrect permissions to access the share?

No to both. They can access the share normally from their old workstations.
This is only happening on these 2 new installations.

Guest account enabled somewhere?

No, the permissions are correct. These same users are able to access the
same share from other machines and these machines are able to map and access
other shares on the same server. It has now happened on a third machine as
well. I'm still looking at possible causes. Please let me know if you have
any other ideas.

I am starting to see this behavior on a few system as well.
Also, the explore option in the right click drop down is displayed as
garbled characters.
Is it a virus?

[tony1l]

I had this also with WinXP SP3. I fixed this by editing the registry (regedit).. find MountPoints2 then under your mapped drive key look for sub-key Shell or _AutoRun and delete both or in my case my Shell had an _AutoRun subkey. It immediately fixed the problem.

Apparently when a user clicks on the map drive this registry entry auto runs some file.. not sure how this was set .. thus prompts the user for a program to open. I could right click the map drive and take explore but couldn't left click the map-drive with out receiving the Open With prompt.

Hope this helps someone : )

Tony