Problem with view hidden files and folders settings - XP Home

I am facing some strange problem with my Windows XP Home SP2 system. I have few hidden folders on my drive which I unhide usually when I work with them. Like always, today morning when I went to folder options > View Tab and selected “Show hidden folders” > OK, still my folders dint appeared. So I went again to Folder options and found that surprisingly both 'Do not show hidden files and folders' and 'Show hidden files and folders' are selected.

How is it possible? I mean either one of them should be selected right? Now though I uncheck both and check only to show hidden files, and applies. It again gets selected on both options. I thought it could be due to some virus or Trojan infection. Tried scanning my entire system with updated Antivirus programs but it dint found anything.

Do anyone of you have any idea what is going wrong and how can I fix the same? Please help, the files hidden are very important files.

Hello madon, the settings for the same use to be at the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced Make sure the settings are as follow:
Value Name: Hidden
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 1 or 2
1 = show hidden
2 = do not show

Make sure that Hidden should NOT be set to 0. Display the contents of system folders uses ShowSuperHidden.
Value Name: ShowSuperHidden
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 or 1
0 = Hide Files
1 = Show Files

Note that if something is missing here then it can mess up Folder Options...HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder

If both are checked, also check under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Hidden\NOHIDDEN - I believe default and checked should both be 2. Correct me if I'm wrong.