In XP

Open Windows Explorer

On View Tab, make sure "Status Bar" is checked.

The status bar is at the bottom of the WinExp Window, and is where number of files will be shown.

In a few instances, if you hover on something in the WinExp Window, the "hint information" for the item your mouse is over may displace the normal information: Number of Objects/Files and Disk Free Space. If this happens, click on the desktop outside WinExp and it should clear.

The View Tab should also have a Toolbars Button with a flyout where you Probably will want Standard Buttons, Address Bar, and perhaps Lock Toolbars checked.

Also on the View Tab, the Explorer Bar flyout probably should have Folders checked. If you get Search or something else clicked on as the default view the info on the status bar may be something strange.

I'd suggest checking the Tools Tab, Folder Options, especially to set what you want shown or hidden in WinExp windows. For security, it's always been recommended that you "Show File Extensions" for everything, since "double extensions" on malware files can be disguised if you don't show them. That form of malware is less common than when WinXP came out; but still happens once in a while. It's pretty much optional whether you show or hide "System Files" so take your pick on that.

My guess is that you weren't seeing the file count because your status bar got "unchecked" and the bar was missing. The next most common cause in XP might be that you got yourself flipped into a Search or Favorites view instead of Folders View.

Not much more I can check, since my only WinXP machine is an ancient laptop that only runs for a few minutes before it says bazzzzt and goes black again. (It alwasy turns back on after it rests for a few days, but it makes checking anything in detail extremely tedious.)

John