Applications generate notepad upon start up.

[Guest]

I recently was prompted to open a file with the "open with" option and chose
notepad.
Since then when windows loads, all of my prefetch programmes generate a
notepad box full of weird characters on the desktop and any attempt to open a
file results in notepad opening a new box, but not the application.
I can get round this by right clicking the icon and using "run as" and
unchecking the "protect my computer" box.
Spyware & trojan hunters,anti virus software all come up with nothing.
Does anyone know how to reverse this? TIA

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Use the "Run As" to launch the System Restore interface.
(%SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe)

Use System Restore to Undo Changes if Problems Occur:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx

 

[Guest]

Hi Ramesh, thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I already tried this but
the restore facility only goes back to Setp 1st, which is after the problem
started.n Regards Richard

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Tappy,

Click Start, Run and type COMMAND.COM
Type REGEDIT (this should launch the Registry Editor)
Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe

In the right-pane, delete the following values if found:

* Application
* ProgID

Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.EXE
Set the (default) value to "exefile" (Without quotes)

Navigate to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
Set the (default) value to the following:

"%1" %* (With quotes)

Close Regedit.

 

[Guest]

Ramesh, can't thank you enough. Lots of hours, many newsgroups and a few
sites later you have finally cracked it. I was running out of hair to pull
out by the roots!! Thanks for everything. Richard

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

You're very much welcome Richard.