HELP! EXPLORER WILL NOT OPEN.

[Debbie]

I trying to fix a laptop for a co-worker. Her son has
surfed many sites that picked up spyware and hijackers.
I've cleaned them all, ran numerous virus scans, spy
scans, trojans scans, etc... I've re-installed Windoes
2000 Pro. And I am still having the same problem. when I
click to open "my computer", explorer, internet explorer,
search for files and folders, I get an hourglass cursor,
all the desktop icons disappear then reappear but the
programs never open. They are work fine in safe mode.
Please Please does anyone know what the problem could BE??!

 

[Guest]

Sure!!!
It's a virus that still on your PC!

Try to run "regedit" from the safe mode:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

There are, I belive, 4 keys:
Run
RunOnce
RunServices
RunServicesOnce

Open each key and remove each strange entry.

I recommend that you keep only your Anti Virus software
in the registry. It's faster and much more safe.

;-)

anything, send me an e-mail

 

[Guest]

I guess, this is .CPL files issue. Search your computer
for *.CPL files, note their location and push them into a
temporary folder (Say C:\TEMP_CPL\*.CPL

Then you open explorer. If this works then put back
the .CPL files one by one into it's original location and
open explorer. When you move the corru[ted .CPL file, you
will have the explorer giving problem. Knock this .CPL
file to trash can.

Good luck!

 

[Debbie]

Wow! I read your reply right before I left work. I
thought - Finally I'm going to have it fixed. I went the
regedit - I only have Run and RunOnce - I don't have
RunServices or RunServicesonce - Should I? I did a re-
install already how do I get them back. There was nothing
is RunOnce folder and the Run folder contained a real
player line and two mcafee lines. I deleted all three,
rebooted, nothing changed. Help!&*&*&(!

 

[Debbie]

Nope,didn't work. I moved all of them and explorer still
doesn't open up. Any other suggestions?

-----Original Message-----
I guess, this is .CPL files issue. Search your computer
for *.CPL files, note their location and push them into a
temporary folder (Say C:\TEMP_CPL\*.CPL

Then you open explorer. If this works then put back
the .CPL files one by one into it's original location and
open explorer. When you move the corru[ted .CPL file, you
will have the explorer giving problem. Knock this .CPL
file to trash can.

Good luck!

-----Original Message-----
I trying to fix a laptop for a co-worker. Her son has
surfed many sites that picked up spyware and hijackers.
I've cleaned them all, ran numerous virus scans, spy
scans, trojans scans, etc... I've re-installed Windoes
2000 Pro. And I am still having the same problem. when I
click to open "my computer", explorer, internet explorer,
search for files and folders, I get an hourglass cursor,
all the desktop icons disappear then reappear but the
programs never open. They are work fine in safe mode.
Please Please does anyone know what the problem could BE??!
.

.

 

[Ken Tiedemann]

I am having the same problem with a customers computer
(see my post above) and neither of these two solutions
worked on my customers computer either. To the guy about
the .cpl files, all of the .cpl files are in place and
can be run by clicking on start > run... and typing in
the appropriate .cpl file. However, no search can be run
because the same thing happens when you click on search
for files or folders.

 

[DL]

If they work in safe mode it might tend to suggest a driver problem, or a
problem caused by a loading app.
Use msconfig, or similar to stop apps loading on start up and test.
If its OK after disabling all then its a process of elimination
If not you might want to check the video drivers.
Good luck

 

[Debbie]

Nope, didn't work. I have tried removing all start ups
from msconfig and from
hkey/localmachine/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion
/run - runonce

I also reinstalled a new video driver today. When that
didn't work i downloaded a third party video driver and
that did'nt work either.

 

[DL]

I still tend towards a startup or driver problem, as its allright in safe
mode.
Try setting the graphics to std vga. If the problems still there I think
that elliminates graphic problem.
As this was a laptop and you reinstalled Win2K, clean install?
Were any drivers you downloaded from the Laptop manu.site - *not* winupdate
drivers -
Many Laptop manu tweak drivers specifically for their sys

 

[Ken Tiedemann]

Hey Debbie,
I must have been getting confused with another
computer that I was working on yesterday because going
into safe mode the computer did not have the same
problem. I did not end up being able to fix the problem,
but I can tell you what NOT to do. I disabled every
driver and turned off every service that wasn't running
when the computer was in safe mode. The problem still
existed. Then, being frustrated and feeling like I was
so close to fixing it, I made my mistake. In the device
manager, there is a view menu at the top in which you can
tell it to "show hidden devices". Without researching
what they were, I disabled them as well. The computer
wouldn't boot from then on and even a repair installation
wouldn't work. Because of the data on the drive, I am
now paying to have the data recovered off of it. So,
don't try that, lol. Looking at the problem now, I
believe that it does not have to do with drivers or
windows services that are running. I'm not sure what
else doesn't run in safe mode, but another thing that I
was thinking is that it might be a problem with the user
accounts. On mine, even logging in under a different
name didn't solve the problem, but maybe there is
something in general with all of the accounts that got
corrupted. I will post back if the data recovery report
lends any insight to this puzzle. Good luck.

 

[Debbie]

After much time and research I have found the
solution!!!!!!!! Uncheck "enable third party browsers" in
the Internet Explorer Advance Properties. If you can't
right click on your desktop ie icon then you can go to
start/run and type inetcpl.cpl. I had to do this with ALL
the profiles and I'm back in to explorer now!!!!!!!

 

[Wayne]

I did the Scan with a 2000CD, It didn't help.
I did notice that I could use netscape to browse and act
as my windows explorer for now. It takes out the gui type
of ease of seeing and accessing everything. System still
viable till a real fix comes along. If it is a Virus of
unknown origin, it attacks the gui interface with in
explorer. The base gui of the desktop still remains. Will
load more info as I come up with other tricks and
solutions.