User Accounts doesn't Work

[The Brandts]

When I try to open the User Accounts control panel, Notepad opens and gives the
error message "the filename, directory name or volume label syntax is
incorrect". I get the same error when i try to run nusrmgr.cpl directly. I'm
guessing a file is missing, but don't know which one. Does anyone have any
ideas?

Thanks

Ken

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Ken,

Type this in Start/Run dialog.

cmd /c assoc .hta=htafile

If that does not help you run the HTA applets like User Accounts etc, then,
open Windows\System32 folder and note down the file-size for mshta.exe. Post
the info here.

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[The Brandts]

Ken,

Type this in Start/Run dialog.

cmd /c assoc .hta=htafile

Tried that with no change

If that does not help you run the HTA applets like User Accounts etc,

When i tried to run .hta applets they would open in Notepad. I checked the file
association and they were associated to Notepad. I tried to change the
association to mshta.exe but it wouldn't change. I tried to restore the default
and it wouldn't change then either. Also, when I did a search for .hta files
search only fopund 4 and none of them were directly associated to Windows (3
were for updating my printer software and 1 was for running the Windows Media
Player tour).

then,
open Windows\System32 folder and note down the file-size for mshta.exe. Post
the info here.

The size of mshta.exe is 68k. I tried replacing it with a restored copy using
msconfig, but that made no difference either.

Thank you for your quick response. I hope this info is helpful.

Ken

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Ken,

(68k) what you have is Notepad.exe file renamed to mshta.exe. Few
third-party security software does this to prevent HTA applications from
running, for security reasons. Delete the mshta.exe and extract a new copy
from XP CD.

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[The Brandts]

Ken,

(68k) what you have is Notepad.exe file renamed to mshta.exe. Few
third-party security software does this to prevent HTA applications from
running, for security reasons. Delete the mshta.exe and extract a new copy
from XP CD.

This did it. Thanks

Ken

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Glad that helped.

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx