Can not start exe, com or any other files in XP.

[Guest]

Having lots of trouble here. Downloaded the latest windows updates a few days
ago and have up to date virusremoval and adaware tools. When I started the
computer three days ago all lnk files in the start up menu had stopped
working. It is not possible to access regedit or any exe or com files. The
only thing that works is IE and the cd burner. Cant find my Windows xp cd, so
reinstallation is not an option.

Help, anyone!

 

[T. Waters]

System Restore.
Look it up in Help and Support.
It should get you out of this pickle.

 

[Galen]

In Kmj <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Having lots of trouble here. Downloaded the latest windows updates a
few days ago and have up to date virusremoval and adaware tools. When
I started the computer three days ago all lnk files in the start up
menu had stopped working. It is not possible to access regedit or any
exe or com files. The only thing that works is IE and the cd burner.
Cant find my Windows xp cd, so reinstallation is not an option.

Help, anyone!

Sounds like you had your virus definitions up to date but were still
slammed, the following mishmash of links should serve some purpose.

Virus:
www.grisoft.com - AVG
www.antivir.com - AntiVir
http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/index.cfm - CA eTrust

Spyware:
www.lavasoft.de - AdAware
http://security.kolla.de/ - Spybot
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx -
Microsoft Anti-Spyware Beta

Trojan:
www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/ - a Squared
http://swatit.org/ Swat It

Before cleaning download this:

LSP-Fix - a free program to repair damaged Winsock 2 stacks:
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm

Use that should cleaning out your PC remove or damage your in-place winsock
and you can't connect to the internet.

From the virus and trojan category pick one application, they're all free,
download it and install it. Make sure that you update it. From the spyware
category pick all three, download them and update them to the latest
definitions. Reboot, press the F8 key over and over again, from the menu
select Safe mode without networking. Do your cleaning in there. Reboot to
regular mode and run the scans again. This isn't going to be quick or easy
but it might just solve your problems and it should prevent you from further
problems so long as you keep them updated and scan often. Most of them can
be enabled to update and scan automatically.

Galen

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Go here and read the instructions.

xp_emegencyutil.exe - Creates usable copies of REGEDIT, MSCONFIG and Task
Manger
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_emerutils.htm

-----

Windows® XP File Association Fixes
Copyright 2003 - Doug Knox
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

The files listed here are all ZIP files, which contain a REG (Registry)
file. Download the ZIP and open it. Extract the REG file to your hard disk
and double click it. Answer yes to the import prompt. REG files can be
viewed in Notepad. Each of the REG files contains the default settings for
the file extension indicated. For the ZIP file fix, the download is a REG
file, since ZIP's aren't working anyway!

Batch File Association Fix (Restore the default associations for BAT files)

COM File Association Fix (Restore the default associations for COM files) -
Thanks to John Hanney

EXE File Association Fix (Restore default association for EXE files)

LNK (Shortcut) File Association Fix (Restores Default Shortcut Behavior)

REG File Association Fix (Restore default associations for REG files)

A bunch more File Association Fixes also listed.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In