can't open user accounts

[Guest]

clicking on "user accounts" opens note pad message " invalid
directory,filename or syntax". uisng windows XP on pentuim 4.

 

[Guest]

This tool is not available on a computer that is a member of a Domain.
Are you the Administrator?

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Open a CMD prompt window and type this command: (without quotes)

"assoc .hta=htafile"

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

 

[Guest]

The computer is in my home; I am the administrator. I initially set up an
account for myself and one for my daughter. She now has her own pc with
wireless access to the router I added to mine. We were able to change
pictures and do any of the things you can do in "user accounts". After she
had her own pc I decided to close her account on my Gateway, but got the
notepad message "invalid directory, filename or syntax". I can not get past
that message, while her game files take up space and slow down my virus sans.
Someone suggested an app. called DELUSER, but it did not help. Is there a
backdoor to "user accounts", and what is the meaning of the error message?
thanks for responding - Hirschfeld

 

[Guest]

Hello Ramesh-
At the command prompt I typed assoc.hta=htafile and hit enter
the window repeated hta=htafile and then returned another command prompt
line, C:documents,settings, owner>
I typed in windows\system32
this was not recognized as a command, so nothing happened.

I located the mshta.exe file with the seach engine; there are 3:
MSHTA.EXE-1299A8EF.pf this is a 10KB file
mshta.exe; this is the WINNT\system32 file; 65KB
mshta.exe; this is WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\Download\(long string of
letters and #; 29KB

I think the last one is an app I downloaded, a security devise recommended
by PC magazine. Maybe this is the problem. I will delete it and see. Will
also wait for your response. Thanks, Hirschfeld

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

The 65KB mshta.exe file might be the renamed notepad.exe. You can confirm it
by double-clicking the mshta.exe in your System32 folder. BTW, the filesize
of the original mshta.exe from XP SP2 system is 29KB

Try extracting the original copy from the XP CD, or ServicePack Files source
path. Or, see if copying the file from SoftwareDistribution folder helps.

 

[Guest]

Ramesh,
I've found the file in my CD, I copied it and wrote it to the system32 file;
still get error message on notepad, BTW the mshta.exe is a notepad file
according to the icon. I don't how how to remove the old mshta and replace
it. I've tried to delete the old .exe, but came back.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

hirschfeld

Try SFC: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310747