Double Clicking .reg, .vbs, and .scr files opens notepad

V

Vanguard

Calebrot said:
Whenever I double click either a .reg, a .vbs, or a .scr the file opens
in notepad.

When I double click a .reg file, instead of prompting me to make sure I
want to merge, I get a MS Antispyware warning, and then the file opens
in notepad, I want it back to merging and giving me the prompt to
verify that I indeed want a merge.

When I double-click a .vbs file, I get the MS Spyware warning that a
script is about to be run, but then it opens in notepad. I want it to
just run.

When I double-click a .scr file, instead of running the screen saver,
it opens the screen saver file in notepad.

I am sure there probably are other file extensions that are affected
but these are three that I have found. I believe the problem may have
come from when I was using a trial version of System Mechanic and it
told me that it identified a few security issues and went about to
correcting them, but it never told me what they were and never gave me
the option to undo them. They never appeared in the undo lists. I have
since removed System Mechanic from my computer because of the problems
with undo.

Can anyone help me get .reg back to merge on default with warning, .vbs
to run the script, and .scr to run the screen saver?


Guess you'll have to configure MS Antispyware to behave how you want it to
behave.
 
C

Calebrot

Whenever I double click either a .reg, a .vbs, or a .scr the file open
in notepad.

When I double click a .reg file, instead of prompting me to make sure
want to merge, I get a MS Antispyware warning, and then the file open
in notepad, I want it back to merging and giving me the prompt t
verify that I indeed want a merge.

When I double-click a .vbs file, I get the MS Spyware warning that
script is about to be run, but then it opens in notepad. I want it t
just run.

When I double-click a .scr file, instead of running the screen saver
it opens the screen saver file in notepad.

I am sure there probably are other file extensions that are affecte
but these are three that I have found. I believe the problem may hav
come from when I was using a trial version of System Mechanic and i
told me that it identified a few security issues and went about t
correcting them, but it never told me what they were and never gave m
the option to undo them. They never appeared in the undo lists. I hav
since removed System Mechanic from my computer because of the problem
with undo.

Can anyone help me get .reg back to merge on default with warning, .vb
to run the script, and .scr to run the screen saver
 
W

Wesley Vogel

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

Read the instructions.

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

VBS File Association Fix (Restores default associations for VBS files)

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

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
C

Calebrot

Vanguard said:
Guess you'll have to configure MS Antispyware to behave how you want it
to
behave.

It doesn't have anything to do with MS Antispyware. If I run msconfig
and not load MS AntiSpyware, it still does not open do the default
thing with .reg, does not run a .vbs file, nor run a screensaver. :(
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Calebrot" <[email protected]>

| Whenever I double click either a .reg, a .vbs, or a .scr the file opens
| in notepad.
|
| When I double click a .reg file, instead of prompting me to make sure Iwant to merge, I
| get a MS Antispyware warning, and then the file opensin notepad, I want it back to merging
| and giving me the prompt toverify that I indeed want a merge.
|
| When I double-click a .vbs file, I get the MS Spyware warning that ascript is about to be
| run, but then it opens in notepad. I want it tojust run.
|
| When I double-click a .scr file, instead of running the screen saver,it opens the screen
| saver file in notepad.
|
| I am sure there probably are other file extensions that are affectedbut these are three
| that I have found. I believe the problem may havecome from when I was using a trial
| version of System Mechanic and ittold me that it identified a few security issues and went
| about tocorrecting them, but it never told me what they were and never gave methe option
| to undo them. They never appeared in the undo lists. I havesince removed System Mechanic
| from my computer because of the problemswith undo.
|
| Can anyone help me get .reg back to merge on default with warning, .vbsto run the script,
| and .scr to run the screen saver?-- Calebrot

I think you have been screwed and got more than you bargained for by System Mechanic and you
should remove it ASAP and perform all of the following.

For non-viral malware...

Please download, install and update the following software...

* Ad-aware SE v1.06
http://www.lavasoft.de/
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

* SpyBot Search and Destroy v1.4
http://security.kolla.de/

After the software is updated, I suggest scanning the system in Safe Mode.

I also suggest downloading, installing and updating BHODemon for any Browser Helper Objects
that may be on the PC.

* BHODemon
http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm

For viral malware...

* Download MULTI_AV.EXE from the URL --
http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/Multi_AV.exe

To use this utility, perform the following...
Execute; Multi_AV.exe { Note: You must use the default folder C:\AV-CLS }
Choose; Unzip
Choose; Close

Execute; C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT
{ or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS }

NOTE: You may have to disable your software FireWall or allow WGET.EXE to go through your
FireWall to allow it to download the needed AV vendor related files.

C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT -- { or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS}
This will bring up the initial menu of choices and should be executed in Normal Mode.
This way all the components can be downloaded from each AV vendor's web site.
The choices are; Sophos, Trend, McAfee, Kaspersky, Exit this menu and Reboot the PC.

You can choose to go to each menu item and just download the needed files or you can
download the files and perform a scan in Normal Mode. Once you have downloaded the files
needed for each scanner you want to use, you should reboot the PC into Safe Mode [F8 key
during boot] and re-run the menu again and choose which scanner you want to run in Safe
Mode. It is suggested to run the scanners in both Safe Mode and Normal Mode.

When the menu is displayed hitting 'H' or 'h' will bring up a more comprehensive PDF help
file. http://www.ik-cs.com/multi-av.htm


* * * Please report back your results * * *
 
V

Vanguard

Calebrot said:
It doesn't have anything to do with MS Antispyware. If I run msconfig
and not load MS AntiSpyware, it still does not open do the default
thing with .reg, does not run a .vbs file, nor run a screensaver. :(


"When I double click a .reg file, instead of prompting me to make sure I
want to merge, I get a MS Antispyware warning ..."

Doesn't have anything to do with MS Antispyware? Then why did you say it
did? You could uninstall MSAS to ensure it doesn't have anything to do with
MSAS (so you don't get mysterious prompts from MSAS when MSAS is somehow not
involved but MSAS is prompting you). Did you check the settings in MSAS to
see if it might modify system behavior (to be more protective than you
want)?
 
F

frodo

Whatever / whoever is "to blame", they've done you a favor. This
behaviour is very often recommended by tweak sites and security wonks; I
ALWAYS change those extension's default behavior to only EDIT the file
rather than RUN it on EVERY system I setup - it's safest. You can always
open them directly in their respective tools by using the right-click
Merge, Run, Open, or Open With... choice. Preventing users from just
instinctively double-clicking and altering their registry, or running a
vbs/java script, is a wise idea. Live w/ it.
 
V

Vanguard

Whatever / whoever is "to blame", they've done you a favor. This
behaviour is very often recommended by tweak sites and security wonks; I
ALWAYS change those extension's default behavior to only EDIT the file
rather than RUN it on EVERY system I setup - it's safest. You can always
open them directly in their respective tools by using the right-click
Merge, Run, Open, or Open With... choice. Preventing users from just
instinctively double-clicking and altering their registry, or running a
vbs/java script, is a wise idea. Live w/ it.


True. Something the OP *added* to their system is [over]protecting them.
However, the default behavior is to provide a filetype association so the
user can double-click on those filetypes. The problem is that the OP hasn't
researched a security product to understand it. Could be MSAS, could be
something else. If I tried to commit an action in, say, Explorer and some
prompt from Word appeared than saying it wasn't caused by Word is denying
the obvious. In this case, the OP said MSAS showed a prompt, claimed it
wasn't a MSAS problem, but obviously it was because MSAS issued the prompt.
Just because a program isn't loaded into memory doesn't mean that it doesn't
make changes to the system that still remain when the program is no longer
running. SpywareBlaster can make lots of changes but none of those changes
require that SpywareBlaster be running.
 
C

Calebrot

Vanguard
Doesn't have anything to do with MS Antispyware? Then why did you say it
did? You could uninstall MSAS to ensure it doesn't have anything to do with
MSAS (so you don't get mysterious prompts from MSAS when MSAS is somehow not
involved but MSAS is prompting you). Did you check the settings in MSAS to
see if it might modify system behavior (to be more protective than you
want)?[/QUOTE said:
I never said it was caused by MSAS, all I was saying was that I got
prompt from MSAS. That tells me that MSAS is working as it should. I
is not MSAS causing the problem. Anyway, the problem is solved by link
I was given by Microsoft help ay dougknox.com. And it had nothing to d
with MSAS
 
C

Calebrot

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

Read the instructions.

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

VBS File Association Fix (Restores default associations for VBS files)

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

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In Calebrot (e-mail address removed) hunted and pecked:
Whenever I double click either a .reg, a .vbs, or a .scr the file
opens
in notepad.

When I double click a .reg file, instead of prompting me to make sure
I
want to merge, I get a MS Antispyware warning, and then the file
opens
in notepad, I want it back to merging and giving me the prompt to
verify that I indeed want a merge.

When I double-click a .vbs file, I get the MS Spyware warning that a
script is about to be run, but then it opens in notepad. I want it to
just run.

When I double-click a .scr file, instead of running the screen saver,
it opens the screen saver file in notepad.

I am sure there probably are other file extensions that are affected
but these are three that I have found. I believe the problem may have
come from when I was using a trial version of System Mechanic and it
told me that it identified a few security issues and went about to
correcting them, but it never told me what they were and never gave
me
the option to undo them. They never appeared in the undo lists. I
have
since removed System Mechanic from my computer because of the
problems
with undo.

Can anyone help me get .reg back to merge on default with warning,
.vbs
to run the script, and .scr to run the screen saver?

Thanks a bunch, that did it.
 
C

Calebrot

David said:
From: "Calebrot" (e-mail address removed)

| Whenever I double click either a .reg, a .vbs, or a .scr the file
opens
| in notepad.
|
| When I double click a .reg file, instead of prompting me to make sure
Iwant to merge, I
| get a MS Antispyware warning, and then the file opensin notepad, I
want it back to merging
| and giving me the prompt toverify that I indeed want a merge.
|
| When I double-click a .vbs file, I get the MS Spyware warning that
ascript is about to be
| run, but then it opens in notepad. I want it tojust run.
|
| When I double-click a .scr file, instead of running the screen
saver,it opens the screen
| saver file in notepad.
|
| I am sure there probably are other file extensions that are
affectedbut these are three
| that I have found. I believe the problem may havecome from when I was
using a trial
| version of System Mechanic and ittold me that it identified a few
security issues and went
| about tocorrecting them, but it never told me what they were and
never gave methe option
| to undo them. They never appeared in the undo lists. I havesince
removed System Mechanic
| from my computer because of the problemswith undo.
|
| Can anyone help me get .reg back to merge on default with warning,
.vbsto run the script,
| and .scr to run the screen saver?-- Calebrot

I think you have been screwed and got more than you bargained for by
System Mechanic and you
should remove it ASAP and perform all of the following.

For non-viral malware...

Please download, install and update the following software...

* Ad-aware SE v1.06
http://www.lavasoft.de/
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

* SpyBot Search and Destroy v1.4
http://security.kolla.de/

After the software is updated, I suggest scanning the system in Safe
Mode.

I also suggest downloading, installing and updating BHODemon for any
Browser Helper Objects
that may be on the PC.

* BHODemon
http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm

For viral malware...

* Download MULTI_AV.EXE from the URL --
http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/Multi_AV.exe

To use this utility, perform the following...
Execute; Multi_AV.exe { Note: You must use the default folder C:\AV-CLS
}
Choose; Unzip
Choose; Close

Execute; C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT
{ or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS }

NOTE: You may have to disable your software FireWall or allow WGET.EXE
to go through your
FireWall to allow it to download the needed AV vendor related files.

C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT -- { or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in
C:\AV-CLS}
This will bring up the initial menu of choices and should be executed
in Normal Mode.
This way all the components can be downloaded from each AV vendor's web
site.
The choices are; Sophos, Trend, McAfee, Kaspersky, Exit this menu and
Reboot the PC.

You can choose to go to each menu item and just download the needed
files or you can
download the files and perform a scan in Normal Mode. Once you have
downloaded the files
needed for each scanner you want to use, you should reboot the PC into
Safe Mode [F8 key
during boot] and re-run the menu again and choose which scanner you
want to run in Safe
Mode. It is suggested to run the scanners in both Safe Mode and Normal
Mode.

When the menu is displayed hitting 'H' or 'h' will bring up a more
comprehensive PDF help
file. http://www.ik-cs.com/multi-av.htm


* * * Please report back your results * * *

Thanks for your suggestions, the problem was fixed with the solution
provided in the previous message, but I am going to follow your advice
also to just make sure. Can never be too safe when it comes to valuable
data.
 
G

Guest

I tried using the scr file association fix found on this site but it only
opened a notepad document....same with the reg file association fix.
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Deb" <[email protected]>

| I tried using the scr file association fix found on this site but it only
| opened a notepad document....same with the reg file association fix.



Download MULTI_AV.EXE from the URL --
http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/Multi_AV.exe

To use this utility, perform the following...
Execute; Multi_AV.exe { Note: You must use the default folder C:\AV-CLS }
Choose; Unzip
Choose; Close

Execute; C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT
{ or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS }

NOTE: You may have to disable your software FireWall or allow WGET.EXE to go through your
FireWall to allow it to download the needed AV vendor related files.

C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT -- { or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS}
This will bring up the initial menu of choices and should be executed in Normal Mode.
This way all the components can be downloaded from each AV vendor's web site.
The choices are; Sophos, Trend, McAfee, Kaspersky, Exit this menu and Reboot the PC.

You can choose to go to each menu item and just download the needed files or you can
download the files and perform a scan in Normal Mode. Once you have downloaded the files
needed for each scanner you want to use, you should reboot the PC into Safe Mode [F8 key
during boot] and re-run the menu again and choose which scanner you want to run in Safe
Mode. It is suggested to run the scanners in both Safe Mode and Normal Mode.

When the menu is displayed hitting 'H' or 'h' will bring up a more comprehensive PDF help
file. http://www.ik-cs.com/multi-av.htm


* * * Please report back your results * * *
 
G

Guest

It's not malware or a virus.........I've checked with many programs and it's
come up clean.
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Deb" <[email protected]>

| It's not malware or a virus.........I've checked with many programs and it's
| come up clean.

The utility has Registry corrective measures including; .SCR, .REG, .EXE and .BAT

There are malware that will change the settings. I suggest running the utility unless you
have already used the Multi AV Scanning Tool.
 
G

Guest

Right clicking on the reg file and selecting Merge does the same thing as
double clicking the file....opens it in notepad
 
A

Alan Edwards

Something has really screwed up your .reg association!
You can either alter it in Explorer-Tools-Folder Options-File Types to
use Regedit.exe instead of Notepad, or you can run Regedit.exe
(Start-Run-Regedit) and Import the .reg files, one at a time.

....Alan
--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP Windows - Internet Explorer
http://dts-l.org/index.html



Right clicking on the reg file and selecting Merge does the same thing as
double clicking the file....opens it in notepad
 
G

Guest

Strange thing is, in Folder Options - File Types the REG files are set to use
Regedit not Notepad. I will try importing the files, thanks
 

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