.exe files stopped working!

[jbclem1]

Yesterday, for no apparent reason, all my .exe files stopped working. That
means that I can't start any programs unless I go into a DOS file manager I
use called XTREE GOLD, and then if I can find the correct .exe file I can
sometimes start up a program. Also, most of the desktop icons changed to
the default Windows icon graphics.

I have internet access but no email or newsgroup access(I can start Outlook
Express 6 by finding msimn.exe and running it from the Dos program, but I
can't send or receive email).

On the internet I don't have access to the major antivirus sites such as
Symantec or McAfee, but I have access to sites such as RAV, and I can get
to the Panda web site but I can't run it's antivirus online scanner. Using
RAV and a Panda trial(downloaded to my other computer on a LAN and
transferred to the corrupted computer and run from the DOS program) I've
cleared any viruses off the corrupt computer. I also ran Stinger(a worm
program) and another one that found the Nachi worm and deleted the file it
was infected.

None of this helped my problem and I'm not sure it's a virus problem anyway.
I need some help with this. Can someone give me some ideas. Right now the
corrupt computer is useless because my major programs won't run from the Dos
file manager(they call other exe files when they start up and with this
problem, in Windows 2000 no .exe file will run).

I also tried my bootable Win2000 CD so I could attempt a repair, but the CD
is recognized by the Bios and then won't go past this message: " Boot from
Atapi CD-Rom. 1.(no emulation system type (-.06)."

I'm using the other computer for this newsgroup access and hoping someone
will point me in the right direction.

John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Yesterday, for no apparent reason, all my .exe files stopped working. That
means that I can't start any programs unless I go into a DOS file manager I
use called XTREE GOLD, and then if I can find the correct .exe file I can
sometimes start up a program. Also, most of the desktop icons changed to
the default Windows icon graphics.

I have internet access but no email or newsgroup access(I can start Outlook
Express 6 by finding msimn.exe and running it from the Dos program, but I
can't send or receive email).

On the internet I don't have access to the major antivirus sites such as
Symantec or McAfee, but I have access to sites such as RAV, and I can get
to the Panda web site but I can't run it's antivirus online scanner. Using
RAV and a Panda trial(downloaded to my other computer on a LAN and
transferred to the corrupted computer and run from the DOS program) I've
cleared any viruses off the corrupt computer. I also ran Stinger(a worm
program) and another one that found the Nachi worm and deleted the file it
was infected.

None of this helped my problem and I'm not sure it's a virus problem anyway.
I need some help with this. Can someone give me some ideas. Right now the
corrupt computer is useless because my major programs won't run from the Dos
file manager(they call other exe files when they start up and with this
problem, in Windows 2000 no .exe file will run).

I also tried my bootable Win2000 CD so I could attempt a repair, but the CD
is recognized by the Bios and then won't go past this message: " Boot from
Atapi CD-Rom. 1.(no emulation system type (-.06)."

I'm using the other computer for this newsgroup access and hoping someone
will point me in the right direction.

John

What do you get when doing this:
- Click Start
- Run
- c:\winnt\system32\cmd.exe {ok}

 

[jbclem1]

Hi Pegasus,

When I try to run cmd instead of a Dos window I get the Open With screen
that wants to know which program I want to use to open "cmd.exe". As I said
in my original message, .exe files will not run in Windows, but I can run
them from my Dos program. It looks as if I've lost the association for .exe
files.

I've checked on my other working computer under My
Computer/View/Tools/Folder Options/File Types and I can't find an
association for .exe or for the description of "application". And this is
on a computer that's working normally.

I'm stuck at this point although I have directions for fixing this loss of
association problem in the registry, Microsoft Knowledge Base Article -
172223, the instructions don't seem to be for Windows 2000. at least not the
sp3 version I have.

If you have any insights or suggestions please send them to me.

John

ps...both computers are running Win2000.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Check your "PathExt" variable in the Control Panel / System /
Advanced / Environmental variables. Mine looks like so:

PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH

 

[jbclem1]

Well I just found out I can't get into Control Panel/System. In regular and
Safe Mode I get the same message when I try to open System: "Access to the
specified device, path, or file is denied".

Can you think of another way I can get the the Environmental variables you
wanted me to check?

John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

This is getting a little hairy. I cannot be sure that the problem
lies with your path extensions, but here are a few ways to
modify them if you wish to persist:

- If the machine is networked, and if networking still works,
then use a networked Win2000 PC to import, modify & export
the HKLM branch of the registry. The key you need to modify is
HKLM\system\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
while its value is supposed to be
.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH

- Install your disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000
PC, then do the same as above.

- Download the tool to manufacture a Bart WinXP boot CD
from http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#download, then boot
your machine with it and modify the registry as above.
To manufacuture such a CD, you need a CD burner and
a WinXP Professional CD.

By the way, why don't you use XTreeGold to start the
Control Panel? The command is "control.exe"!

 

[jbclem1]

I can get to Regedit.exe using XTree Gold and the Environment looks like
it's ok, it has the same values you've posted. Also, I can open Control
Panel, it's just that when I try to open the icons in Control Panel (most,
not all) I get the "access denied..." message.

I've been running some programs from XTree Gold, but unfortunately the
important ones won't start up that way, probably because they depend on a
chain of exe commands and once I run the first command from Dos, the program
is then running in Win2000 and the rest of the exe commands fail.

Do you know anything about the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exe key? In my corrupt
computer this is different than the one in my good computer. One the other
hand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile keys are identical.

I have a backup from last weekend that includes the registry, but my backup
program (Backup Exec) is one that won't start from Dos. If I can figure out
how to start it that would be one good path to try. Is it reasonable to
assume that this problem I have comes from some kind of registry change?

If you have anymore suggestions, keep them coming!

John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

At his stage I would select first one, then the other of these
options:

a) Boot the machine with the Win2000 CD, select
"Install" when prompted, then select "Repair",
allowing Win2000 to install itself over the top of
the existing installation. You would then have to
re-apply the latest service pack. This would preserve
your existing settings.

b) Re-install Win2000 and all applications from scratch.
Back up all your data files first.

 

[jbclem1]

I tried to reboot with the Win2000 CD which has worked fine in the past, but
this time the boot stops at this line:

"Boot from ATAPI CD-ROM:
1. No Emulation System Type-(06)"

Any idea what that means and what to fix to get the boot to work?

John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I don't know what the message means but I suspect that
you may have hardware problems too. Do get back to a
safe base, I would do this, in this order:
- Temporarily disconnect the hard disk, then boot with the
Win2000 CD. If this does not work . . .
- Boot a friend's PC with the Win2000 CD, to confirm
the quality of the CD. If this works . . .
- Replace the CD drive. If this does not work . . .
- Replace the PC.

All these steps could easily be carried out in a computer
workshop, because they have the necessary facilities.

 

[jbclem1]

Actually i was thinking a new house might do the trick. I tried a different
copy of the Win2000 CD and it stopped hanging up on that message but then
quickly went on to start up Win2000. After trying it a few times I
remembered the message telling me to hit ENTER (to begin the Windows
installation) went by real quickly, like as in 1 second, so I just started
hitting ENTER at just the right time and eventually got the installation to
start. Ran the repair process but it didn't fix the problem.

However, I did fix the problem and didn't have to replace my house. I
discovered that in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe the Default key value was either
wrong or just nothing. I changed it to "exefile" to match that on my other
computer, and for good luck added another Key that was missing, one called
"Content Type" with a value of "application/x-msdownload" and after a
reboot all my applications were working again. I'd guess if was the
"exefile" value that did it. My desktop icons were still showing the
default Windows2000 graphics so I had to change them all back to their real
icons, but that was a pleasure compared to the frustration of the past week.

Thanks for all the ideas...it really kept me at it knowing someone was also
trying to help. I found registry fixes on Windows Annoyances and other web
sites dealing with extensions, but they were for a different key at
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile and that was actually ok on my corrupt computer.
Having the second computer and finding the \.exe key to be different from
one on the other computer, that was the result of keeping at it. Whew, glad
it's over.

Thanks again, John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Good to hear that you got it resolved. I now wonder what
happened to this missing key . . .

 

[geewizz]

It may be 2 years too late, but I had the same problem, and fixed it by changing these registry keys. It helped me - hope it helps you! Be careful when setting registry keys!

1. Start > Run > command
2. (in command box), type regedit.
3. in regedit, navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile right click and export it (so you have a backup incase it goes wrong!)
Keep the registry window open for later.

4. Start > Run > command (again)
5. (in new command box), type notepad
6. Copy the text below into notepad window, and save as a .reg file. (Make sure it is .reg, and not .reg.txt !

7. In regedit, go to file > import. Import the new .reg reg file.
8. If it works, it will work straight away (test by going to Start > Run > Notepad)

If it doesn't work, it was worth a try... import your backed up registry file!

Content to put in notepad follows:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00
"TileInfo"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion"
"InfoTip"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion;Create;Size"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\ShimLayer Property Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{B41DB860-8EE4-11D2-9906-E49FADC173CA}]
@=""