Thanks for all your help... I'll try to do all that tomorrow....
BUT - the site says you shouldn't do it for laptops, and this is happening
on a laptop... Is there another way to fix this?
Melody
Step by step help for XP Clean Install - with Visual aid::
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k
Windows 2000 Group Policy Registry Table:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/gp/gpref.asp
There are no files on it that need backing up - so how do I do a "clean
install"?
What do I need to do???
Melody
Connect the hard disk to another system and load the Software Hive (See this
page "Advanced REgistry Editing" for more information on Load Hive:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_adv_reg_editing.htm).
But, you have to load the "c:\windows\system32\config\software" and not the
NTUSER.DAT
After loading the Hive, fix the EXE file associations manually.
The above steps is definitely not for a Novice, but that's the only method
which I can think of.
-or-
Backup the files and perform a clean install.
--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k
Windows 2000 Group Policy Registry Table:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/gp/gpref.asp
I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you just suggested..... Is there any way
to say that in plain English....
I can't start the computer normally - or I don't know how - it wants me to
put in the cd to continue the installation, and if I don't it tells me I
have a fatal error...
I'm sorry, but you're talking to a dummy here, and I need an English answer
to my question, not a computer expert answer...
Thanks in advance.....
Melody
Melody,
See if you're able to cancel the setup and load Windows normally. If that
does not help, slave the hard disk to another system or another installation
of Windows and load the Software Hive. Then modify the exefile association
in the registry.
--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k
Windows 2000 Group Policy Registry Table:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/gp/gpref.asp
Thanks, but unfortunately it's too late for that... Having started to
reinstall Windows, it won't let me even start up the computer - it wants me
to give it the CD to finish the installation, but it stops when it asks me
for the program to open the file: rundll32.exe
I'm still stuck...
Melody
Hi Melody,
First, a repair installation is not required though it will fix the problem.
A rather direct route is to fix the file associations manually. It's either
the .EXE or the .LNK (shortcuts) association have become corrupt. Visit Doug
Knox's site
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm and download/apply the
EXE file association fix. If that does not work, try the .LNK association
fix.
BTW, this behavior is often caused by viruses, one of which is the Sircam
virus that corrupts the exefile associations in the registry. That means,
update your anti-virus software and run a full system scan, in addition to
the above fixes.
--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k
Windows 2000 Group Policy Registry Table:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/gp/gpref.asp
I really hope someone can help...
I have a laptop that couldn't open any programs - the message it came up
with when we tried was "there is no program associated with this task" - so
we decided to reinstall Windows XP.
It happily autoruns the cd to a point, then a window pops up that says:
Windows cannot open the file - File: rundll32.exe
It suggests we use the web to find the appropriate program, but we can't go
online.
What can we do?????????
Thanks in advance for your help.
Melody
