Major issue : WinXP cannot open anymore .exe programs

[Daniel]

Hello everybody,

Since this morning, my friend's computer exhibits the following problem :

whenever he tries to launch a programm having the.exe extension, an Acrobat
reader box opens with an error message, indicating that "Acrobat reader
cannot open *that file* because that type of file is not recognized by
Acrobat Reader" (something like that. I cannot exactly translate it from the
French version of Acrobat reader).

Be it in normal mode or in safe mode, he cannot run Norton AV. He cannot
restore the system. He cannot add/remove programs (it seems .dll files are
also affected). He cannot open Outlook. In other words he is stuck. He
always get that error msg from Acobat Reader.

I understand he can still use Word, by clicking on a document created with
one of these application (.doc).
He had installed SP2 a couple of weeks ago, but everything seemed to be
fine, until this morning. He cannot correlate the pbm with anything he could
have done. NAV was enabled and up to date.

So it seems Windows doesn't recognize .exe files anymore or these extensions
are allocated to Acrobat Reader (sorry about my lousy English).

Any clue anyone ?
Many thanks in advance for your kind help.
Best regards,
Daniel

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Please try the following link to Doug Knox's web site and run the fix for
..EXE Files:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

 

[Daniel]

Hello Will,

That was quick! Thank you so much for your time and help.
I will ask him to try that fix tomorrow first time in the morning.

I'll let you know about the result.
Brgds,
Daniel

 

[Daniel]

Hi Will,

It didn't work : it was not possible to import the .reg patch by
double-cliking on it. The patch simply opened in Notepad.

He managed, somehow, to run NAV which indicated the presence of the
following virus :w32netskyD@mm.

He downloaded the fix from symantec, but could not run it.

everytime the same Acrobat reader error message appears.

Amazing, isn't it. It smelles like reformatting, hey?

Tks again and brgds.
Daniel

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Run the .REG file association fix as well on Doug Knox's web page.

 

[Daniel]

Hello again, Will.

Thanks for yor time and help.

Didn't work. Same phenomenon, he cannot imort the fix into the registry. the
Acrobat reader error message appears, etc.

Best rgds,
Daniel.