Missing Windows Startup File in Registry Scan

[Guest]

I ran the norton one button check up and it came up with this error when it scanned the Windows Registry Scan, so I clicked on "show details" and this is what is stated

Missing Windows Startup File (1 Problem

"The key "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, "refers to a Registry value "zexpandl" that points to "C:\WINDOWS\System32\zexpandl.exe," an invalid startupcommand

What do I do in this situation? I do not even know what this is or if I should attempt to get rid of it? But how? And this will cause a problem starting my windows

Please Help

 

[Malke]

I ran the norton one button check up and it came up with this error
when it scanned the Windows Registry Scan, so I clicked on "show
details" and this is what is stated.


Missing Windows Startup File (1 Problem)

"The key "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, "refers to a
Registry value "zexpandl" that points to
"C:\WINDOWS\System32\zexpandl.exe," an invalid startupcommand.


What do I do in this situation? I do not even know what this is or if
I should attempt to get rid of it? But how? And this will cause a
problem starting my windows?

This is not a Windows file. Go to Start>Run and type "msconfig" without
the quotes. Look on the Startup tab for the culprit and uncheck the box
next to its name, Apply and OK out. Now do this troubleshooting:

1) scan with current antivirus ("current" means a version not earlier
than 2002 but using updated virus definitions); 2) remove spyware with
Spybot Search & Destroy (www.safer-networking.org) and Ad-aware
(www.lavasoftusa.com). These programs are free, so use them both since
they complement each other. Be sure to update these programs before
running, and it is a good idea to do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode.

Please be sure your operating system is patched, also.

Malke

 

[Alex Nichol]

Missing Windows Startup File (1 Problem)

"The key "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, "refers to a Registry value "zexpandl" that points to "C:\WINDOWS\System32\zexpandl.exe," an invalid startupcommand.

It can't be loading - so it is not going to harm you if it does not try.
It is not a regular Windows program, and may well have been a nasty that
an AV or ANti-Spyware has removed, leaving the entry that tries to run
it at startup. So tidy the entry away:

Start - Run - MSconfig.exe

On the Startup page, look for a line with that name, and that in the
Command column. Uncheck it. Exit - do not bother to reboot, but next
time you do there will be a message about 'Troubleshooting'. Check the
'Do not show again' box and exit