Path went bye bye

[WhiteTea]

All programs that need a path statement no longer work unless I use
the full path.
wzzip is one example.(command line add-on to Winzip)

Also the System Variables do not show the path that used to be there.

To fix it I have tried

1. System Restore to the earliest date
2. Running a bat file with a path statement on startup

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Lem]

All programs that need a path statement no longer work unless I use
the full path.
wzzip is one example.(command line add-on to Winzip)

Also the System Variables do not show the path that used to be there.

To fix it I have tried

1. System Restore to the earliest date
2. Running a bat file with a path statement on startup

Thanks,
Andy

So, I take it that when you open a command prompt window and type "path"
(without quotes) you see nothing?

Normally, the path should be edited (set) by opening System Properties
and clicking the "Environment Variables" button on the Advanced tab. Use
the "New" or "Edit" buttons as needed.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[WhiteTea]

So, I take it that when you open a command prompt window and type "path"
(without quotes) you see nothing?

Normally, the path should be edited (set) by opening System Properties
and clicking the "Environment Variables" button on the Advanced tab. Use
the "New" or "Edit" buttons as needed.

Yes, putting a path statement as "New" doesn't "take".

 

[Lem]

Yes, putting a path statement as "New" doesn't "take".

No answers, but some questions:

0. If there really is no path, then a lot more things than just apps
like Winzip won't work. For example, what happens if you type "cmd"
(without quotes) in the Start > Run box and click OK?

1. What happened between the time things worked and when they didn't?

2. What is the malware status of the machine, and how do you know?

3. Have you done a full system search, including hidden and system
files, for autoexec.* to see if there is a superfluous autoexec.bat file
somewhere (this is not likely to be the cause of the problem, given your
statement that you can't add a path statement using the Environment
Variables button)?

4. What are the permissions for the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Environment? On my XP box, the following all have "Full Control"
and "Read" permission (all inherited from "HKLM\System): Administrators,
Creator/Owner, Power Users, System, and Users. Assuming that the key
does have those permissions, is the user in whose profile you are
attempting to set the path a member of at least one of those groups?
(Right click My Computer, select Manage, expand "Local Users and Groups"
and check properties of Groups (which users are members) or Users
(members of which groups)).

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Nightowl]

What are the permissions for the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Environment?

Hi WhiteTea

I'd also check the type of the key above mentioned by Lem. It should be
an expandable string value (REG_EXPAND_SZ). I've seen a similar problem
to yours a few times when somehow the key has been changed to an
ordinary string (REG_SZ), perhaps by some app that added itself to and
rewrote the path.

 

[WhiteTea]

So, I take it that when you open a command prompt window and type "path"
(without quotes) you see nothing?

Normally, the path should be edited (set) by opening System Properties
and clicking the "Environment Variables" button on the Advanced tab. Use
the "New" or "Edit" buttons as needed.

When I type path at a cmd prompt, I get e:\windows\system32

I can NOT change it by changing the Environmental Variables.

Andy

 

[WhiteTea]

No answers, but some questions:

0. If there really is no path, then a lot more things than just apps
like Winzip won't work. For example, what happens if you type "cmd"
(without quotes) in the Start > Run box and click OK?

1. What happened between the time things worked and when they didn't?

2. What is the malware status of the machine, and how do you know?

3. Have you done a full system search, including hidden and system
files, for autoexec.* to see if there is a superfluous autoexec.bat file
somewhere (this is not likely to be the cause of the problem, given your
statement that you can't add a path statement using the Environment
Variables button)?

4. What are the permissions for the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Environment? On my XP box, the following all have "Full Control"
and "Read" permission (all inherited from "HKLM\System): Administrators,
Creator/Owner, Power Users, System, and Users. Assuming that the key
does have those permissions, is the user in whose profile you are
attempting to set the path a member of at least one of those groups?
(Right click My Computer, select Manage, expand "Local Users and Groups"
and check properties of Groups (which users are members) or Users
(members of which groups)).

I am the System Admin and that key shows full control.

No malware and no autoexec.bat.

Thanks,
Andy

 

[WhiteTea]

Hi WhiteTea

I'd also check the type of the key above mentioned by Lem. It should be
an expandable string value (REG_EXPAND_SZ). I've seen a similar problem
to yours a few times when somehow the key has been changed to an
ordinary string (REG_SZ), perhaps by some app that added itself to and
rewrote the path.

See my reply to Nightowl.

I know we will eventually get this figured out.

I got in bigger messes when I was writing assembly programs under Win
98.

Andy

 

[Nightowl]

See my reply to Nightowl.

I know we will eventually get this figured out.

I got in bigger messes when I was writing assembly programs under Win
98.

Hi Andy

Perhaps you meant: "see my reply to Lem"?
You said you have full control permissions, but what actually is the
type of the registry key, and what path is listed there?

 

[WhiteTea]

Hi Andy

Perhaps you meant: "see my reply to Lem"?
You said you have full control permissions, but what actually is the
type of the registry key, and what path is listed there?

Under that key are Default, ComSpec, Temp, Tmp etc. What value do you
want to know ?

Andy

 

[Nightowl]

Under that key are Default, ComSpec, Temp, Tmp etc. What value do you
want to know ?

Hi Andy

Sorry for not being clear. If you look at the Path entry under that key,
what is shown in the "Type" column, REG_EXPAND_SZ or REG_SZ ? And is
there actually anything in the Data column?

 

[WhiteTea]

Hi Andy

Sorry for not being clear. If you look at the Path entry under that key,
what is shown in the "Type" column, REG_EXPAND_SZ or REG_SZ ? And is
there actually anything in the Data column?

There is NO path entry. Do I make one ?

I wonder why Environmental Variables doesn't let me add one. ??

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Lem]

There is NO path entry. Do I make one ?

I wonder why Environmental Variables doesn't let me add one. ??

Thanks,
Andy

Yes.

- Right click on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Environment
- select "New" and then "Expandable String Value"
- The name of the "value" is "Path" (without quotes, and with a capital P)
- Then right click on the new "value" you just created and select "Modify."
- For starters, just enter "%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%" (without
quotes).
- Close the registry editor, open a Command Prompt window and type
"Path" (without quotes) and confirm that your path is what you just set.
- Then try editing it using the System Properties dialog.

And if that doesn't work, even though you are the "System Admin," unless
you are using the built-in "Administrator" account, double check that
your user name is in fact listed as a member of at least one of the
groups that have full control of the key.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[WhiteTea]

Yes.

- Right click on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Environment
- select "New" and then "Expandable String Value"
- The name of the "value" is "Path" (without quotes, and with a capital P)
- Then right click on the new "value" you just created and select "Modify."
- For starters, just enter "%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%" (without
quotes).
- Close the registry editor, open a Command Prompt window and type
"Path" (without quotes) and confirm that your path is what you just set.
- Then try editing it using the System Properties dialog.

And if that doesn't work, even though you are the "System Admin," unless
you are using the built-in "Administrator" account, double check that
your user name is in fact listed as a member of at least one of the
groups that have full control of the key.

Thanks, I hope you have a great Christmas.

Andy

 

[WhiteTea]

Yes.

- Right click on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Environment
- select "New" and then "Expandable String Value"
- The name of the "value" is "Path" (without quotes, and with a capital P)
- Then right click on the new "value" you just created and select "Modify."
- For starters, just enter "%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%" (without
quotes).
- Close the registry editor, open a Command Prompt window and type
"Path" (without quotes) and confirm that your path is what you just set.
- Then try editing it using the System Properties dialog.

And if that doesn't work, even though you are the "System Admin," unless
you are using the built-in "Administrator" account, double check that
your user name is in fact listed as a member of at least one of the
groups that have full control of the key.

Thanks Lem for all your help. When I tried the above using TweakUi, I
can now not run my policy editor.

It gives a Snapin error.

As I go thru your diagnosing, I am finding more things corrupted.

If I do a re-install, I guess all my programs go nite-nite ?

Do I have to del win.com and then do the re-install?

Andy