please help: how do I change the %path% without the ambient variables tab, rundll32.exe error %path%

M

Mark

A friend has recently installed a version of norton antivirus on his
laptop...win xp oem.
he messed up the installation and now cannot run xp correctly.

when you try right-clicking on "my computer" and click on the
properties tab you get a rundll32.exe error so changing the ambient
variables becomes difficult or untouchable...
the same thing occours when you try from start,settings etc...you get
a rundll32.exe error.

cmd.exe will not start at all, I tried it in its folder etc. but
nothing runs.
regedit wont start either.
when I hit start run and type %systemroot% I get c:\windows as per
normal
when I hit start run and type %path% I get an error listing the usual
system paths of c:\windows\System32;c:\windows;c:\windows\System32\Wbem;c:\programmi.

now I'm guessing that the full stop "." may be messing things up but
thats a wild guess...does anyone know how to change the system path or
rather %path% variable under these conditions?

please note that a lot of the win32 applications work ok on the same
laptop you just have to go to the program folder and double-click on
the executable...the norton installation is half working half
not...you cant un-install because you get the rundll32.exe error again
when you attempt to do so.
 
D

David Candy

I wouldn't discount a virus or a repaired virus with the damage left behind. Many of your symptoms are the same as all the popular (well many people installed it so must be popular) viruses from the last couple of years. The other symptoms are often seen in repaired viruses with the damage unrepaired.

To your specifics, The other things that don;'t work are what you need to work around your specific question. So in your case I guess not. www.grisoft.com has a free AV program. Viruses have anti anti-virus features these days. As AVG isn't popular with consumers it may be allowed to run. Some viruses are called rundll32 so it may be that the Norton's cleaned it and so it isn't there anymore.

Try typing in Start Run
sfc /scannow
 
M

Mark

Thanks for the reply David,
I'll keep the AV software in mind though personally I prefer trying to
do without them, I usually navigate trying to use plain old hypertext
only and that usually keeps me out of trouble...I'd even noticed the
presence of msblast.exe on my own PC when it first started appearing
so I managed to block it early, the downside is that you wear your
mouse out clicking no all the time while on the net...it does give you
a better idea of what happens on what kind of site though.

I'll try copying a rundll32.exe from another source and see if I can
replace the allegededly damaged one...I already tried a system restore
using sr.inf in C:\windows\inf but it didnt seem to make any
difference after the reboot so if the standby copy is damaged i'll try
importing a fresh one.

I'll try your suggestion to "sfc /scannow" first of course...just
gotta wait till my friend comes in again to try this out....you know,
I'm starting to appreciate all that clicking now, If my friend was
less in a hurry I doubt if he'd have allowed norton to touch anything
without doing some kind of backup for reference.

My question still remains however:
Is there a way to change the system path without having to use
the "standard -system variables tab- method".?

I dont know if its relevant but he's got a desktop connection to "my
computer" and not the usual icon that gives you a "system properties"
interface when you right-click it and click on properties.Do you know
how I could restore the usual icon without risking an XP re-install or
restore.?

Thanks in advance for any help,
L8r,
Mark
 
D

David Candy

You can change the environmental variables by typing Regedit in Start Run, which you can't do. We could write a script to change it. But system32 and windows are searched before the path (one day I'll run an expierent to see if windows searches it two times (or three in 9x), first for current directory (windows in 9x and your profile in NT/XP), System 32 and Windows, then the path (which includes Windows and System32)). So it's unlikely that your path would affect it.

To your second question - same answer as your first.

Now there is a command line reg editor in Pro at least. Type reg in help. If reg works read on.

I've attached an export of mine for you to look at. Don't just merge them. Read and edit.

If your friend (or lets call him the problem) hid My Comp the XP way, as it is on a clean install, then the attached file will add a real My Comp to the desktop. Just merge this one. If he used a previous windows version hack to hide it it won't help. Note XP hides icons but previous versions didn't. One removed My Comp from existance, which will work on XP.
 
A

Alex Nichol

Mark said:
Thanks for the reply David,
I'll keep the AV software in mind though personally I prefer trying to
do without them, I usually navigate trying to use plain old hypertext
only and that usually keeps me out of trouble...I'd even noticed the
presence of msblast.exe on my own PC when it first started appearing
so I managed to block it early,


It looks to me as if you were not fully successful. Your symptoms match
up with some of the side effects
 
M

Mark

Hi Alex,
my own laptop and PC seem fine, never really had problems, my friends
laptop was the one infected...sometimes the simplified user-interface
approach to viri...ie using norton etc...can lead to poor PC
performance and a series of problems as a consequence of using a
powerful software with low-level capacities.
These anti-viri software products knows a lot more about interfeering
with the system and its files than a standard user does...and we're
all a bit too used to clicking "ok" or "I agree" or "delete the virus
named "user32.dll" from your hard-disk"...I'm not trying to say what I
do is right I'm only stating that so far I havn't had much
trouble.....my wifes cooking is more dangerous than most viri.....mind
you she had the oven on one day with a blender, the line voltage
dropped, my powerunit transformer blew up frying my graphics card and
two hard-disks probably all the diodes on the MB but somehow the
pentium3 got away with it....maybe all the dust around that slot
helped....booh??

I havn't tried the previous remedies yet...still waiting for my friend
to arrive, but if anyone sees the light please respond.
I've been snooping the NG a bit and found this command :
control sysdm.cpl
if I still get the rundll32.exe error on this I can probably assume
that the rundll32.exe file is corrupted, still cant figure how my
friend manages to run cad programmes without hitting a damaged call on
rundll32.exe, that goes the same for most of the MSoffice package
too...he just wanders to the executable file and does a double
click...I'm not a programmer, as such, but I'd have assumed that this
dll was responsable for a lot more application calls.
L8r,
Mark
 
D

David Candy

I don't use n AV program. I just don't get infected.

Rundll32 runs functions in dll files as a Application. Programs call dll functions without using rundll32. It is used so the function can be used from the command line. Functions should be specially written to use rundll32, but it works on some functions that either don't take parameters or if blank parameters are passed the functions assume it's null and it happens to work. I doubt office uses it at all.
 

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