Program Files Associations

[Guest]

Somehow after blocking some Adware notified attempts to change regiestry
entires, I have "lost" all my file associations for my programs;
I tried the following after (reading Ramesh's post to Bill on 11-4-05) to
launch the registry editor without success
Start Run command.com
[I had to browse to command in windows to assoiciate this file, but it worked]
copy regedit.exe regedit.com
[this worked saying I had copied 1 file successfully]
start regedit.com
[this would not work - error message sayng no access]
can anybody - Ramesh - assist please?
PS:
I can get some programs to run by using browse to find them in the windows
programs area, but I am only guessing most of the time.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Click Start, Run and type Command.com
Type "c:\windows\regedit.exe"

Fix the .exe association here:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe
Set the (default) to exefile

Goto:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
Set the (default) to the following *exactly as given below*

"%1" %*

Close Regedit.exe

Follow-up with Malware removal. See http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.php

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[Guest]

Tried your suggestion. An error message came up saying "application failed
to initialize properly" and it would not proceed any further.
--
Regards
rbc

Click Start, Run and type Command.com
Type "c:\windows\regedit.exe"

Fix the .exe association here:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe
Set the (default) to exefile

Goto:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
Set the (default) to the following *exactly as given below*

"%1" %*

Close Regedit.exe

Follow-up with Malware removal. See http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.php

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

Somehow after blocking some Adware notified attempts to change regiestry
entires, I have "lost" all my file associations for my programs;
I tried the following after (reading Ramesh's post to Bill on 11-4-05) to
launch the registry editor without success
Start Run command.com
[I had to browse to command in windows to assoiciate this file, but it
worked]
copy regedit.exe regedit.com
[this worked saying I had copied 1 file successfully]
start regedit.com
[this would not work - error message sayng no access]
can anybody - Ramesh - assist please?
PS:
I can get some programs to run by using browse to find them in the windows
programs area, but I am only guessing most of the time.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Use this INF file to reset the .exe / .com / .reg associations:
http://download.nai.com/products/mcafee-avert/Fixswen.inf
Link - Courtesy of Alan Edwards.

Right-click the INF file and choose Install (Download from another system if
needed, and transfer to the subject computer). Note that the
"DefaultInstall" section of the INF file is launched by Rundll32.exe (again,
and .exe file). If you're unable to Install the INF file, successfully, run
this from Command.com prompt:

C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall
132 C:\Fixswen.inf

Assuming that you've stored Fixswen.inf in C:\.

If that does not help, you may need to edit the registry offline (from a
parallel XP installation if available, or using the BartPE boot CD). Then
run Trend Micro's Sysclean package (free), it's capable of eliminating
keyloggers, trojans etc. Full instructions at:

http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=10820
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[Alan Edwards]

Hi Ramesh,

FWIW, all feedback and my own tests indicate that .inf files can be
launched despite the .exe association being corrupt, which is why I
recommend Fixswen.inf

....Alan

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for posting. As you say "That saved me a test" ;-)

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[Guest]

First let me say thanks for your efforts. But I am still having problems.
None of the commands you gave me will work in the DOS window at accessed by
using command.com (I still have to manually associate the command but it gets
there.)
Since my last post, I have also purchased and run Pc OnPoint. It also had
problems with "fixing problems" but identified 114 file associations problems
and 250 registry problems (AVG Anti - Virus scan reveals no viruses). After
manually associating Regedt.exe with Regedit Tool several times in response
to an error message - I finally got PC OnPoint to fix all problems. But I am
left with the PC OnPoint icon on all my software programs. Click on any of
these results in Pc OnPoint bringing up it scan now window.
Should I try running the original solution posted to Bill (see my first post)?
Should I reinstall Windows XP Home Ed over what I have now, including
Service Pack 2 and all the Windows Update files?

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

rbc,

I'm wondering how the application could run, as the .exe association is
damaged?

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

I had to browse to command in windows to assoiciate this file, but it
Umm.. Missed that part of your original message

--
Ramesh, MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
http://windowsxp.mvps.org

Windows XP Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Outlook Express:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

 

[Guest]

Well it looks like I've come to the end of the road. I did a Boot in "Safe
with Command Prompt" and got into the Registry as described in your earlier
post (to Bill); but as I navigated to each area you advised I found the
setting was as you indicated, i.e. value for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe was
"exefile"; \exefile\shell\open\command was set to "%1" %*.
I tried David Lipman's Generic Trojan/Adware Removal Procedure at
http://claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html and after runnng Ad-Aware I
was then able to delete a Registry Critical Problem (it was too fast - but I
did see the exefile and the "%1" %* as part of the problem (?).
Bottom line is nothing works.
I can get my programs to run by going into C:\Programs and finding the
application file, and double clicking on them. The programs will run.
I've run out of ideas.
To top it off now Ad-Aware "freezes" at C;\Windows\System32\dillcache and
won't complete the scan.
Thanks for all your attempts at help - I think I will have to take the PC
into a Professional.