"Windows cannot find 'msconfig'"

[Pekka Numminen]

My latest problem is this:

In the Start menu, I click on Run... and the "Run" dialog box appears.
I type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks), and I get the
following error message:

"msconfig: Windows cannot find 'msconfig'. Make sure you typed the
name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the
Start button, and then click Search."

Why is this?

 

[Elmo]

My latest problem is this:

In the Start menu, I click on Run... and the "Run" dialog box appears.
I type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks), and I get the
following error message:

"msconfig: Windows cannot find 'msconfig'. Make sure you typed the
name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the
Start button, and then click Search."

Why is this?

This could be because:

- the file isn't in the default path. Do as suggested and search for
the file.
- the hard drive has issues and lost the file. Run Chkdsk and see if
there are problems.
- malware is sending a false report that the file isn't seen. See if
you can run Task Manager, and Regedit as a test.
- malware removed it. Run these:

Malwarebytes© Corporation
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/program/mbam-setup.exe

SuperAntispyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html

 

[Pekka Numminen]

This could be because:
- the file isn't in the default path.  Do as suggested and search for
the file.
- the hard drive has issues and lost the file.  Run Chkdsk and see if
there are problems.
- malware is sending a false report that the file isn't seen.  See if
you can run Task Manager, and Regedit as a test.
- malware removed it.  Run these:
Malwarebytes© Corporationhttp://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/program/mbam-setup.exe
SuperAntispywarehttp://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro..html

I searched for msconfig.* and these were found:

C:\WINDOWS\Help\msconfig.chm
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\msconfig.exe
C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe

Is this correct?

I actually ran both Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and SuperAntiSpyware
earlier today, but each time the check was aborted because Windows
froze. No threats were found before that.

Chkdsk would probably take a year to complete.

 

[Elmo]

I searched for msconfig.* and these were found:

C:\WINDOWS\Help\msconfig.chm
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\msconfig.exe
C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe

Is this correct?

I also have this one:

C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386

But yours is in the correct place, C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\

Since you also can't run two malware programs, I suspect you're
infected. Three things I would try in the order shown:

1. Open Task Manager and stop any processes you don't recognize. If you
close the wrong one and the computer freezes, just restart and try
again. After stopping many unneeded processes, try Malwarebytes again.

2. If that didn't work, boot to Safe Mode and run Malwarebytes there.

3. Burn BitDefender, or another program listed at the link below, to a
CD (using a working machine) and test the infected machine with it.
BitDefender also has a Rootkit checker on the Linux Desktop; run it if
you think that's the problem:

http://www.techmixer.com/free-bootable-antivirus-rescue-cds-download-list/

Download the executable rather than the .iso image, if one is available,
(though no .exe is available for BitDefender).

After the scan is run, if you elect to quarantine files, they're
quarantined to RAM and lost after you reboot. You'll need to copy any
quarantined files to the hard drive, a thumb drive or elsewhere before
exiting.

Then run these:

Malwarebytes© Corporation
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/program/mbam-setup.exe

SuperAntispyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html

 

[Jose]

I searched for msconfig.* and these were found:

C:\WINDOWS\Help\msconfig.chm
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\msconfig.exe
C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe

Is this correct?

I actually ran both Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and SuperAntiSpyware
earlier today, but each time the check was aborted because Windows
froze. No threats were found before that.

Chkdsk would probably take a year to complete.

It could be malware and you should figure out why MBAM and SAS will
not run and fix that.

msconfig.exe (the one that gets run) is where it is supposed to be
which is:

C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe

The path to msconfig is in the regsistry app paths variable.

HKLM\sotware\microsoft\windows\currentversion\app paths\msconfig\

The default value contains the path to the msconfig executable. It
should contain:

C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe

It is in some other locations on your HDD on purpose since it is a
Windows Protected File. If you delete the correct one and WFP is
working, it will be quickly and silently be replaced with the copy
from dllcache and an event like this in the System Event Log:

Event Type: Information
Event Source: Windows File Protection
Event Category: None
Event ID: 64002
Description:
File replacement was attempted on the protected system file c:\windows
\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe. This file was restored to the
original version to maintain system stability. The file version of the
system file is 5.1.2600.5512.

 

[Pekka Numminen]

I managed to run Quick Scans of MBAM and SAS. No infected objects were
found. I also burned the BitDefender CD and ran the scan. Nothing was
found.

In Registry Editor under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
\CurrentVersion\App Paths, there is no MSCONFIG.EXE. I wonder why that
is?

 

[John John - MVP]

I managed to run Quick Scans of MBAM and SAS. No infected objects were
found. I also burned the BitDefender CD and ran the scan. Nothing was
found.

In Registry Editor under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
\CurrentVersion\App Paths, there is no MSCONFIG.EXE. I wonder why that
is?

Rebuild the key and Windows will find msconfig. Merge this to your
registry:

=================================================================
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths\MSCONFIG.EXE]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\PCHealth\\HelpCtr\\Binaries\\MSConfig.exe"

=================================================================

John

 

[Pekka Numminen]

Rebuild the key and Windows will find msconfig.  Merge this to your
registry:

=================================================================
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths\MSCONFIG.EXE]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\PCHealth\\HelpCtr\\Binaries\\MSConfig.exe"

=================================================================

Ok, 'msconfig' works now. Thanks, Elmo and John John, for your help.

I wonder why the registry key had been deleted.

 

[John John - MVP]

Rebuild the key and Windows will find msconfig. Merge this to your
registry:

=================================================================
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths\MSCONFIG.EXE]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\PCHealth\\HelpCtr\\Binaries\\MSConfig.exe"

=================================================================

Ok, 'msconfig' works now. Thanks, Elmo and John John, for your help.

You're welcome.

I wonder why the registry key had been deleted.

My first guess would be malware.

John

 

[Elmo]

I managed to run Quick Scans of MBAM and SAS. No infected objects were
found. I also burned the BitDefender CD and ran the scan. Nothing was
found.

In Registry Editor under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
\CurrentVersion\App Paths, there is no MSCONFIG.EXE. I wonder why that
is?

What changed, that you were able to run mbam and sas?

 

[Elmo]

Rebuild the key and Windows will find msconfig. Merge this to your
registry:

=================================================================
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths\MSCONFIG.EXE]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\PCHealth\\HelpCtr\\Binaries\\MSConfig.exe"

=================================================================

Ok, 'msconfig' works now. Thanks, Elmo and John John, for your help.

I wonder why the registry key had been deleted.

A registry cleaner, or bad hard drive are two ways to lose critical
entries from the registry, I suppose.

 

[Pekka Numminen]

What changed, that you were able to run mbam and sas?

I don't know, Windows probably froze back then because I tried to run
some applications at the same time.