[RThomas3]

This is my first time here, I'm hoping you can help, I really need it.

Two nights ago, I renewed my subscription to Norton Internet Security (NIS). They also gave me Norton Password free. When NIS was downloaded, I downloaded Norton Password. That's when I noticed that NIS box for "start install after download is complete" was checked. I didn't have time to do the install. When Norton Password finished downloading, I went to XP and cancelled the NIS install and pushed Sleep button on my PC. I came back later to do the install (the download went to my desktop), all my desktop icons were dimmed and I couldn't access them. I restarted my PC and when the desktop came back up, all my icons were little boxes. It appears that all my program files are inoperable. I mean all: Control Panel, Explorer, Internet Explorer, every program file is no longer useable. I can push Start and go to the programs, they are now little boxes and are all inoperable. I only have a couple of functions available: the Start / Search works bringing up a window with the dog in the left pane. I can type control panel in the search and get control panel up, but only a couple of the functions work. Control Panel Folders works, and I can change the viewing functions of my folders, the file associations work and I can see all the associations, but all function boxes (change, etc) are dimmed and inoperable. I can see a directory, but My Computer directory has to scan first to get the file names, etc. All of the files come up with little boxes for icons and all are inoperable. I can go to the internet by typing an IP address in the Search line, but the connection is verrry slow.

I talked to Symantec, they said it was a virus. I can't get to their free site for checking a virus because of the slowness and instability of the connection. I did boot my computer off NIS,2005 disk to scan for viruses, but when I type navdsk c:, it checks memory and boot but not the c: drive for viruses. I've tried a number of permutations to get this to work, none do.

I tried a safe boot for "configure from last known goot boot" and that did nothing.

I have not tried repairing by rebooting from the MS-XP cd-rom. That is my next attempt.

Sorry for the long length of this message, just wanted to tell the whole story. Any suggestions first? Thanks in advance,

Randy

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Start the System Restore tool at a command prompt

1. Restart your computer, and keep tapping F8 during the initial start-up until you get options, select Safe Mode with a command prompt then press enter.

2. Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an account that has administrator credentials.

3. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

4. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to an earlier state.

For additional information about the Safe mode with a command prompt, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.micro....com/kb/315222/


A description of the Safe mode boot options in Windows XP

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD and get a blue progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot.

You can check for any improvement now, and then after each step until you have run through them all, if necessary

When it has loaded to the desktop, click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

This will take an hour, it will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

When it gets to the desktop, the system files and the hard drive will be as they should

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, click more options then clean up restore points, click confirm, click OK. Then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete, then reboot

If no change, the next thing to do would be a repair install, this will leave data and settings intact

XP Repair

If you are unable to run XP Repair

Alternate XP Repair

Use the last one, Windows Installation CD to repair the current installation, which uses a slightly different method

Beyond this, it could be a hardware fault

The next steps are optional

Get Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run disc clean up then registry clean up then click optimize to run reg defrag, which needs a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[Retired Tech]

Start the System Restore tool at a command prompt

1. Restart your computer, and keep tapping F8 during the initial start-up until you get options, select Safe Mode with a command prompt then press enter.

2. Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an account that has administrator credentials.

3. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

4. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to an earlier state.

For additional information about the Safe mode with a command prompt, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.micro....com/kb/315222/


A description of the Safe mode boot options in Windows XP

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD and get a blue progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot.

You can check for any improvement now, and then after each step until you have run through them all, if necessary

When it has loaded to the desktop, click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

This will take an hour, it will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

When it gets to the desktop, the system files and the hard drive will be as they should

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, click more options then clean up restore points, click confirm, click OK. Then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete, then reboot

If no change, the next thing to do would be a repair install, this will leave data and settings intact

XP Repair

If you are unable to run XP Repair

Alternate XP Repair

Use the last one, Windows Installation CD to repair the current installation, which uses a slightly different method

Beyond this, it could be a hardware fault

The next steps are optional

Get Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run disc clean up then registry clean up then click optimize to run reg defrag, which needs a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[RThomas3]

Thanks Keith. When I get home tonight I will try your suggestions. I'll let you know the outcome tomorrow.

Randy

[RThomas3]

Just another thought. An operations guy at work thought it almost sounded like the drive letter (c:) was renamed or missing from the operating system and that all the executables couldn't work because they couldn't be found. He thought that was a long shot and one he'd never heard of happening, he just thought that's what it sounded like it was doing.

Any thoughts on that one?

[Retired Tech]

If you can get to my computer to check for this, otherwise the file checks etc should set things back

[RThomas3]

Keith,

Thanks for all your suggestions yesterday; I tried them all last night.

Sorry to say, none of them worked. I tried the restore from previous, didn't work.
Tried the repair routine--took over an hour for the whole thing to run through (asked for my authentication number, etc.)--didn't work.

My computer still does not recognize any executables.

Funny thing, I can go to a *.doc file, set properties to open with word, etc., but when I try to open it, it says can't find the executable.

I'm to the point of buying another hard drive, formatting and loading it with XP, transferring all my files to it, reformatting my current hard drive and having two operating systems, etc. on my PC, what do you think.

Any ideas on either?
Thanks,
Randy

[Retired Tech]

You can get the new drive, though why would XP recognise them on the new drive

If system restore, system file chec, repair and general clean up hasn't worked then it's an mystery

I can ask the others to have a look at this, it will be later as most are five or six hours behind GMT

They will reply here

[darth_ash]

Follow the steps:

1) Click Start, Run and type Command (not same cmd, cmd won't run because it is an exe; Command is a com file)
Type the following and then press Enter after typing each one:
cd\windows
copy regedit.exe regedit.com (again as .exe wont work we are make a .com copy)
regedit.com

2) Navigate to and select the following key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ exefile \ shell \ open \ command
Double-click the (Default) value in the right pane
Delete the current value data, and then type:
"%1" %* [with quotes]
(ie., quote-percent-one-quote-space-percent-asterisk.)

3) Navigate to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe
In the right-pane, set (default) to exefile.

4) Now .exe should be working. But, U might still have a trojan which caused the problem in the first place. Run a Virus Scan.
If U need help removing the trojan go to the Malware Removal Forum.

[RThomas3]

Darth_Ash and anyone else:

Start / Run / Command would not work. But I could run Command after using Safe Boot Command Key Mode.

I did all step one and got into Regedit.

However, at step two, I only had HKEY_CLASSES \ exefile
NOT: HKEY_CLASSES \ exefile \ shell \ open \ command

I could not edit \ exefile, when I clicked on default, I got a message that said "Cannot edit: Error reading the value's contents."

Same thing with HKEY_CLASSES \ .exe
When I clicked on default, I got a message that said "Cannot edit: Error reading the value's contents."

What do I do now?

Thanks, Randy

[wannabe1]

Hello RThomas3...

Have a look at the procedures in This Microsoft Article...it seems to address your issue in a slightly different manner.

wannabe1