i cannot run .exe programs or install programs.

ok- i went out this morning and shut down my pc and for whatever reason when i got home i tried to start my video games and my msn messenger and it said "this file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. create an association in the folder options panel" so because of this i cannot run programs now on my pc and i tried downloading a software program for something unrelated and when i get the install icon on my d-top it says the exact same thing. can anyone help me to figure this out or tell me what has happend and how to fix it? thanks.

i saw this a few weeks ago. a fellow i work with brought his computer in to have me fix it. i found the same thing your discribing. also the ability to make reg changes to register these "orphaned" files with the associated action was gone. i put another hard drive in (small, 20 gig) on which i installed the OS and made the original a slave thereby saving all his (sons) files. being as i couldn't run bat, reg, exe's, etc. this seems like the fastest route to take. and being as he was running out of space on the H/D i probably would have done it anyway so it didn't feel like cheating and i didn't try to track the culprit down.

well i have found somewhat of a solution i went into propertys on my .exe files and selected the option to "Run as different user" and that allows me to run those programs but i still have no solution to install any programs i wish to install and as for now it seems hopeless i hope i will find a way or have help from someone to fix it as for now i dont have the money to get a new harddrive for a long time so im in a bad situation but ill try to do what i can and hope for any help i can get. thanks for ur advice kahlil.

oops sorry read the wrong name lol thanks tedob1

you dont need money to get a hard drive! go out on a few garbage nights and check the dumpsters in industrial areas. your bound to find a computer or three.

someone may yet post a 'cure' for this but if not you can use an os on a bootable cd. if you have a thumb drive BartPE will see it and you can transfer files to it and the use your restore disks. a linux bootable cd will allow you to burn CDs if you need to save allot.

BTW i doubt this has anything to do with spyware/adware. there's no money to be made in doing this.

ur are probly right im thinking now it has nothing to do with adware or spyware but i had thought in the beggining it did because for something like this to happen out of the blue is a little suspicious and seems almost with a purpose of some sort . maybe ive been hacked or maybe it was some form of error i encountered but as for reinstalling, the pc i got came with windows already installed i dont have the disk nor do i have the 250$ for another windows 2000 or the 350$ for a windows xp so im in a tight spot to say the least.

Howdy..

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BTW i doubt this has anything to do with spyware/adware.

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And how you came to this assumption is beyond me..

Anyhow i would update your antivirus programs, grab a copy of
Adaware,
Spybot Search and Destroy,
Also get Hijack This,
{and maybe post the log it spits out here and someone might go over it..}

Anyhow once you have installed and updated all the definition files, restart the computer and boot up into Safe mode by pressing the F8 key.
Once in safe mode run scans with the above programs and see if the problem dissapears..

I've seen similar cases were the person could not install etc, and it was caused by a mixture of Spyware, and Virus's.

cheers
front2back

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Originally posted here by Rene-Levesque06
"this file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. create an association in the folder options panel"

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That isn't funny.. But should be simple to fix..

I'm assuming you get this with all .exe files? That limits our ability a bit but I think we can work around it.. Because you cannot run .exe we're going to rename regedit.exe to regedit.com and hope the .com still works.. I am assuming you're on XP...
Start -> Run... command.com (cannot use cmd.exe)
At the prompt:

c:\> cd windows\system32
c:\windows\system32> ren regedt32.exe regedt32.com
c:\windows\system32> regedt32.com

That should bring up regedit.. Now navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe. That should read (Default) REG_SZ exefile. If it's there, OK..
Next navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command. That should read (Default) REG_SZ "%1" %*. If not change it..

Now close regedit, reboot to make sure.. And see if you can run executables again..

Something Tedob said made me think. How full is your hard drive, and how much is running in th ebackground at anyone time. I have had this sort of thing, not the same but similar happen to me on PC's and it always starts to happen as I fill up a hard drive. A hard drive requires a certain amount of space to actually work comfortably, as a lot of what a pc does is constantly write and rewrite to the hard drivefilling up space. If you then don't defrag, the processor has to look for this space, and this can cause errors and odd behaviour.

When anything goes odd on my pc, I always just look in my computer, and the properties of the C drive, as theat is where the operating system usually resides. If there is less than 20% free, then seriously think about cleaning some stuff off, and defrag.

This won't necessarily solve your problem, but if the case is a full HD, then know for when you get it running again.

Just a thought.

Frddgity Janrax

Johnny that would explain part of this if it were not for the guy being able to run the programs as a different user.

I will say one of my most favoite statements I have ever made "Spyware is a *itch*

While I know the normal route of cleaning the P.C. etc.. Is probably not going to work. Get yourself a live bootcd and go to work on that drive. I wouldn't mind having a look at it myself.

Tedob1 did you try any odd ways of playing with the drive or were you pretty much trying to get the guy to leave you alone?