Help Please !

[Ramanuman]

For some reason all my .exe files seem to have been disassociated : All the icons have turned back to generic, and double-clicking them cause the message "Cannot open this file. To open this file Windows need to know what program created it...".

I searched Google, but all I find are discussions related to the SIRCAM virus. And I did a virus scan just this morning, where nothing showed up. Plus the symptoms are not exactly the same : SIRCAM will make Windows generate 1 of the 2 following messages when you try to execute an .exe : "The specific path does not exist. Check the path and try again.
-or-
Windows cannot find 'executable'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search."

Now I don't dare turn off anything or reboot, for fear of not being able to start anything again afterwards.
Any idea what I can do ?

Thanks.

 

[koko]

sounds to me like you have a virus. have you updated your virus definitions AS WELL AS updated your virus protection software?

might be time to format your system.

 

[Ramanuman]

Nope, no virus. I did a chkdisk, with no results.
I had an idea it was a reg key gone wrong. and the following patch, from a friend on a different forum, repaired it all :

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00
"TileInfo"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion"
"InfoTip"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion;Create;Size"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PEAnalyser]
@="{09A63660-16F9-11d0-B1DF-004F56001CA7}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\ShimLayer Property Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"

Thanks anyway.

 

[gonaads]

It's good that you posted the fix... this way if anyone else gets into this bind (problem), they know what to do.


Now as long as everyone remembers to open up "Notepad" copy and paste what Ramanuman has posted and saves it with the .reg extention. Then right click on the file (remember the location where you saved the file) and "merge".