I have looked into tons of articles all over the net looking on this issue. I have XP home if that matters. I looked in the regedit thing and found the exact folder-current user, software,mircosoft,windows,system. There are two files in there (default) reg_sz data=0. the next file down though is the problem file. It's name is DisableTaskMgr reg_sz data=1.If you delete it, it comes right back.If you modify its data to 0 instead of 1, i click ok and click on another folder and then click on the system one and it is right back to data=1. if you modify its binary data to 00000000 it comes right back after exiting or clicking another folder to its original data of- 0000 31 00 00 00 1.../ that is its code.PLEASE HELP ME! I'm getting really desperate in need of help for this please help

will any1 even post to this please?

[MysticEyes]

I do not understand what your problem is, or what you are saying.

ok what part dont you understand? Task Manager wont come up because it was disabled. I checked in the registry for XP home and the file your supposed to change to 0 will reappear every time your change the file. There are to string value files a default one and the one that is causing the problems. The other file can be deleted but will come right back. now do u understand? Please help

[MysticEyes]

It's name is DisableTaskMgr reg_sz data=1.If you delete it, it comes right back.If you modify its data to 0 instead of 1, i click ok and click on another folder and then click on the system one and it is right back to data=1.

OK, try it this way. First change DisableTaskMgr reg_sz data to 0, do nothing else (no clicking on anything). Exit Regedit, and reboot.

[Rollin' Rog]

Please post a copy of the HijackThis Scanlog, there are some virus programs that can cause this sort of issue and it would help to see what is running.

http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/

Best not to mess with the registry if you don't know exactly what you are doing.

Also, try this for an experiment, find taskmgr.exe and copy it to another directory such as My Documents. Rename it taskmgr.com

Will it run when you double click it with the renamed extension?

ok now i copied it out of system 32 and renamed it to taskmgr.com. do i have to change anything else in the name or like in the properties. or do i just change the name. im working on the other way right now i will post back

[Rollin' Rog]

Nothing else needs to be changed; it will normally run as taskmgr.exe or taskmgr.com, but to do the latter you must double click it directly, it will not activate with a ctrl-alt-del.

The virus files that disable this do not act on the renamed program. Most also disable (or keep from running) regedit and msconfig as well, so I'm not really sure that is the cause.

You may not be logged in under the correct Administrative rights to make the change in the registry.

By the way, what registry key are you finding the entry in? And did you do a full search for other entries? Anything under the HKLM key would diable for all users; while under the HKCU or HKU key would apply only to individual users. You would need to change the HKLM entry if present.

Worth looking at this as well...

http://securityresponse.symantec.com...aprilfool.html

is that last paragraph in your response for an XP home computer? I look in HKEY_CURRENT_USER-Software-Microsoft-Windows-Policies-System.I scanned through that article and was i supposed to be looking for something in general. I feel it didnt really address my issues but thanks for all your respones and how quick they are, i really appreciate your help.

[MysticEyes]

If you modify its data to 0 instead of 1, i click ok and click on another folder and then click on the system one and it is right back to data=1.

If this is the way you tried to change the value it will not take. As soon as you start clicking around in the registry, your change is lost.

First change DisableTaskMgr reg_sz data to 0, do nothing else (no clicking on anything). Exit Regedit, and reboot.

yes your exactly right what do directory do i use, and thank you for correcting me and pointing me in the right direction, although that still means i dont know where to go from here, i have only used internet articles saying this was like the right way or something. so please help in addressing the issue if we can find the right directory

[Rollin' Rog]

You DO need to click "ok" after changing the value in the "Edit String" window.

However, try this proceedure: run regedit and completely collapse the file tree so that you start with only 5 major keys displayed.

Click Edit > Find and enter: DisableTaskMgr

and hit Find Next, follow the procedure for changing the value, click "ok" and then hit F3 to continue the search. Edit and change all hits you get until the search completes.

If this still does not allow the change to persist, you will have find out whether you are logged on with Administrative rights.

You should be able to determine this from the Control Panel User Accounts applet. Does your User Name have Administrative rights?

that is the only file it can find and when i change its value and its binary data, and hit F3 it goes right back to the same entry with the old data of RED_SZ 1. I'm an administrative ablities also. where do we go from here?Thanks for you trying to help i know your trying thanks

[virtgolfer]

See rolling rogs answer above. He is correct. You have a virus that disabled this. Reboot in safe mode first, though.

[Rollin' Rog]

Give us a post of that HijackThis Scanlog, virus is the only other thing that I know which might account for the resetting of the value.