Tech Support Guy banner
  • IMPORTANT: Only authorized members may reply to threads in this forum due to the complexity of the malware removal process. Authorized members include Malware Specialists and Trainees, Administrators, Moderators, and Trusted Advisors. Regular members are not permitted to reply, and any such posts will be deleted without notice or further explanation. Notice
Status
Not open for further replies.

In Windows XP, .exe files have become .lnk files, I can't access anything.

15K views 136 replies 4 participants last post by  Mark1956 
#1 ·
System restore won't work. Everytime I try something it keeps asking "Choose the program you want to use to open this file." The highlighted curser always lands on "Window media Player" which I don't want. In a round about way I can get online, and into Word, after deleting a "machine language" page. I can't get into Excel. I've been through the suggested procedures in this forum, the most promising was Doug Knox's - Windows xp file association fixes, but nothing happened. Would someone please walk me through the procedure. I think I may have missed something, or am doing something wrong. Please explain it to me like I am a fifth grader or younger. Thank you.
 
#2 ·
What usually causes the problem to occur in the first place is that someone right clicks on an .exe file accidentally, clicks open with and then chooses photo viewer or some other application. Once they do that all .exe files are then associated with photo viewer or whatever application was chosen.

Go to this site: http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm and download the LNK(Shortcut) file and save it to your desktop. Extract the file and double click on it and allow it to merge with your registry.
 
#3 ·
I go to this site and follow all the intructions. I do the special procedures for .exe problems and get a Register editor screen with no instructions. After I get out of that and click EXE File associations Fix, I get "Find or run". When I click find, I get a Windows file association page with options to buy things. Do I have to buy stuff to solve this problem? If I click save, then I saved xp_exe_fixit.zip. That is as far as I have able to go with this. I am frustrated to say the least. Am I close or completely out in left field somewhere.
 
#4 ·
Your trying to use the wrong fix. As I said in my last post you need to use the LNK(Shortcut) fix. You do not need to buy anything to make this work. If that does not fix the problem you then need to run the EXE fix.

I've attached the file you need to use for the LNK fix, download it to your desktop, extract the reg file and then double click on it, accept any warning and let it merge with the registry.

I get "Find or run". When I click find---
You need to select Run.
 

Attachments

#5 ·
I have linkfile fix.zip on my desktop. I click on it and get File Scout. It asks what I want to do. I choose "search the web for software that can open your file." I Get Softango.com - file extention zip, with a bunch of products that say they can open zip. So, not knowing any better I pick ALZip and download. I Get Windows file association page with a bunch of options for .exe cures. I pick Regcure, download,install & run. It then sends me right back to the Windows file association page without giving me the opportunity to start scan and then fix-all. I've tried this thing over and over in different ways, sometimes getting different options with different types of cures, and I always get kicked back to the Windows file association page. I don't know what to do next. It seem as though I'm getting closer, I don't know.
 
#6 ·
Looks like you're having trouble unzipping. You may also have a malware problem, which I'll leave to my malware removal expert colleague, Mark1956.

Try downloading THIS instead.

Save the .reg file to your desktop. Double-click it to merge it to the registry.

Restart the computer.

If the fix only opens as a text file (in Notepad), right-click the file (before opening it) and select
Open With > Choose Program... Then, select the Registry Editor.

If the Registry Editor is not in the list, browse to C:\WINDOWS and select
regedit.
 
#7 ·
Thank's Phantom.

If you still cannot get that to work there is a tool we can run that will fix all file associations. Please read all of this post before you start.

Download this and save it to the desktop: Windows Repair DO NOT use the big green Download Now button on the web page, use any of the Download buttons just below Installer (5.28 MB). Don't use the Regcure program you downloaded, we will need to remove that once the associations problem is solved, reg cleaners are to be avoided at all cost.

Close your browser and any running programs, double click on the Tweaking icon to run the tool. When the program opens click on the Step 4 tab. Under System Restore click on Create and wait for the confirmation to appear just below the button.

When complete click on the tab Start Repairs, click on the Start button. Then click on Unselect All and tick the boxes next to the following items only.

Repair File Associations

When done click on the Start button and leave it undisturbed until complete.

NOTE: If you cannot get the program to run, click on Start and then Run, copy and paste this command into the box and hit the Enter key:

C:\Program Files\Tweaking.com\Windows Repair (All in One)\Repair_Windows.exe

If anything else goes wrong STOP and report back here. There are other methods we can use to fix the issue.
 
#8 ·
I clicked on the tweaking.com link you provided and got a bunch of options. I picked "Direct Download" and saved it. I tried to open it and got "The publisher could not be verified," - unknown file type. I clicked run, and got "windows cannot open this file, what do you want to do." I picked "Use web to find program." It sends me to New Tab- Internet Explorer.
I also tried to run C:\Program Files\Tweaking.com\Windows Repair (All in One)\Repair_Windows.exe, but Windows couldn't find it. That's where I'm at with this.??
 
#9 ·
Did you try the following from post #6?

Try downloading THIS instead.

Save the .reg file to your desktop. Double-click it to merge it to the registry.

Restart the computer.

If the fix only opens as a text file (in Notepad), right-click the file (before opening it) and select
Open With > Choose Program... Then, select the Registry Editor.

If the Registry Editor is not in the list, browse to C:\WINDOWS and select
regedit.
 
#10 ·
Please answer the post above from Phantom.

From your last post: I clicked on the tweaking.com link you provided and got a bunch of options.


You should not have been seeing a bunch of options, when you clicked on the link for Windows Repair you should have been taken to a web page that looks like the attached screenshot. Please confirm where it took you as it sounds as if your browser may be getting redirected.
 

Attachments

#11 ·
Mark1956 - That is exactly the screen I got, and I picked Direct download and saved it. After that, I describe in my last message.

Phantom10 - I clicked on This, saved it, clicked on it and got File Scout - Softango, File extension reg. Not sure what to do next. There are a couple option to choose from.?
 
#14 ·
Mark1956 - That is exactly the screen I got, and I picked Direct download and saved it. After that, I describe in my last message.

Phantom10 - I clicked on This, saved it, clicked on it and got File Scout - Softango, File extension reg. Not sure what to do next. There are a couple option to choose from.?
Can you double-click on the .reg file?

The icon should look like:
 
#17 ·
From my desktop, click on linkfile fix.reg. I get security warning - unknown file type, unknown publisher. I click run and get file scout. I opt to search web and get IE, Softango Reg with two choices of products that open REG files: Regedit PsExec and RegEditer. That's where I'm at with this. I think I'm starting to lose it.
 
#18 ·
Looks like that Softango has taken over everything.

Try right-clicking the fix and selecting Merge. Any different?

If still no luck,

Click Start > Run > type regedit

Press Enter.

Does the Registry Editor open?

If it does, click File > Import...

Browse to where the registry fix has been saved and import it.
 
#20 ·
Can you open Notepad on your computer?

Copy the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{000214EE-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{000214F9-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{00021500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellNew]
"Command"="rundll32.exe appwiz.cpl,NewLinkHere %1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]
@="Shortcut"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000001
"IsShortcut"=""
"NeverShowExt"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\CLSID]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Offline Files]
@="{750fdf0e-2a26-11d1-a3ea-080036587f03}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\IconHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

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

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="Shortcut"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\InProcServer32]
@="shell32.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\PersistentAddinsRegistered]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\PersistentAddinsRegistered\{89BCB740-6119-101A-BCB7-00DD010655AF}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\PersistentHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ProgID]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]
Paste it into the Notepad window.

Save it as linkfix.reg

Now, double-click the new file to merge it to the registry.

If no luck, right-click it and select Merge...
 
#22 ·
Once in Notepad, click to close. It will ask you if you want to save it. Answer yes and save it to your desktop again, or anywhere you'll remember where to find it. Call it linkfix.reg.

Then, double-click that new linkfix.reg. It should merge to the registry. You can also right-click it and select Merge.
 
#26 ·
I'd like to suggest running this tool below, if you can get it to run it will automatically reset .exe .com & .bat file associations which may help. If you cannot get this to work then you could try System Restore to take the system back to a time before the file associations got messed up.

XP System Restore Guide

Please download RKill
There are three buttons to choose from with different names on, select the first one and save it to your desktop.

  • Double-click on the Rkill desktop icon to run the tool.
  • If using Vista or Windows 7, right-click on it and Run As Administrator.
  • A black DOS box will briefly flash and then disappear. This is normal and indicates the tool ran successfully.
  • A log pops up at the end of the run. This log file is located at C:\rkill.log. Please post this in your next reply.
  • If you do not see the black box flash on the screen delete the icon from the desktop and go back to the link for the download, select the next button and try to run the tool again, continue to repeat this process using the remaining buttons until the tool runs. You will find further links if you scroll down the page with other names, try them one at a time.
  • If the tool does not run from any of the links provided, please let me know.

If the above doesn't work, please click on Start and then Run, type cmd into the Run box and hit the Enter key, tell me if that opens a window with a black background with some white text on it.

If that won't work we may be able to run some commands from the Recovery Environment, please tell me if you have a retail copy of XP, not to be confused with the Recovery disks that may have been supplied with your PC.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top