I can't open .exe applications and my .exe reg key is empty and not editable

[kaiser82]

Hi. This happened today. It might be a virus but i'm not sure.

Some of my registry keys were changed today. I got a report from my lavasoft ad-watch asking if i would allow those changes to be made. I'm always very careful with that, but since i wasn't even online at that time and i didn't open any suspicious file for a long time, i allowed it. This problem didn't happen right away, but things are probably related. After some time, while i was changing my iconset with a program i've used for a long time, the computer crashed and i got the blue screen saying something was wrong with the win2k file (i'm not sure, i don't quite remember), and the system would have to reboot. The next time i turned the computer on, this was like this.

I can't open .exe files directly, but i can open them if i click in editable files. For instance, i can't open Microsoft Word clicking on it, but i can open a .doc file. I can't open Internet Explorer, but i can open it if i click in a .htm file. It has nothing to do with the shortcuts because if i go to the program's folder and click directly on the .exe file, it doesn't open anyway.

I have tried everything, I've googled for more than an hour, and i was able to find a solution. I got a registry key from microsoft that fixes it:

[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;FileVersi on"
"InfoTip"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersio n;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\PropertySheetHan dlers]

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

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

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



It didn't work in the beginning because of one single key that couldn't be edited: the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe] was empty and even if i changed it manually, it wouldn't work, it would keep being empty. So i found a twisted solution: i deleted the key and created a new one. And it worked. I could finally click on my icons, shortcuts or applications, and they would open normally. But if i rebooted the computer, the whole thing would be like in the beginning, the problem would remain. This is the way it is now. I have to repeat the proceadure every time i start my computer.

There is a weird detail: sometimes, when i turn the computer on, right before the "welcome" message, i get a huge dialog box saying only "?a" with the ok button and the close button. If i click the close buton nothing will happen, so i have to click ok to keep going. This doesn't happen every time, but almost.

There's one more thing. My KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre nt Version\Run key is totally empty. I had a bunch of programs that should run with the system and they're no longer there.

I use Kaspersky Anti-virus 6 and Lavasoft Ad-aware and none of them detects any virus or spyware.



This is really messed up and i have no idea what i can do. If someone could help me i would really appreciate it. Thank you.

[Jeremy78]

amazing..
ok ad-aware fell over the waterfall 6 years ago. It was good for the first 6 or 7 months, when it was in cahoots with the international spam and antivirus detection agency however after their 7th month, the program is useless.

SPYSWEEPER is the best. Also windows Defender.. I recommend using both. As of PC magazine last year, Norton and McCaffee have gone over the waterfall as well sadly to say. I atually still use Norton because I know where its weakness's are. Spysweeper and Norton with windows defender and you can clean that computer up in no time.

As for your current situation.. you've been infected dude. You got something seriously wrong with your computer. You may have to do a system restore. Also, your computer doesn't even need to be turned ON if connected to a high speed LAN connection, the BIos battery installed in your Mainboard provides sufficient access for a hacker to infiltrate your computer and change settings around on you, even set up an anonymous virus install and all it takes is one @#! cookie. It used to be rumored this was possible, I'm here to tell you its not a rumor, this is scientific proven fact. If that was my computer, personally I wouldn't even enter my own name while using it.

clean up your cookies through your run command type COOKIES hit enter, highlight all the cookies you see and press delete. I'd then go into your control panel/ add-remove programs, and delete anything that might look like "wild tangent" "my web search" "180 web search assistant" "my ad tool bar" AOL products other thn AOL messenger, personally I'd remove all tool bars because they slow your internet connection down, yeah they block popups but they dont stop the reason you are getting pop ups and thats due to cookies. Toolbars are virtually useless; a false sense of security. also go to your run command type MSCONfIG go to the startup tab, and disable everything except your antivirus and protection software. Actually on second thought, if you use AOL, Im not even going to help you, you're beyond help.