• Welcome to Tux Reports: Where Penguins Fly. We hope you find the topics varied, interesting, and worthy of your time. Please become a member and join in the discussions.

Applications will not load

S

syule

Flightless Bird
I have an HP running windows XP Pro with Service Pack 2.

This may be aprtofa malware episode but I am not able to get far enough to
find out for certain, every time I try to start an application I get the
window popping up asking me to choose the program I want to use to open the
file.

The only applications that appear to work are explorer.exe and outlook.exe.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
A

Alan Edwards

Flightless Bird
If it is only shortcuts to applications, then get the LNK fix here:
XP File Association Fixes-Doug Knox:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

You may or may not need the EXE fix as well.

....Alan
--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP Windows - Internet Explorer
http://dts-l.com/index.htm


On Tue, 2 Mar 2010 18:15:01 -0800, in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, syule
<syule@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I have an HP running windows XP Pro with Service Pack 2.
>
>This may be aprtofa malware episode but I am not able to get far enough to
>find out for certain, every time I try to start an application I get the
>window popping up asking me to choose the program I want to use to open the
>file.
>
>The only applications that appear to work are explorer.exe and outlook.exe.
>
>Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
P

PA Bear [MS MVP]

Flightless Bird
Why hasn't SP3 been installed by now? How many other updates are missing?

There is a very good chance that you are seeing the effects of a hijackware
infection!

NB: If you had no anti-virus application installed or the subscription had
expired *when the machine first got infected* and/or your subscription has
since expired and/or the machine's not been kept fully-patched at Windows
Update, don't waste your time with any of the below: Format & reinstall
Windows. A Repair Install will NOT help!

Microsoft PCSafety provides home users (only) with no-charge support in
dealing with malware infections such as viruses, spyware (including unwanted
software), and adware.
https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?&prid=7552&st=1

Also available via the Consumer Security Support home page:
https://consumersecuritysupport.microsoft.com/

Otherwise...

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

NB: Run the FULL scan, not the QUICK scan! You may need to download the
MSRT on a non-infected machine, then transfer MRT.EXE to the infected
machine and rename it to SCAN.EXE before running it.

2a. WinXP => Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection' scan (only!)
in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

2b. Vista or Win7=> Run this scan instead:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htm

3. Now run a thorough check for hijackware, including posting requested logs
in an appropriate forum, not here. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!

Checking for/Help with Hijackware:
• http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
• http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
• http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
• http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

**Chances are you will need to seek expert assistance in
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5,
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup,
http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30 or other appropriate forums.**

If these procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting
this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.


syule wrote:
> I have an HP running windows XP Pro with Service Pack 2.
>
> This may be aprtofa malware episode but I am not able to get far enough to
> find out for certain, every time I try to start an application I get the
> window popping up asking me to choose the program I want to use to open
> the
> file.
>
> The only applications that appear to work are explorer.exe and
> outlook.exe.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
S

syule

Flightless Bird
File assiociation fix got me on the road to recovery, let me get anitmalware
on and working, now everything is fine.

Thanks so much for the assistance.

"Alan Edwards" wrote:

> If it is only shortcuts to applications, then get the LNK fix here:
> XP File Association Fixes-Doug Knox:
> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm
>
> You may or may not need the EXE fix as well.
>
> ....Alan
> --
> Alan Edwards, MS MVP Windows - Internet Explorer
> http://dts-l.com/index.htm
>
>
> On Tue, 2 Mar 2010 18:15:01 -0800, in
> microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, syule
> <syule@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >I have an HP running windows XP Pro with Service Pack 2.
> >
> >This may be aprtofa malware episode but I am not able to get far enough to
> >find out for certain, every time I try to start an application I get the
> >window popping up asking me to choose the program I want to use to open the
> >file.
> >
> >The only applications that appear to work are explorer.exe and outlook.exe.
> >
> >Any suggestions would be appreciated.

> .
>
 
S

syule

Flightless Bird
Thanks for the assistance i will be sure to get the updates installed.

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> Why hasn't SP3 been installed by now? How many other updates are missing?
>
> There is a very good chance that you are seeing the effects of a hijackware
> infection!
>
> NB: If you had no anti-virus application installed or the subscription had
> expired *when the machine first got infected* and/or your subscription has
> since expired and/or the machine's not been kept fully-patched at Windows
> Update, don't waste your time with any of the below: Format & reinstall
> Windows. A Repair Install will NOT help!
>
> Microsoft PCSafety provides home users (only) with no-charge support in
> dealing with malware infections such as viruses, spyware (including unwanted
> software), and adware.
> https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?&prid=7552&st=1
>
> Also available via the Consumer Security Support home page:
> https://consumersecuritysupport.microsoft.com/
>
> Otherwise...
>
> 1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
> http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
>
> NB: Run the FULL scan, not the QUICK scan! You may need to download the
> MSRT on a non-infected machine, then transfer MRT.EXE to the infected
> machine and rename it to SCAN.EXE before running it.
>
> 2a. WinXP => Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection' scan (only!)
> in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
> http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm
>
> 2b. Vista or Win7=> Run this scan instead:
> http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htm
>
> 3. Now run a thorough check for hijackware, including posting requested logs
> in an appropriate forum, not here. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!
>
> Checking for/Help with Hijackware:
> • http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
> • http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
> • http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
> • http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
>
> **Chances are you will need to seek expert assistance in
> http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
> http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5,
> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup,
> http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php,
> http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30 or other appropriate forums.**
>
> If these procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting
> this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
> independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.
>
>
> syule wrote:
> > I have an HP running windows XP Pro with Service Pack 2.
> >
> > This may be aprtofa malware episode but I am not able to get far enough to
> > find out for certain, every time I try to start an application I get the
> > window popping up asking me to choose the program I want to use to open
> > the
> > file.
> >
> > The only applications that appear to work are explorer.exe and
> > outlook.exe.
> >
> > Any suggestions would be appreciated.

>
> .
>
 
Top