.exe no longer opens

[siben]

Well, like the titel says my old computer has a small problem. It no longer opens .exe files... I can open them by right clicking them and then running them as administrator but that is just anoying to do every time. When i click something normally a window opens up were i have to select in witch program i want to open it. But where should i navigate to to open a .exe?

[Die Happy]

sounds like got some sort of virus or something
or you screwed up something on your end.

[siben]

It was indeed a virus. I got rid of that problem but a new one came instead. So both of your assumptions are correct.

First virus i ever had, and i don't have a clue where it came from. Props to whoever infected me.

If nobody can find a solution i think i will use the computer to run unix on, always wanted to try that.

It also means you can give me any option you want, if i screw it up its ok since the computer is not really in use anymore for anything important. It is just torrenting 27/7 at the moment.

[NTH]

Mwah you need to associate the .exe files with the explorer shell again. There are multiple ways to do it.

Try this one:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555067 or this http://windowsxp.mvps.org/exefile.htm

[Die Happy]

first
get a decent anti virus running on that thing and let in run while booting
avast and i think many other can do this and will offer you to do this after first installtion

the run highjack this and insert the log in the the highjackthis log  evaluation and check for suspicious  entries.

after that you could and spybot search and destroy and if the error is still present google for the symptoms
you ll be amazed that you are not the first to have that kind of problem ...

[siben]

Ok, i have a decent anti virus. The computer has norton 360 fully patched on it. It also has Ad-Aware and Spybot seach and destroy on it. They did not help me from getting infected. I used those 3 programs to clean up my computer, and they did, the virus is gone, but they also messed up some other things, like not being able to open .exe files. Hell, my computer could not open any files at first, i always had to manualy link the file types to a program to open them. it all works again now, the only problem is that i have no clue wich programs opens the .exe. I tried them all and found out non of the could do it (i always tought that internet explorer would be able to, but i was wrong)

Highjack this does not gives me anything suspicious.


Hell, i think the anti virus programs put me in this mess to start with, i should have just manually deleted the virus, the symantec website had a nice little page on how to do it.


I tried your links NTH, but i get the response that regedit.exe and regedit.com do not exist...

[Die Happy]

well first
Norton :lol:

then i guess norton deleted the infected files and those files included something with the .exe assitiona to what to launch them with.
i dont think removing them by hand would have changed anything.

also it seems that virus was more of a malware then. those can slip more easily by antivirus programms.

you either installed something funny or surfed on too many pr0n sites ^^

[siben]

Well, yes, it was malware, a true virus does no longer exists i think. The goal is to make money now adays, not to uterly destroy your computer for the fun of it.

I think i got the infection true an add on a website. I did not visit any strange websites that day, or week, or fortnight. I think one must have slipped true the nets. I basicly visited all the websites that i usualy visit when i get home, and i have been visiting those for the past 4 years or so.

And norton aint that bad if you ignore the part where it eats all of your RAM

[NTH]

Startmenu --> run --> regedit

Try that. If it really doesn't exist ... have fun using linux  
But seriously you had virus that make some settings FUBAR, but what is done can be undone ...

Check if you regedit32.exe is in this folder \%systemroot%\System32\
the files that regedit read are in this folder: \%systemroot%\System32\config

If you don't have regedit (deleted by virus perhaps) try uploaded regedit files from my PC:

http://drop.io/i3i2b95

[siben]

Thanks, but linux it is. Downloaded the most comercial version of it.... Ubuntu. Looks ok at first glance. Wonder if i can game on it.

[von.small]

lol Norton!

Hey, how would you like some protection from a computer virus that you probably will never get?
You would?
Cool! just install Norton and watch your computer struggle to open 1kb text files while I constantly update, slow you down and reboot your pc.  When I find a virus I erradicate it from your system using a delete file routine, it's a very complicated process of slowing your computer right down to almost useless, finding the infected file and moving it to a dummy trash can.  It's hard work being an awesome antivirus programme, but for the 42% CPU I use I am protecting you from all of the viruses that target Windows 2000 computer weaknesses.  Heh, don't try and remove me, I'll just keep coming back, like a virus.

[siben]

lol Norton!

Hey, how would you like some protection from a computer virus that you probably will never get?
You would?
Cool! just install Norton and watch your computer struggle to open 1kb text files while I constantly update, slow you down and reboot your pc.  When I find a virus I erradicate it from your system using a delete file routine, it's a very complicated process of slowing your computer right down to almost useless, finding the infected file and moving it to a dummy trash can.  It's hard work being an awesome antivirus programme, but for the 42% CPU I use I am protecting you from all of the viruses that target Windows 2000 computer weaknesses.  Heh, don't try and remove me, I'll just keep coming back, like a virus.

Euhm, it scores pretty good on the amount of virusses it stoppes you know, read a test they did about a year ago and it was second best, better then avg, kaperinski (something similar) Mc afee and panda for instance.

[Dnarag1M]

Well maybe you read different tests than I do, but the ones I read have been giving top scores to for example Avira Antivir - which is freeware too. Yes, totally zero dinero, lightweight and very effective.

Not sure what pr0n you've been downloading but in like a decade of Antivir I've had exactly ZERO virusses penetrate my system. Just warnings, and thats it. Malware, regular virii, HTML/Cookie virusses anything.

So, reinstall windows - get win7 if you can, download & install Avira and try to use some common sense when opening cracks, keygens, pornfiles and god knows what.

If in doubt...use sandboxie (opens a keygen in virtual environment, 0% risc)

[NTH]

Thanks, but linux it is. Downloaded the most comercial version of it.... Ubuntu. Looks ok at first glance. Wonder if i can game on it.

So this wasn't your game PC then. Because you won't playing FH2 on Ubuntu.

[siben]

@Dnarag1M
Same here my friend, first infection ever and i really don't know what i did wrong, and no i wasn't using any suspicious software of visiting suspicious site's. I really don't know how i got it and i have been using the internet almost every day since 2003.

And it was this magazine while waiting for a doctor about a year ago so i dont remeber the scores but it got like an 8 out of 10 while the free version of AVG only got 6:
www.clickx.be

@NTH
Nop, it wasnt. It was this puppy:


This is my gaming pc:


Apparently ubuntu can run Unreal tournament 2004 and America's army so i wont be bored

Also, yaay for a clean desk