malware? 'application not found' errors

D

diamonddogs

Geek Trainee
Can Anybody help? I cannot open any of my applications. (having to access net via a link in Microsoft Outlook). Everything I try to open thrown up a message box saying 'application not found'. Nero comes up with an registry error which makes me think I have a file missing. Its weird how I can open links via outlook??

I Thought about formating and reinstalling XP but I have loads of music files etc, How can I back up my data if I cant open a program to burn

Any Suggestions please?
 
diamonddogs said:
I Thought about formating and reinstalling XP but I have loads of music files etc, How can I back up my data if I cant open a program to burn

Any Suggestions please?
Click to expand...

you only need to backup your data, if (during reinstall) you format your drive,

just boot from XP CD, and when prompted DO NOT format, leave FS as it is, then complete reinstall, and all your data will be still there

EDIT: try scanning with Ad-Aware and also check out Avast antivirus (in my sig)
 
Thanks. I tried that It wont allow me to boot from CD. When i try to select option to Install XP....nothing happens. I cant Download adaware or anything cos it wont let me open the file to run it. I have managed to run S&D by accessing it via programs but I dont think its working properly cos it searches really quick and then nothing is found. I cant run any sort of system check
 
diamonddogs said:
Thanks. I tried that It wont allow me to boot from CD. When i try to select option to Install XP....nothing happens. I cant Download adaware or anything cos it wont let me open the file to run it. I have managed to run S&D by accessing it via programs but I dont think its working properly cos it searches really quick and then nothing is found. I cant run any sort of system check
Click to expand...

did you set CD as first boot device in the BIOS ?
can you run Ad-Aware in safe mode ?
what AV software are you running ?

EDIT: which flavour of XP are you using ?
 
Yes set cd as first boot device in Bios.

Dont know how to run programs in safe mode, However cant install programs anyway. Get as far as downloading but wont let me install. ( also cant get into add/remove programs or any of control panel)

Runnings kaspersky AV
Operating XP Proffesional

Also not very good at all this
 
this is really weird. All programs will run (or so it appears) if I right click mouse...run as....'The following user' and enter my log on details??? Also when I try and open programs without right clicking mouse , it asks me which program I want to open the file in....ie wordpad etc?
 
Managed to run ad-aware....hey presto....can now open my applications!!!! Thankyou.

My pc is running vv slow! do you think its work formatting? And if so can you quide me briefly through it. I have done it before but want to make sure I do it right!

I want to save all my mp3 music files to reload back onto pc. Is it best to save them to DVD as they have bigger memory? Its just the last time I did it I saved as data and lost them all.....doh
 
which XP Pro have you got ? (presumable SP2, if not i would recommend slipstreaming your install CD)

Edit: yes XP does improve performace and speed by formating and reinstalling everything
 
diamondogs said:
I want to save all my mp3 music files to reload back onto pc. Is it best to save them to DVD as they have bigger memory? Its just the last time I did it I saved as data and lost them all.....doh
Click to expand...
If you have got partitioned your space into drives like c and d. Then store all your important data into D:/ drive(pressuming, you have installed windows in C drive). Now you can insert your CD, format your C drive and install windows again on it without hurting anything on D drive.
 
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