Changed .exe files

I attempted to reinstall Windows ME from the Options direstory in Windows
and then all my .exe files became .lnk files. I cannot rerun Setup.exe nor
Restore nor run any .exe file. I cannot connect to the Internet. The good
news is, I can boot up in Safe mode or Regular mode. And I can view pictures
by right clicking on a file and clicking Open With -> Irfanview. The same
with .htm files Open With -> Internet Explorer. I can't open .html files. My
file associations must be deleted. I need to associate .exe files with a
program to run them. A Ubuntu disk works ok, but I don't want to install it
because it won't access the Internet. And it erases my hard disk. I have no
A: drive or read/write CD drive anymore, just a plain CD-ROM drive. I need
a Windows Me bootable install disk for CD-ROM or a Windows XP bootable
install disk, I suppose. My icons are all plain blank icons. I'm sure
someone put a virus on my computer. I am using my 2nd computer with Windows
98 to write this and access the Internet. Any help will be appreciated. I've
come to depent on my computer. Thanks!

Gary
Tue Mar 25 12:30:25 PDT 2008


"Gary Waterbury" <garywaterbury@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:u33hDeCjIHA.4196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> I attempted to reinstall Windows ME from the Options direstory in Windows
> and then all my .exe files became .lnk files. I cannot rerun Setup.exe nor
> Restore nor run any .exe file. I cannot connect to the Internet. The good
> news is, I can boot up in Safe mode or Regular mode. And I can view
pictures
> by right clicking on a file and clicking Open With -> Irfanview. The same
> with .htm files Open With -> Internet Explorer. I can't open .html files.
My
> file associations must be deleted. I need to associate .exe files with a
> program to run them. A Ubuntu disk works ok, but I don't want to install
it
> because it won't access the Internet. And it erases my hard disk. I have
no
> A: drive or read/write CD drive anymore, just a plain CD-ROM drive. I
need
> a Windows Me bootable install disk for CD-ROM or a Windows XP bootable
> install disk, I suppose. My icons are all plain blank icons. I'm sure
> someone put a virus on my computer. I am using my 2nd computer with
Windows
> 98 to write this and access the Internet. Any help will be appreciated.
I've
> come to depent on my computer. Thanks!
>
>
I solved the problem. I got some of my icons back, and can search my
computer and delete files, and add/remove programs and I enabled system
restore. I had to change the name of command.com and regedit.exe to
notepad.exe because notepad was the only one working. Also, I had to hand
copy a registry fix from the internet. Anyway, I am cleaning up my system so
it works again. Now I know why computer repairmen charge money for their
knowledge. It's a lot of work.

Mike
Tue Mar 25 12:52:30 PDT 2008

You might want to thoroughly check your system for unwanted malware. The
problem you have described is often the result of having had an unwanted
virus running on the PC. You can sometimes get the likes of regedit.exe
working by changing it to regedit.com.

> I enabled system restore.

It's unfortunate that you didn't have this enabled before (it takes a
deliberate act to disable system restore) as it would have solved most if
not all of your problems with a couple of clicks. Make sure that you have
the 290700 patch installed as otherwise any checkpoints you have will be
useless. [MS KB290700 "Checkpoints that you create after September 8,
2001 do not restore your computer"
(http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=290700)]
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com


Gary Waterbury <garywaterbury@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I solved the problem. I got some of my icons back, and can search my
> computer and delete files, and add/remove programs and I enabled
> system restore. I had to change the name of command.com and
> regedit.exe to notepad.exe because notepad was the only one working.
> Also, I had to hand copy a registry fix from the internet. Anyway, I
> am cleaning up my system so it works again. Now I know why computer
> repairmen charge money for their knowledge. It's a lot of work.

Gary
Wed Mar 26 13:12:49 PDT 2008


"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:uKZ$EHrjIHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> You might want to thoroughly check your system for unwanted
malware. The
> problem you have described is often the result of having had an
unwanted
> virus running on the PC. You can sometimes get the likes of
regedit.exe
> working by changing it to regedit.com.
>
> > I enabled system restore.
>
> It's unfortunate that you didn't have this enabled before (it
takes a
> deliberate act to disable system restore) as it would have
solved most if
> not all of your problems with a couple of clicks. Make sure
that you have
> the 290700 patch installed as otherwise any checkpoints you have
will be
> useless. [MS KB290700 "Checkpoints that you create after
September 8,
> 2001 do not restore your computer"
> (http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=290700)]
> --
> Mike Maltby
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> Gary Waterbury <garywaterbury@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I solved the problem. I got some of my icons back, and can
search my
> > computer and delete files, and add/remove programs and I
enabled
> > system restore. I had to change the name of command.com and
> > regedit.exe to notepad.exe because notepad was the only one
working.
> > Also, I had to hand copy a registry fix from the internet.
Anyway, I
> > am cleaning up my system so it works again. Now I know why
computer
> > repairmen charge money for their knowledge. It's a lot of
work.
>
I did get my computer working good, so I retried Windows ME
install, setup.exe, and it installed perfectly and everything
looks normal. I can access the Internet and all my file
associations work. I did install the 290700 patch. Because several
CD-ROM disks worked, Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, the game POD,
and several others, I realized a Windows ME bootup disk with a
registry fix would have made things easy.