System restore issues

**trippinstu** · May 25th, 2008, 08:04 PM

Alright, I'm pretty sure I have a virus from an email or something on my other computer. For the past week I have been fighting the thing. Everything I tried didn't work so I tried to do a system restore today. Whenever I try to open any program on the desktop I get a message asking what program I want to use to open it. And the same with the system restore. I tried every program on the list and it wouldn't work with any of them...

Anyone know of any way I could get to it?

Thanks,
-Stu

**futuretech** · May 26th, 2008, 12:12 AM

This usually points to a corrupt registry key
HKEY_Classes_Root/EXEFILE/Shell/Open/Command
What is the default value?

What it should be is

"%1" %*

If it is not then you would need to change it to be so.

As always before editing the registry backup the key first.

**Ferrit** · May 26th, 2008, 10:19 AM

Alot of the time when a system is infected, it also infects the system restore files .
So restoreing may not work. It may just re infect you.
What virus was it you had?
What windows?

**trippinstu** · May 26th, 2008, 11:43 AM

Maybe I should inform you guys that I'm not the greatest with computers, anything to do with the registry and I'm lost. I have XP SP2. And it probably can't get any worse... after all I can only open a few folders, and I can't open any programs.

**CCT** · May 26th, 2008, 12:19 PM

Try this: http://bertk.mvps.org/

Restore to at least 2 weeks back.

**trippinstu** · May 26th, 2008, 12:56 PM

I tried both ways on the website and either way it pops up with a box that asks what program I want to use to run it. No matter what program I click it won't do anything, it just closes the box.

**CCT** · May 26th, 2008, 12:58 PM

You tried the Safe Mode method ?

You also tried the start, run, %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe method in Safe Mode?

**trippinstu** · May 26th, 2008, 01:02 PM

Yeah, and it still tells me the same exact thing

**CCT** · May 26th, 2008, 01:14 PM

If you have IMPORTANT stuff on there can you drag and drop it onto a CD succesfully?

**NooNoo** · May 26th, 2008, 01:19 PM

What antivirus do you have?

**trippinstu** · May 26th, 2008, 01:22 PM

nope, I tried that earlier because I have a LOT of music on here, otherwise I would just clear everything and start over. Other than all my music I only have a few games, but I can easily install those back on in about an hour. I tried to reinstall AVG so I could find the virus or whatever was causing this mess, but it wouldn't work for me. So, anyone know of any other ways to get to restore? It probably can't get any worse than this... unless it self destructs, although that would make a pretty good story...

**trippinstu** · May 26th, 2008, 01:23 PM

AVG, but it got disabled somehow and when I try to open it asks the whole what program I want to use to open it bull...

**trippinstu** · May 26th, 2008, 01:55 PM

ok, stupid question here, how do I do the backslash (/) ... except backwards? I feel stupid now because I just noticed I was putting in the wrong symbol... or whatever the thing is

**NooNoo** · May 26th, 2008, 01:59 PM

yes \ is leftward leaning

try this not quite automatic, but it can be done one stage at a time.

If Doug's tip to get regedit.exe going doesn't work, the try booting to safe mode and rename regedit.exe to regedit.com