missing file associations - still need help please...

squeaky

Unfortunately...

..this file, like all files, will not run. Dot exe files do not have an association. NONE of my files seem to have an association.

I'm off to bed. My brain hurts. Thanks for the help so far and I'll see you all again tomorrow.

squeaky

I'm still stuck guys. Can anybody help please?

I don't seem to be able to run any executable or link files either from desktop icons (which have all changed to the default placeholder) nor from any listing using Explorer.

I know I've got registry backups around the place somewhere, but can't find them; nor can I be sure of being able to run whichever program would install them.

TheFlyingGerbil

can you go back to a system restore point from before you had the problem?

mdbarber

what operating system is this?, if its post windows 98 just start in safe mode and run system restore,
pre xp boot to a command prompt and rename the appropriate system and user. bak files to .dat files

squeaky

TheFlyingGerbil wrote: »

can you go back to a system restore point from before you had the problem?

Nope. Can't run system restore.

squeaky

mdbarber wrote: »

what operating system is this?, if its post windows 98 just start in safe mode and run system restore,
pre xp boot to a command prompt and rename the appropriate system and user. bak files to .dat files

It's xp - fully up to date.

The various files all fail while in Safe Mode too.

Donnie

What did you do prior to this problem occurring? Install or run any software?

Anyway, take a look here.

mdbarber

don't wish to state the unpopular idea but an install fried to this level is best solved with a fresh install, what ever caused it will either show its ugly head or be gone with that.

squeaky

Donnie wrote: »

What did you do prior to this problem occurring? Install or run any software?

Anyway, take a look here.

Thanks, but I can't run any executable files directly. The only way I can get Firefox to load just to be here now is to double click on an .htm file which then opens Firefox. I can't run Firefox (or any other executable) from an icon, link, start/run, or explorer. Again, for example, I can get my email software to open only by clicking on a text file and then using the "listed" programs offered after the lack of file association error shows up - and even then I have to browse for it.

See my following post...

squeaky

mdbarber wrote: »

don't wish to state the unpopular idea but an install fried to this level is best solved with a fresh install, what ever caused it will either show its ugly head or be gone with that.

Yep.

I've just been hanging on in the hope of a solution that doesn't involve starting again from scratch, though in my bones I've known from day one that this was likely to finish up being my only real option unless someone could come up with a seriously smarty pants solution.

Just had a new set of failures quoting "can't find c:\Documents and Settings\blah...."

Either way, every answer offered here and elsewhere on line has proved ineffective and I've tweaked so many things I'm now resigned to the fact that not only is there not a quick fix but that all my various attempts might well have burgered other things too, so my installation disk is sitting in a drive even as we speak.

"I may be gone some time!"

Thanks everyone for your help.