files won't open

[del]

hi, i have a problem opening lots of files on my pc, i dont know if anything has been deleted or not but this is a new problem,if i click on the links in internet exp , eg;freeserve, chat, e-mail, hotmail, and so on i get this message "the path'c:\windows\favorites\links\search.url does not exist or is not a directory." and i find if i try to open some files in my comp it asks me which program i want to use to open it, i am not an experienced pc user and this does not really affect the daily use of my pc, but it's just annoying when you don't know what's gone wrong, i am using win95 with IE 5.5 hope someone can help, thanks

[Budfred]

Have you run a virus scan recently. If you haven't you probably need to do so now! This problem may not have such a nefarious cause, but it could be, especially if you haven't changed any other settings. You might also want to run a program like AdAware. If you don't have either, check out this link:

http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15179

Good luck,
Budfred

[Gallaeglagh]

A few questions for you

Before this has started happening did you add any new software?

When was the last time you ran a thorough scandisc? An antivirus program?

For how long has the OS been installed?

[del]

hi budfred. thanks for quick response, and yes i did pick up a virus in july, i found it in programs and removed it, and thinking about it now this is probably when this started i have'nt done a virus check since so will do so promptly, the one i had was a worm called (e-cleese)! i think thats what it was called. i thought i may also have deleted a program that opens these files because i delete all *.tmp files twice weekly because they build up, and may have deleted something i should'nt have, well i'll try the virus check, thanks alot.... del

[del]

thanks gallaeqlaqh, yes i have done a scandisc and the only thing i have downloaded is kasaa, but i noticed this prob before the download,my pc is about 8 years old now and know it is on it's way out i have continuous blue screen errors caused by the sound card drivers. i did try removing the drivers to the recycle bin and downloading new ones but they would not install, any way i'll save that one for another thread. as i said in the last post i did get a virus through an e-mail in july so i'll do another check thank u .....del

[Budfred]

If you have already been infected with what was probably the Klez (you said ecleese, but Klez is the one making the rounds), you may not have gotten it all out and you may not be able to. You may want to consider a backup after the deepest level scan your virus software will do and then a reformat and reload of your OS. There are several threads about the Klez here and a lot of people are saying that is the only way to completely clean it out. I cleaned up a computer for a friend and that is what I ended up doing after several hours of trying to get it running properly again.

Chances are good that a reformat and reload would also do wonders for your system, probably giving it a youthful quality again. Computers don't get errors because they are old, but because software does get corrupted over time and especially when they have had to deal with a virus. If you need help in doing this, write back here.

Budfred

[ErnieK]

del
Someone will pick me up if I am wrong.

First when was the last time you re-installed windows? (95 or 98?) see budfred's post

Second after you have checked for virus infection do the following

You say you delelted your sound drivers to the bin and then tried to install new ones. Where did you delte from?

What you should do is go into safe mode and then go to add remove programs and remove any reference to your sound card drivers\software from there.
Then right click on the MY Computer icon and go to properties\Device manager\Sound and video controllers and remove all reference to your sound card from there as well. You could have ghost drivers sitting there. If I am wrong about this someone will correct me, so wait until you get confirmation about this

[Budfred]

ErnieK,

You may be right, it depends on the computer's set up. If del reformats and reinstalls, it will deal with the problem either way.

Budfred

[Paul Komski]

(A) Two basic things to do if you have not already done them. In IE go to Tools<>InternetOptions then (1) on the "General Tab" Delete your Temporary Internet Files and Clear your History and (2) on the "Programs Tab" Click the Reset Web Settings button.

(B) Go into Safe Mode and from Add/Remove Programs, Select Internet Explorer and then choose the Repair Option.

(C) When you get asked which "Program do you want to use" do you put a check in the box that says "Always use this program" and then actually select the Program that you do want to use. Also, which specific files are giving you this message when you try to open them?

(D) Consider dumping Kazaa.

[Sylvander]

Hello del

This is a problem caused by missing settings in the registry.
You can fix them [safely] from outside the registry or [if your more confident] less safely from inside “regedit.exe”.
Being able to do these fixes is one of the advantages of getting to know your way around the registry using regedit.

For example:
Say we look at the case of text documents [with .txt extension] opened by Notepad.

1. From outside the registry. [This is safest!]
a. Open windows Explorer; go to “View>Folder Options>File types>Text Document” and [if all is well] you will see that this type of data file is opened by “Notepad”.
b. Click “Edit” and you will see two types of “Actions” listed.
c. Click on “Open” [to highlight it] and click “Edit”. This will open an “Editing Action for Type” dialogue box. In the window marked “Application used to perform action” and the path or address given should be “c:\windows\notepad.exe”. This is reading a setting in the registry. If your reading was incorrect or missing, you could click the “Browse…” button and navigate to that address [which is where notepad should always be] , select it and that would put the address in the window [and also in the registry].

2. From inside the registry. [This is dangerous to the unknowledgeable!]
a. Go to “Start>Run>regedit” [type “regedit” in the run box if not already there] and click “ok” to run “regedit”.
b. Find “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT” and click on the “+” sign to the left of it. Lots of folders [actually keys] will be displayed.
c. Find the one with named “.txt” and left-click on the “key” to display it’s contents in the right pane and you should see that the value named “default” has data named “txtfile” This “txtfile” is the name of the next key to look for.
d. Scroll down to the “txtfile” key and click the plus signs next to “txtfile>shell>open” and click on the “command” key to find the “data”. This should read “c:\windows\notepad.exe %1”.
e. The %1 is very important. This says that the file which has been clicked on in Windows Explorer or wherever [with it’s pathway or address] is the one which is to be acted upon by notepad. Sometimes the file has a very long pathway or it includes spaces [I’m not sure which is important] and in that case the file cannot be opened unless extra inverted commas are put around the %1 thus “c:\windows\notepad.exe “%1””. This tells Windows to treat this pathway as a [long?] filename with spaces. I have in the past solved the problem when Windows reported it could not find a file which had been clicked on by just adding the extra inverted commas.

A word on the following:
QUOTE
"When you get asked which "Program do you want to use" do you put a check in the box that says "Always use this program" and then actually select the Program that you do want to use?"

This method of registering which programme is to open the data file has serious drawbacks as follows:
a. If you put a check in the box which says "Always use this program" you cannot use that same system to undo the selection. You end up unable to change this.
b. I’ve ticked that box and selected a totally inappropriate programme and been unable to undo the error.
c. This puts keys in the registry which can only be edited from within regedit.