Self-extracting installation files won't run...

[Jari_ak]

Hi!

Although I've seen the postings on a problem similar to this, the hints you've provided don't seem to help me... I recently had to reinstall Windows XP because a large part of it was virus infected, and consequently removed by avast. The problem is, that after this reinstallation I can't run a self-extracting installation file called webxp.exe (scanner software) no matter how I try. Windows keeps popping up a window with the text "can't find file ....\webxp.exe, please try searching for it...", although I double-click the file!

Does anyone have a clue what I should do?

[Eddy]

Looks like you didn't install XP correctly or the file is damaged. After installing XP always install the motherboard drivers 1st. Then install other drivers.

[Jari_ak]

thanx, but I'd really appreciate if I didn't have to Install Windows all over again... the file is probably OK, since I've downloaded it numerous times, and even got the installation CD mailed to me from the scanner provider.
 

[Eddy]

Try a repair of XP. Put in the XP cd, boot from it and choose repair

[Lisandro]

Hi!

Although I've seen the postings on a problem similar to this, the hints you've provided don't seem to help me... I recently had to reinstall Windows XP because a large part of it was virus infected, and consequently removed by avast. The problem is, that after this reinstallation I can't run a self-extracting installation file called webxp.exe (scanner software) no matter how I try. Windows keeps popping up a window with the text "can't find file ....\webxp.exe, please try searching for it...", although I double-click the file!

Does anyone have a clue what I should do?

Can't you run other .exe files either or you just this one?
Did you format your HDD (seem that you don't...)  

[igor]

Are you sure the file is really present? The message sounds like a link pointing to a nonexistent file (and Windows trying to locate is elsewhere).

[Jari_ak]

Are you sure the file is really present? The message sounds like a link pointing to a nonexistent file (and Windows trying to locate is elsewhere).

Yes, the file is really there. As I said before, the driver providers even sent me the file on a CD. The real, pshysical, non-linked file webxp.exe.

[Jari_ak]

Hi!

Although I've seen the postings on a problem similar to this, the hints you've provided don't seem to help me... I recently had to reinstall Windows XP because a large part of it was virus infected, and consequently removed by avast. The problem is, that after this reinstallation I can't run a self-extracting installation file called webxp.exe (scanner software) no matter how I try. Windows keeps popping up a window with the text "can't find file ....\webxp.exe, please try searching for it...", although I double-click the file!

Does anyone have a clue what I should do?

Can't you run other .exe files either or you just this one?
Did you format your HDD (seem that you don't...)  

Yes, all other files run perfectly. The only ones causing trouble are the self-extracting ones. (I've tried downloading and running other self-extracting files with the same result.)

 :'(

[igor]

Interesting... can you post a link to one of these troublesome sfx files? I'd like to see what they're looking for...

And maybe... just for sure, could you start regedit and check the content of the
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
key?

[Eddy]

Yep that is what I thought. Do you have a legal version of XP? If not, that is the prob. If you o have a legal version there might be a hardware issue. If you have irc, join #windows95 on a DalNet server and tell them your problem. I'm sure it can be solved there.

[Jari_ak]

Interesting... can you post a link to one of these troublesome sfx files? I'd like to see what they're looking for...

And maybe... just for sure, could you start regedit and check the content of the
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
key?

Hi!

I've already checked the key you  described above, and it has the correct value ("%1" %*). The scanner drivers i've tried to install can be located at
 http://www.mustek.com/download/driv_scanr/english/600cp.html

Thanx  

[Lisandro]

Hey Jari, did your trouble was solved? Can you run self-extracting files now?  

[Jari_ak]

Hey Jari, did your trouble was solved? Can you run self-extracting files now?  

Hi!

No, unfortunately not... any suggestions?  

[Eddy]

I wasn't saying you have to install XP all over again, at least not as long there are other things we can try. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

Ok, other selfextracters also won't work. I presume you have got them trusted sites. eg. (www.microsoft.com www.cnet.com etc.) See if you can find a archive program in zipped format, or not packed at all. Install that one and use it to try opening one of the selfextracting files. Let us know if that works.

[igor]

Hmm, the file is just a wise installer... it shouldn't perform any special actions.

OK, time for heavy weapons  
Could you try the File Monitor? Start the monitoring before clicking on the SFX file, try to start the SFX file, stop the monitoring, and check for "FILE NOT FOUND" items (they will certainly be many of them, since it's a usual event when searching for a file in multiple directories, such as %PATH% - but some of them may be "suspicious").
If you needed assistance with the FileMon, let us know.

Btw, in the first post you said that a number of files were infected by a virus. What virus was that? I considered the possibility of a corrupted SFX archive (WinZip archives, for example, often give CRC error when they're infected and repaired - since the header has changed a little). I guess it's not the case here, though... I understand that the SFX archives are fresh-downloaded(?)... besides, the error message should certainly be different.