Can no longer open programs

[Lisandro]

Igor,

Thank you for the in-depth explanation.  It is a bit clearer now.
Although I have not been infected yet (thanks to Avast), I think I will download the cleaner as a handly tool to keep around.

techie

He, he... I have recommended the Cleaner at my links page but just few people note what it can do... Cleaner is Igor's baby  
Thanks for your explanation Igor and kinggfx, if it's not work, try to send me an IM... In the past, I have - with Vlk's help - to solve a "similar" problem in my system (the applications didn't run into DOS)... Anyway, I think your problem will be solved when your system became clean...  

[kinggfx]

Ok one more question... I clicked the virus cleaner but it gave me the same error message... my question is how do i rename it to a .com file like it says to do on the website?  I renamed it to avscleaner.com but just came up as avscleaner.com.exe...  


edit--

"Or, even easier - the error dialog ("Cannot find c:\badbadvirus.exe") has a box where you can enter the patch to the missing file. If you point it to the Cleaner executable instead, it should work as well - it changes the association to Cleaner, so Cleaner will be started."

my error message just says "cant find 'file'. Please use the search function etc etc" with no option to manually locate the missing file.

[igor]

How did you rename the file? Downloaded as .exe, started Explorer (Win+E shortcut, or using the My Computer icon), selected the file, pressed F2, typed the new name?

Hmm, WinXP really doesn't have the option to enter the file? Can you copy it to your Windows directory and rename it to 'file' ?

[kinggfx]

I can't rename the file.. thats the problem

Also, There is no specific missing file in the dialog box.. it just says windows cannot find the file (whatever im trying to run).exe, and to search for it using start->search.

[igor]

Why can't you rename the file? What happens?

As for the rest... I'm sorry, I underestimated Microsoft again, especially their determination to remove or destroy everything that might be useful
In Windows XP, there's really only this simple messagebox that doesn't say what file is really missing, and without any possibility to directly enter the path to the file (which is present in all previous systems, since Windows 95 to Windows 2000).

You said you could start Explorer... so, isn't it possible to rename the Cleaner file to aswclnr.cmd (using the Explorer) and start it?

[kinggfx]

I can't open windows explorer.. only internet explorer.  i try to run the avscleaner.com with the run command, but it gives the same message and says it can't find "avscleaner.com.exe"

[igor]

Oh, I thought you meant Explorer.
I guess Internet Explorer appends the .exe extension, when you try to save is as aswcleaner.com.

I'm surprised you cannot run Explorer though... what happens when you press Win+E (assuming you have the Win95-keyboard)? The same error message?
Or when you rightclick the "My Computer" icon on desktop and select "Open"?