Yikes! Lost File & Program Associations! W2K

[Kollin]

Summary: My Win2K desktop machine boots fine, however, when it finishes booting, I am left with virtually all the file, installed application and system application program assocations gone!

Even the Start>Run command prompt asks me to 'open with'. :sad:

The "open with" dialog box only shows the following:
- Internet Explorer
- Microsoft Management Console*
- Notepad
- Paint Shop Pro 9**
- Zone Labs Client

* this only appeared after I ran the Microsoft registry repair tool (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;830570)
** PSP9 did not originally appear; I believe I right clicked on a .jpg file, and the menu gave me the option to 'open with psp9, which I did. The program opened up). However, .jpg files are not associated with any program)

SystemSuite (by V-Com) is the only program that remains available, and is the only icon on the lower right corner.

I experienced this same problem 3 months ago. Fortunately, SystemSuite allowed me to roll-back to an recent, albeit earlier, version of the registry. I do not have this option now.

I DO have my entire C Drive backed up (10 days old version) in uncompressed files on an external drive which I can access. Presumably there is a version of registry files there, but I do not know how to make them 'active'.

I *had* network connection to the desktop PC from a laptop, and at that point I could even use regedt32 on the laptop to network over and view the desktop's registry files. Only the following were shown from that machine:

- HKEY_Local_Machine
- HKey_Current_config
- HKey_Classes_Root

However, I lost network connection after I ran the Microsoft Registry repair tool. :(((( I can still access the external disk drive, though.

I have also run the manual repair from the W2K system software disk, to no avail.

HOW IT HAPPENED: I had used AdSubtract to clear cache files. However, when I went back to my browser, I noticed that some page links on Craigslist were still highlighted, (i.e., cache files were still present). So I deleted cache and history directly from IE, but this still did not clear the files. I then used SystemSuite, and the program found Craigslist URL webfiles located in the Registry. I didn't pay attention, just deleted them, after which my system seemed to freeze. So I rebooted, and voila, no file or program associations.

SystemSuite techsupport thinks there was/is a script virus that did not activate until it was deleted.

ANY HELP APPRECIATED!!!!

[Catweazle]

1. Click Start, Run. In the Run box, type cmd.
2. Type the following at the command prompt. Hit Enter after each line:
   cd\windows
   copy regedit.exe regedit.com
   start regedit.com [or regedit.com]
3. Open the registry editor and go to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command.
4. Double-click the (Default) value in the right pane.
5. Delete the value data shown, and type: "%1" %*" in the Value Data field. Include the quotes.
6. Close the Registry Editor.
7. Restart Windows.

See how that helps. It should get your programs back with a bit of luck.

[Kollin]

I'd like to do this, but upon entering 'cmd' in the Run box, I get the "open with" dialog: "Click the program you want to use to open 'cmd.exe'"....

[Catweazle]

Use the Command prompt from the start menu, not the run box. Does that work?

[Kollin]

No, the suggestion didn't work. But to update how I did get my file associations working again,

The first time this occured, back in Feb or March05, I found that I was able to revert back to an earlier copy of my registry files that SystemSuite had, and everything was working again.

The second time, late May 05, Systemsuite didn't have any backups. However, I had a copy of my entire drive on a second system (not a "backup" but I use Restrospect software to do periodic copies of my drive). What I ended up doing was copying the registry files from that second drive onto the first drive, restarted, and voila, everything was fine again.

I still have never have found out *why* this happened...