I have a major problem with a Win98 Laptop PC.
Under Folder options/file type, the registered
file type 'Application', extension 'exe' is set to open with
a non-existant program called 'tovouagm'. As a result
I cannot open things like control panel applets, regedit,
dos prompt or exe files. Also, when you click the registered
file type called application, the remove and edit buttons are
grayed out (This is as expected I guess as per 'normal' pc's)

Question: Anyone know how to re-assign file types with extensions
exe to open with [Executable] as is the default setting I presume.

Note: I can't install any utilities because of this problem.
Also note: The damage was done by a virus which has since been deleted.
______________
Boomer, Jimmy Dean and Road Runner. Thanks for your replies
to same/similar post about 24 hours ago. For some reason my
newsreader wont let me see your replies, google groups will but
will not let me reply
_______________

Thanks, Paul

That's a classic sign of a trojan, such as Sub Seven.

Rename Notepad.exe to Notepad.com .
Run Notepad.com and copy/paste the following into it.
Note that everything between [ and ] MUST be one line
only, and there must be a blank line at the end.
Save it as a .reg file, and right click/merge on the .reg file.

Rename Notepad.com back to Notepad.exe


***** <--- Omit this line.
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:d8,07,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
@=""
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHan dlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHan dlers\{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"

***** <--- Omit this line


Run a trojan remover:

Online Antitrojan scanner:
----------------------
http://www.trojanscan.com/


Anti-trojan programs:
----------------------
Trojan Remover
http://www.simplysup.com/

Trojan Hunter
http://www.misec.net/trojanhunter.jsp

Trojan Defence Suite (TDS-3)
http://tds.diamondcs.com.au/

Tauscan
http://www.agnitum.com/products/tauscan/



Online Antivirus scanners:
--------------------------
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp
http://www.kaspersky.com/remoteviruschk.html
http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virusscan.aspx
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/activescan.asp
http://commandondemand.com/eval/index.cfm
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/ [See **]
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php
http://www.pcpitstop.com/antivirus/default.asp
http://scan.sygatetech.com/prestealthscan.html

** Caveat:
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archiv...3-07/0240.html

Anti-virus programs:
--------------------
eZ Antivirus (Computer Associates)
http://www.my-etrust.com/products/Antivirus.cfm

Vet (Computer Associates)
http://www.vet.com.au/html/products/index.html

KAV (Kaspersky)
http://www.kaspersky.com/

Sophos
http://www.sophos.com/products/software/antivirus/

NOD32
http://www.nod32.com/home/home.htm

Norman Virus Control
http://www.norman.com/products_nvc.shtml

F-Prot
http://www.f-prot.com/download/

AVG
http://www.grisoft.com/



Anti-spyware:
---------------------
Spybot Search & Destroy
http://spybot.eon.net.au/
http://www.safer-networking.org/

Ad-Aware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Spyware Blaster
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html

HijackThis
http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/



Safe Hex
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html

Safe Computing Guide
http://www.trendmicro.com/pc-cillin/...afe_computing/

Protect your PC
http://support.microsoft.com/default...gb/protect.asp

Safe Computing Practice
http://users.iafrica.com/c/cq/cquirke/safe2000.htm

Safe Computing Practices (Safe Hex)
http://www.cknow.com/vtutor/vtsafecompute.htm



On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 22:19:09 +0100, in
<hphlb.2049$bD.8829@news.indigo.ie>
Anon scrawled:

--
Basic computer maintenance
http://uk.geocities.com/personel44/maintenance.html

Mike, thanks. Had to create the file on another PC as
notepad.com/exe no longer works. Anyway, when I
try to merge I get the usual message 'Windows cannot
find tovouagm.exe - this program is needed for opening
files of type Registration Entries'. So its back to square one.

As I cant get into regedit to export the registry file and try
your suggestion, maybe I could copy system.dat + user.dat
to another (test) PC and try and merge your file.

I didn't run any of the antitrojan or antivirus you suggested.
(Can't dial-up anyway). But I have run the latest McAfee
sdat file (from DOS) which cleared a few viruses.
Thanks
Paul



°Mike° <ZHNTPDWBLECA@fcnzzbgry.pbz> wrote in message
news:3f99ad35.1637501@localhost.dot.net...
-A2E9-08002B30309D}]
otect.asp

For anyone that might come across this problem, the solution was
provided by Ben Myers just below - fixswen.inf file (from alt.windows98).
Thanks to anyone who helped
Paul



Download
http://a64.g.akamai.net/7/64/2015/20...com/products/m
cafee-avert/fixswen.inf
to your desktop, right-click it and select "Install".

Ben


°Mike° <ZHNTPDWBLECA@fcnzzbgry.pbz> wrote in message
news:3f99ad35.1637501@localhost.dot.net...
-A2E9-08002B30309D}]
otect.asp

Download the file from here onto the other computer.
http://uk.geocities.com/personel44/fixexe.zip

Unzip the files into the windows folder of the infected
machine. With a bit of luck, it won't set the .exe
association at every boot up, so boot into REAL DOS,
and cd to the Windows folder. Type:

cd windows
fix.bat


Now, what you have done is to import the correct .exe association
and exported the various 'Run' keys, then deleted them, thus
preventing the trojan from running from those locations.

Next, you need to edit system.ini and win.ini . Type:

edit win.ini

Make sure that the following is true:

[windows]
load=
run=


Next, type:

edit system.ini

Make sure that the following is true:

[boot]
shell=Explorer.exe


Use the ALT and arrow keys to navigate in the DOS editor.

When you have booted back into Windows, and ran a
complete trojan/virus scan, post back the *contents* of
the three files created by fix.bat, which are:

lmrun.reg
lmruns.reg
curun.reg

Do NOT double click on them, or merge them back into the
registry - open them with notepad. They contain information
that needs replacing, but any trojan entries removed, which
I will help you sort out once your system is clean.


On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 23:50:13 +0100, in
<HKilb.2064$bD.8835@news.indigo.ie>
Anon scrawled:

<snip>


--
Basic computer maintenance
http://uk.geocities.com/personel44/maintenance.html

Well, if you had mentioned that it was Swen!


On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 00:39:42 +0100, in
<4tjlb.2068$bD.8996@news.indigo.ie>
Anon scrawled:

<snip>

--
Basic computer maintenance
http://uk.geocities.com/personel44/maintenance.html