Win2K - has lost ability to execute (most) programs

[zzaxx99]

Now, I've really got a problem!

My main PC has suddenly decided that it won't execute anything. The problem first appeared when I tried to run regedit - and got a "what program do you want to use to open regedit.exe" prompt.



Now, that's not good, I thought. Then established that I couldn't run anything, other than clicking the My Computer icon on the desktop to open an Explorer view.

Rebooted. On restart, all my desktop links and start menu links show as whatever.lnk, instead of as shortcuts. I'm also getting a "some device failed during startup" message. Can't find out what, because I can't run Event Viewer

By now, it's pretty obvious that something is profoundly wrong with the machine, but the question is, how to I put it right.

I had very carefully planned for hardware failure by installed duplexed hard disks, but this one has caught me with my ants down.

I don't want to have to reinstall everything, if I can avoid it, so Plan A is as follows:

• Install new copy of Win2000.
• Boot with that version
• Install latest service pack (make note to self - get hold of bootable slipstream Win2K with latest service pack
• Copy exe & dll files from new installation to old one
• Reboot, select old OS to boot with, see what happens
• If all is hunkydory, institute new backup regimen.
• If not, reboot to new OS, copy next set of files over, reboot, repeat until working OS

Anyone got any better ideas?

In case you were wondering, the trigger for all of this may have been an attempt to remove f-prot antivirus by deleting its home directory (long story shortened: upgrade to latest version failed, leaving installation stuffed. Couldn't upgrade, couldn't remove previous version)

Help?

 

[roguetrader]

What happens when you boot into safwe mode?

 

[oatman]

Have you tried sfc /scannow (note the space)and insert the disc?

 

[roguetrader]

Have you tried sfc /scannow (note the space)and insert the disc?

Hi Oatman, what does this do?

 

[oatman]

Checks that your original Windows files are intact, I think


just looking, it might only be for XP

 

[oatman]

http://www.networkclue.com/os/Windows/commands/sfc.php

 

[roguetrader]

Thanx, that is handy to know.

 

[oatman]

If you're on Win 2K you have to update Hotfixes again. Not sure about XP.

 

[zzaxx99]

"windows file protection could not initiate a scan of protected system files. The specific error is 0x0000006 [The RPC server is unavailable]"

(can I run sfc in safe mode?)

Must admit that it never occured to me to try safe mode, before going onto more drastic actions

 

[roguetrader]

Must admit that it never occured to me to try safe mode, before going onto more drastic actions

Ah who needs precision whe ya got a big hammer

 

[Mayfly]

Hi zzaxx99,

You don’t say if you’ve thought about repairing Win2K on your machine? IMO, it’s probably the best way to approach a damaged installation.

To do this you have to run setup for Win2K, either by booting off the CD or if this is not possible you’ll have to run off of a boot disk containing the CD drivers.

Obviously, you’ll need to remove any anti-virus software or disable any BIOS level anti-virus protection. You’ll also need to set your CD-ROM drive as your first priority boot device. (My apologies if all this is telling you to suck eggs, etc…..)

Here’s the rest of it, in step by step fashion that I’ve copied from my notes on WinXP (my best guess is that the procedure is essentially the same for Win2K and NT4, although you may be prompted to install mass storage controller drivers along the way).

1. Booting from the CD, the setup program will check the hardware, etc and the present you with three options:

a. To setup WinXP now, press “enter”
b. To repair a WinXP installation using Recovery Console, Press “R”
c. To quit setup without installing WinXP, press “F3”

2. Select option a and Press “Enter”

3. Press the F8 key to agree to the licensing agreement

4. Next, you’ll see your current WinXP installation is listed in a box. Selecting the one you want to repair (if you have more than one), you’ll get the following options:

a. To repair the selected WinXP installation, press “R”
b. To continue installing a fresh copy of WinXP without repairing, press “Esc”

5. Select option a, by pressing “R”

6. The setup program will repair WinXP automatically, and reboot when it’s finished.

That should be it, although bear in mind you may have to re-activate WinXP or in your case Win2K.

HTH

Cheers

Mayfly

 

[oatman]

"windows file protection could not initiate a scan of protected system files. The specific error is 0x0000006 [The RPC server is unavailable]"

(can I run sfc in safe mode?)

Must admit that it never occured to me to try safe mode, before going onto more drastic actions

Does this help?
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q224370

 

[oatman]

Just looking, and some printers can cause this error. Canon for instance?

 

[rossored]

You don’t say if you’ve thought about repairing Win2K on your machine? IMO, it’s probably the best way to approach a damaged installation.

To do this you have to run setup for Win2K, either by booting off the CD or if this is not possible you’ll have to run off of a boot disk containing the CD drivers.

I had this exact same .lnk problem on an old machine I had some time ago, which ran W98. I'll be damned if I can remember what caused it although I seem to recall it was the somewhat unorthodox removal method of one of the programs.

Anyway, in the end I finished up doing the above - a reinstall - which fixed everything. That'd be my first choice if you've not done it already.

 

[zzaxx99]

Hi zzaxx99,

You don’t say if you’ve thought about repairing Win2K on your machine? IMO, it’s probably the best way to approach a damaged installation.

Yep, that was my first port of call - only to find that I'd put my win2K cd in the wrong case, so it had been separated from the install key

Fortunately, I've now found the install key, after ripping half the house apart searching for it, so should be back on course for a repair, rather than various lateral thinking bodges.

 

[zzaxx99]

Well that didn't work at all. Next step looks to be to install a complete 2nd copy, unless anyone else has any bright ideas?

 

[zzaxx99]

Latest news - looks like it's a nasty virus - there's a McAfee tools to remove it, so I'll try that tomorrow

 

[oatman]

Identity?

 

[zzaxx99]

Dismember all virus writers!

Looks like a recent variant of the Swen virus. At current count, disables .exe. .com .lnk (and possibly other extensions). Disables address bar in IE. Disables regedit. Removes install option from context menu on .inf file (this was the method to remove the damn thing from McAfee and Symantec). Known to disable some antivirus software.

Needless to say, because of the removed Install option, the downloaded remover didn't work.

I have a couple of possibilities left - maybe INSTALL from the recovery console will run .inf? Maybe the stinger removal tool from McAfee will run if renamed to .cmd? Maybe a .reg file will allow updating of the registry, though I tend to doubt it.

If they don't work, I'm not sure that even a new Win2K install will fix the problem - depending how embedded the damn thing is, it might just reinfect that. Though new install + swen remover might get me the original OS back? (though would it find the old registry??)

In short, aaaaaaaargh!!!

This is rapidly heading towards a "backup all data and reformat hard disk" solution....

 

[rossored]

This is rapidly heading towards a "backup all data and reformat hard disk" solution....

Yep. I think if I were you I'd be going down that road already.