A specific .exe file will not start

Hello!

I'll start by mentioning i had some run32dll virus(noticed CPU lagging) so I deleted every run32dll.exe except the one in windows\system 32 (that one i understood was the good one).
After I did this, age2_x1.exe would not start, double click does nothing (that's age of empires 2). Strange thing is: if I rename it LITERALLY anything else ("x.exe", "age2_x1111.exe" whatever), it works.

Now the mind blowing part comes: Voobly (aoe multiplayer platform...something) wants the .exe file to be name exactly age2_x1.exe, or it will create one with that name and try to open it, with no succes. If I rename the one voobly created it starts, but then it'll just created another one with that name and so on.

Any other executable file works fine. Tried cleaning registry, reinstalling game. I really don't want to reinstall windows.

Help, thanks!

You might have to do a repair since you deleted those .dll files.

Do you have a system restore point?

Hello Oaccc,

Do you mean you deleted run32dll.exe, or do you mean you terminated some run32dll.exe processes?

i deleted all other run32dll.exe with the exception of the one located in windows\system32

wither 2 said:

You might have to do a repair since you deleted those .dll files.

Do you have a system restore point?

No i did not delete all of them, and i have a backup run32dll. No i do not have a restore points sadly

Had you looked in recycle bin? You might be able to restore the deleted files from the recycle bin. If you can restore them, then do a virus scan on each individual run32dll.exe. The virus scan will quarantine any suspicious file.

Sadly i permanently deleted those files, but shouldn't there be only one run32dll?

Solved it!!

Well not me but i found this: http://ubeogesh-things.blogspot.com/...lorer-aka.html

Removing the .dll from gameux.dll does the trick.

Thanks!

There is at least one other file bearing this name in \Windows\SysWOW64. It does not appear to be the same size. And there could be others depending on your systems configuration.