Cannot access Control Panel

[MacGyvr]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have run Malwarebytes and completed the sfc /scannow process. Neither found any issues. I also tried the "repair file associations" from the link above, and was not sure which files to download....there are dozens. Tried the exe file, downloaded and processed it, and that did not make any difference. Is there another I should try...oir do I need to do them all?

I would do exe, com, dll, all the standard "system" types.

 

[Jacee]

Well you confused me with this sentence:

unfortunately, the only Windows 7 disk I have is Pro 32bit.

Of course a repair for Win7 home premium 64bit is not going to work with a pre-installed Win7 Pro disk Dell OEM disk.

Which one was pre-installed?

 

[t-4-2]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have run Malwarebytes and completed the sfc /scannow process. Neither found any issues. I also tried the "repair file associations" from the link above, and was not sure which files to download....there are dozens. Tried the exe file, downloaded and processed it, and that did not make any difference. Is there another I should try...oir do I need to do them all?

No more fancy ideas from me.

How about rebuild your icon cache. It could be corrupted.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html

 

[ron6962]

To Jacee...I appreciate your desire to help. If you read all the thread, you will see I sais the laptop was pre-installed with Win7 Home. I do not have that disk. I do have a win7 Pro disk, and have already determined I cannot use it to upgrade from Home 64bit to Pro 32bit. Tomorrow I hope to get a Home 64bit disk and try a restore with it. I started the thread in hopes there was a way to repair the problem witjout a reinstall.

 

[ron6962]

To MacGyver.....you da man! I tried your suggestion to reinstall all the "system" default programs from the link you sent.....and it worked!! I don't know which one did it, as I downloaded and installed several.....but Windows is now working normal again. Thank you for hanging in there with me.....I just knew there had to be a more practical solution than a reload!

 

[Jacee]

Ahh... okay, confusion on my end is now explained.

You most likely have a rootkit that was uninvited by a 'drive-by' fake, anti-spyware rogue. Or you may have received it using someone else's infected usb/DVD to install a program.

If you have access to a known 'clean computer', then download Trinity Rescue kit
Trinity Rescue Kit | CPR for your computer
and burn the .ISO at a slow speed[/B] to a CD. You can then perform a repair/recovery operation.

Trinity Rescue Kit or TRK is a free live Linux distribution that aims specifically at recovery and repair operations on Windows machines

 

[MacGyvr]

To MacGyver.....you da man! I tried your suggestion to reinstall all the "system" default programs from the link you sent.....and it worked!! I don't know which one did it, as I downloaded and installed several.....but Windows is now working normal again. Thank you for hanging in there with me.....I just knew there had to be a more practical solution than a reload!

Glad to hear!