Programs main execution file's changed from original, cant be seen

[woomera]

Recently i noticed i cannot find some of my programs main exe files while i could access their shortcuts via start menu.
From folder options i enabled showing of system files and there they were, visible again.
Programs like IMGBurn,Process hacker and some others.
also their icons are replaced to one of the system default ones.
i have attached an image from imgburn.exe file. anyone knows whats causing this?

thanks

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Hey woomera. This might sort things out for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

 

[woomera]

thanks for the reply but it didnt work. this is simply annoying. :|

 

[FliGi7]

Was any other software installed around the time this started happening?

 

[Brink]

Hello Woomera, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might also consider doing a system restore using a restore point dated before this happened to hopefully undo and fix this.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[woomera]

@Fligi
my guess is that one of the security softwares have caused this but in my few years messing with these stuffs ive never seen something like this.

@Brink
unfortunately i dont have restore points that points past this.

i currently have emsisoft AM and bitdefender IS installed which are running for on-access scans. to my knowledge none of the 2 causes such behavior.

to be honest im not really concerned about this but rather really really curious.

 

[JimLewandowski]

It sounds as if something changed multiple excecutables within your x86 folder? Does this imply that these directory entries were physically altered to now have these executables be hidden?

From your x86 folder, would issuing this help identify more about the problem:

dir /s /ah /b *.exe

to find all hidden files with .exe suffixes?

Maybe a pattern will emerge.

 

[woomera]

not just the x86 program files folder. have attached the result from both.

 

[JimLewandowski]

not just the x86 program files folder. have attached the result from both.

So, based on those screens, are we to assume that "all" your .exe files within OS drive \ Program Files (both 32 and 64-bit) have been alterd to now be hidden?

What if you issue the DIR command again but withOUT the *.exe part. Maybe every single file of any kind is now set to be hidden in those directories??

 

[woomera]

not just the x86 program files folder. have attached the result from both.

So, based on those screens, are we to assume that "all" your .exe files within OS drive \ Program Files (both 32 and 64-bit) have been alterd to now be hidden?

What if you issue the DIR command again but withOUT the *.exe part. Maybe every single file of any kind is now set to be hidden in those directories??

Actually no, just those. many are untouched.

 

[JimLewandowski]

Actually no, just those. many are untouched.

What are the last modified/last access dates on those .exe files that are hidden?

 

[Brink]

not just the x86 program files folder. have attached the result from both.

So, based on those screens, are we to assume that "all" your .exe files within OS drive \ Program Files (both 32 and 64-bit) have been alterd to now be hidden?

What if you issue the DIR command again but withOUT the *.exe part. Maybe every single file of any kind is now set to be hidden in those directories??

Actually no, just those. many are untouched.

Woomera,

Until a cause and better solution is found, you might see if using the context menu from the tutorial below may help make it easier to unhide the ones that should not be hidden for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/204725-file-folder-add-hide-unhide-context-menu.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn