Solved Programs will not run, including System Restore

[IanCharles]

So today I let my computer do the obligatory windows update that it tells me it's time for every so often. I let it reset and install. Later on, I'm minding my own business, cruising the net, not even going to any sketchy sites, when all of a sudden BOOM, AVG tells me it's found a trojan, and is quarantining it. Firefox shuts down, and the next thing I know, I can't open programs.

Here's what's happening: whenever I try to open a program from anywhere (taskbar, desktop, start menu, program files, WHEREVER), I get the prompt from the computer asking me to which program to use to open it. Yeah, you read that right, it's asking me what program to use to open programs. Uh-huh.

So I restart my computer. Nothing changes. I try to run system restore, and get the SAME THING. I even tried running it from the command line, and it told me that "net start "System Restore Service"" was an invalid name.

Does anybody have any idea what's going on here? Or even just a way I can force my computer to restore an old state?

 

[gregrocker]

Install, update and run a Full Scan using Malwarebytes .

Uninstall the AVG bloatware and install MS Security Essentials, run a Full Scan: Microsoft Security Essentials

Next run SFC -SCANNOW Command to check for damaged System Files, if necessary from DVD or Repair CD: SFC -SCANNOW Run in Command Prompt at Boot - Windows 7 Forums

If problems remain try System Restore again, if necessary from the DVD or Repair CD.

 

[dsperber]

If problems remain try System Restore again

Are you describing restoring from a "restore point"? This might work, but my limited experience is that often this does not really get you back to where you absolutely knew things used to work perfectly.

My own "extra ounce of prevention" is to use the more significant "restore system image", not "system restore from a restore point". Of course this assumes you've also taken "system image" backups as part of your backup scheme, on the same kind of regular periodic frequency under which you run your data/Windows backups (with Win7 or 3rd-party backup/restore products, to disk or tape).

I now use the Win7 "system image" method as my guarantee of getting a working, stable environment back very very quickly and reliably... and avoiding a multi-day from-scratch reinstall of Win7 and/or WinXP (which is on the second drive that's included as part of the 2-partition "system image" backup for me).

"System image"... just about the best new thing in Win7. Far superior and faster than the old very restrictive "ASR" functionality which used to be in WinXP, and required the availability of a floppy diskette drive.

 

[MacGyvr]

System Restore works just fine. This advice was given to a user in trouble, and it is advice they should try.

 

[Brink]

Hello Ian,

You might see if downloading and merging the exe and lnk (LNK) options in the tutorial may be able to help. They will restore the default associations for these file extensions and hopefully allow you to run programs again afterwards.

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

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Layback Bear]

A built in Windows 7 restore point has saved me and many others. It does not replace a backup. IMHO both are needed. My answer is simple. What ever services that are running on fresh install I leave running and restore point is one of them. The size and price of todays HHD trying to save a little space is a waste of time. I made the space that indexing is done bigger; I want it all.
Restore point in my opinion is a great thing. If for what ever reason restore point isn't working the first thing I would do to my computer is run scans for viruses ect. and then run sfc /scannow.

 

[gregrocker]

System Restore is the closest thing we have to a time machine. I configure it in System Protection to use up to 20% of Disk Space so more points will hang around longer. It has saved the day more times than i can remember, including on my Dad's rig last year after a fake-AV infection required restoring four months earlier!

System Protection - Change Disk Space Usage - Windows 7 Forums

 

[IanCharles]

Thanks, did the first two steps and everything went back to normal, no need to restore. Big thanks, man.

 

[Brink]

That's great news Ian. Which solution worked for you?

 

[Layback Bear]

Like you Brink, I would like to know what steps fixed the problem.

 

[wilywombat]

If he was following GregRockers first advice it should have been Malwarebytes and MSE scans. Its a great combination that seems to get a lot of folk out of a hole!!