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Urgent help needed! Adobe reader..


katifer

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Hi everyone!

I have windows xp home and last night upgraded to adobe reader 7.0. And now..EVERYTHING is corrupted, nothing will open, not even adobe reader opens properly. All the programes on it now want to open with it..and I can't even go to 'Add/remove progames because that tries to open with adobe reader too. I'm so stuck about what to do..does any one have any ideas? Thanks for any help! Kate

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This is (obviously?) a completely wild guess, but if you can somehow get into the registry editor - maybe in safe mode? - see if there is anything in the hkey_classes_root\* key which shouldn't be there. Mine just has OpenWithList, shell, and shellex.

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Can you use the winkey+r to run regedit?

Boot into safe mode and use system restore?

whats winkey+r and regedit?..can you talk me through step by step what to do..Thanks :)

Yikes! :o

OK, sorry for my initial reaction. :blushing: By WinKey, we mean the Windows Logo Key that looks like the windows flag, it's near the space bar. Pressing that and the R key at the same time opens the Run dialog. In that box, you would type regedit, then hit OK (or press the Enter key). That opens the registry editor, hopefully. The registry is a database of information stored on your computer. Most programs depend on it in some way, as does the operating system. The registry editor edits the registry, that is, it allows you to change settings in the registry. See the KB article I linked to above. Now, if you can open regedit, you should see several "folders" on the left. These are actually called hives. Don't ask why; I don't know. There should be HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, etc. You need to open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, and using the + and - signs next to each key (sub-folders are called keys), find the entry for *, as SmaugyGrrr said, and also I would suggest, in .exe, since it sounds like Adobe Reader got associated with executable files maybe. Do ALL files open in Adobe reader, or do all programs open in adobe reader?

As for safe mode, in case you don't know, when booting up, right after the BIOS screen, keep pressing F8 until the start up options menu appears. choose "Safe Mode", then choose "Windows XP Home Edition". This loads Windows without any extra services, etc. and could let you open regedit. Maybe. Or, you can try to use system restore. I've never used it, so someone else will have to tell you how.

Sorry, I won't be here for a while, so I won't be able to answer any more questions until I get back. :(

Good luck, and welcome to MSFN! :hello:

One more thought to the others trying to help. If .vbs files aren't associated with Adobe Reader, then someone could write a VBS script to read his registry, see what's in there for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\* and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe and then (s)he could tell us what it said, then we could write another vbs to set the registry right. Or use .reg files, but then you can't see what's already there. Just a thought.

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Hi, thanks for that :) I think its only the programes that open with adobe reader, as i can still open my pictures and stuff..but obviously word documents i can't as word tries to open with adobe!

I'll try my best at following your instructions anyway:) Im on a spare computer btw as firefox and netscape are also no longer working on my pc:(

Thanks for your help!

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You say you can open pictures, but wouldn't they open in a program, too? Bizarre. Like, really strange. :wacko:

So I assume Windows Explorer (what you see files in, where you browse my documents, etc. from) is still working? Also, just out of curiosity, does this happen on all accounts or just one? Have you tried logging on as Administrator (in Safe Mode)? Can you open a command prompt (cmd.exe) or does that open in your favorite program? You might want to contact Adobe, since it may be their fault, but there's probably some crap in their EULA that installing their software means that they're not responsible if it screws up your computer.

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yea windows explorer which i open pics and stuff in is still working..internet explorer still work..its like the microsoft progammes all still work but everything else doesnt..I shall try out that advice tomorrow..cant be bothered dealing with it now! Thanks! :)

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Well, if that's true (and if it is, that's really weird), then you would probably be able to open the registry editor, since it's a microsoft program.

Good luck, I won't be here probably tomorrow to find out, and if I am it'll be my last day, but I'll come and see what ever happened when I get back. :hello:

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Here's what may be a silly question:

Are you able to preform a system restore prior to the Adobe installation?

(Start Menu --> All Programs -->Accesories --> System Tools --> System Restore)

BTW, the latest version of Adobe Reader is 8, if you are able to fix you may want to download the latest version, if possible.

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Will the system restore erase everything off the comptuer?

I think my mum has tried doing that..I just havent had chance to do it yet. And it annoys me so much to try something to find that it doesnt work!

We phoned the helpline for support and they said it may be a virus, and to by a portable hard drive to transer the stuff too..but wont that just transfer the virus aswell??

I appreciate all the help thanks!

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Its not the files that are affected because I can still open my pictures. But just the programmes that won't open and they all want to open with adobe reader.

I can't do a system restore because all the accessories and stuff want to open with adobe reader.

Therefore I can't go add/remove programmes either! Hmmm! Does anybody know if i get a new portable hard drive to transfer all my programes and files to, will it transfer the virus aswell?

Thanks

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If you can't even get into Safe Mode, then you are truely hosed! Otherwise, look on someone else' XP system, look at their "File Type" definition of EXE, get yours up in Safe Mode, turn off System Restore, Reboot into Safe Mode, and change your definition to what you found.

Can you even get to the "Start->Run" box or "Start->All Programs->Accessories-Command Prompt" (this one should give you a "window"/"box" with a "Command Prompt"). This is kind of an important question (same as Idontwantspam's except specifically how-to)...

The closest thing I can think of to "fix" the problem is at minimum "REGEDIT.EXE" (see above question). Here you could at least unload the pertinent HIVE(s), get them to another XP, load them, fix them, unload them, then reload onto yours, OR directly fix them on yours. And yes, it could be possible that some-kinda-virus could be running at start-up that re-hoses stuff (wow!); never encountered one like that tho.

Loosely described suggestion given here (kind of repeats what others stated)... Really odd that a EXE will run which in turn insists on "opening" a EXE; how can that be possible (anyone?)?

You could also attempt to boot from the XP Install CD (if you have one) and delete the contents of Windows\System\dllchache. Viruses love to hide there... (wild shot)

Corrections/expansions anyone?

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