That was a pretty minor mistake to make sixpack - my mistakes usually create massive O/S malfunctions.

Thanks alot guys. Here is another problem that has happened. All of the "open with" icons have been associated with another program and that really blows. Cause all the patches and fixes you guys are sending me I cannot launch by simply double clicking. Either it asks me to open with or opens it using the associated fie (99.9% of the time it opens with the associated file type.!) SO either you guys can give me a diff. solution (by the way I tried the links u guys offered with a regedit and stuff and still nothing) or I clean install.

Can you use "Open With" to associate the .bat file with the correct file type?

Have you, by any chance, run a scan for "Malware"?

Yea, notin. I have scanned in and out. Online scans too. I ried to repair the win. installation cause the following files in my system are missing: control.exe and rundll32.exe. I tried numerous times to replace rundll32.exe and I keep checking the dir and it is always there. Yet when I open items such as add/remove, system, etc. it says rundll32.exe is missing or control.exe is missing.

When in the winxp recovery consol, it asks yuo to pick the os/volume to recover and I press 1 cause there is only one volume and it is labeled as "1". Now, it says that pressing enter will cancel the operation

"Choose your volume lable from above to continue (pressing enter will cancel the current operation)"

So what am I to do? should I save myself the trouble and backup and reformat? or is there a person out there who has been through this hell hole that I am currently stuck in??

Control.exe operates the Control Panel. Have you got it in your System32 folder - if not then copy it from your XP cd (it needs to be expanded). It's in the i386 folder and it's named CONTROL.EX_

Rundll32 will be named RUNDLL32.EX_

You may also want to try sfc.exe /runonce this may restore the files you lost it is included with windows just not a widely advertised feature just be shure to have your XP cd in the drive as it will need it.

Thank you so much red house. Now I got everything working and now have to figure out how to get the icons runnin. We're almost there guys.

First thing to do now is to either back up the registry or create a System Restore Point.

When that's done try to run the XP_fileassoc.bat file - if that goes wrong you can use the System Restore, or the saved registry, to regain your present position.

This site has a host of XP fixes and tweaks, have a look there if all else fails - http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Good luck, it's bedtime over here.