Open With Error on every program I opened

Asked By claude stanford 400 points N/A Posted on - 06/11/2011

I run AVAST to scan my whole system for a possible attack of virus. It doesn't found any threat. So I started windows normally. But when I open programs such as Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and almost every program installed on my pc. The Open With alert box contains this:

Choose the program you want to use to open this file

When I choose on which program I will open the file, it always says the application not found or couldn't open using that program. My antivirus didn't found anything malicious on my system but why am I having errors on opening my programs? Even if I run the recovery disk, this won't help me solve my problem.

I don't want to start again from scratch and make a fresh install. I checked on my folder on startup, but it's empty. Which anti virus can I use to trace if there is a virus on my system? I am running Windows Vista Home Premium. I don't change anything on my settings beforehand. This just instantly happens after suspecting that my system has a virus because it was acting strange and weird. But my AVIRA didn't find anything.

Any help or solution will be appreciated.

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• Question Category: System Utilities

Best Answer by msaaqib

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Answered By msaaqib 0 points N/A #113187

Open With Error on every program I opened

Dear,

I have seen all of your problems which are common these days, your antivirus program deleted the .exe files of most of your installed programs and its not possible now to recover these files or make the program running correctly even you recovered these deleted files through any recovery tool as you don't where to place them.

As far as removing antivirus from your system, please note my suggestion to you is to install the windows again in your pc and then install the antivirus program and run it before using the windows and also daily download the updates which secures your system very well.

I have a very good example for you, that once upon a time there is a donkey gone into a well, people took 70 baskets to purify the water from the well but not taken out the donkey so the result is no change.

Regards.

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• Posted on - 06/11/2011
• Question Category: System Utilities

Answered By anrewbst 0 points N/A #113188

Open With Error on every program I opened

Hi Claude,

sadly, this is a big problem like a Virus infection. You must use an alternative tool to Avast and assure you that your computer is clean. Download Microsoft Security Essentials from Microsoft website and do a complete check.

Your issue depends on a registry key modified by the virus.

If SWEN virus has affected your computer, you can’t open regedit.exe to solve the problem. Rename the extension of the file .txt attached here and launch it; after that you can open registry key (Menu Start à Run Command and type regedit.exe)

You’re new Security essentials will remove SWEN is your computer is affected by it.

Virus Sircam can harm your computer with the same issue.

You must also verify that the registry key showed in the picture is set to value

Default "%1" %*

ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOTexefileshellopencommand.

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• Posted on - 07/25/2011
• Question Category: System Utilities

Answered By claude stanford 400 points N/A #113189

Open With Error on every program I opened

Thank you for all the help.

I went to malwarebytes.org website and download their free software.

I don't know but seems like the software sweep the virus. I've done this on safe mode.

Thank you again for all the suggestions and help.

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• Posted on - 09/03/2011
• Question Category: System Utilities