Help! ????? - not a valid win32 application

myself | myself

[adorno]

Can't use my main computer; '?????' - not a valid win32 application

I wonder if anybody has had a problem like I'm having and can help.

No matter what program I try to open, I get an error telling me that "'?????' is not a valid win32 application"

I can't click on anything on the desktop, not even the virus scanners or the firewall or the registry editors or even the internet browsers. Without being able to click the browsers, I won't be able to download any fixes. I can't even start my internet connections, wireless or otherwise.

As soon as I click to start any of those applications, the aforementioned message comes up.

I'm using one of my other computers to send this message.

[js1138]

I would suggest a repair-reinstall of WinXP.

Yep. This is what it's for. Among other things, to recover from a massive virus infestation.

Of course I don't know if we have memory chip failure or a hard drive failure.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So what’s going on?

[Old Sarge]

[TomGuy]

LOL

That graphic is spot on!

Cable guy was out last week trying to fix an Internet connection problem. During his visit, he clicked on the IE and Firefox icons, etc. The PC went blue screen.

I laughed at that panicked looked on his face.

For some reason I have to load Firefox (2.0.0.12 and up) first, before IE, or I get the blue screen. It is some quirk in Firefox.

Cable guy had a look on his face similar to that kitty in the graphic. He thought he had really messed my system up.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

That’s a graphic worth saving....LOL!

[LucyJo]

Do you mean the free AVG download or to purchase that program rather than others? Link?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

AVG Free Advisor - AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition AVG Free is the most popular free solution available at no cost to home users and provides the high level of detection ...

[LucyJo]

Thanks. : )

[ken in texas]

I've seen the other responses... but my first inclination is to say "Stop Using the Computer".!!! If you can, take the hard drive out, hook it up to your other computer in some way, and save the data you have on the drive. If you can't do this, find a local computer geek that can do it. The first rule of thumb here is "Save Your Data", unless you already have complete backups.

Once that's done, you can try all manner of suggestions that have already been posted. If they work without removing your data, all is well, and you just wasted some time. If you trashed your data while fixing the problem, at least you can restore it.

[w1andsodidwe]

Found this, might be worth a try.

> When I try to execute ANY ( yes, any ) executable ( *.exe/*.msi etc) file,
> I
> receive the error msg “is not a valid Win32 application”. I am now at the
> point I can not add or update ANY software whatsoever due to this error
> coming up for any executable.

Back in my help desk days, I would often see this is a result of a virus
called “pretty park” or something like that. It modified the registry to
change the handler for .EXE files and Windows would throw the same error.

It’s a long shot, but check this key in your registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\shell\open\command

There should be two keys there, (Default) and Isolated Command as shown
below with the Type and Data If you have other stuff in the Data besides
“%1”
%*, then something has gotten into your PC.

Key Name: (Default)
Key Type: REG_SZ
Key Data: “%1” %*

Key Name: IsolatedCommand
Key Type: REG_SZ
Key Data: “%1” %*

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Give us an update when you can>>>>>!

[reagan_fanatic]

Link in post 37 - I’ve used the free version for years and have had no problems whatsoever. I also recommend Adaware, CWshredder and Hijack This to ferret out malware and spyware.

[reagan_fanatic]

Oops - meant post #27

[LucyJo]

Thank you. I appreciate the other recommendations too. : )

[adorno]

Give us an update when you can>>>>>!

Thanks to all that responded and tried to help.

But, for a while I wasn't even able to boot into safe mode.

After many shutdowns and reboots, the system did let me into safe mode and that's when I was able to do a few minor things, including, removing and uninstalling applications.



But, I wasn't able to do anything besides some things in control panel, even after uninstalling the last couple of applications that I had installed previously in the last week.

So, I had a hunch and went with it. I uninstalled Comodo Firewall. Then I re-inistalled it with all new settings.

That brought back my system after shutdown and power up.

So, as far as I could tell, it was something with Comodo, though I'm not sure what, why or how.

[adorno]

By the way, people, sorry for the delayed response.

I was with my mother at the hospital where she was having her gall-bladder removed.

It’s only when I got back from the hospital that I got busy again on my computer problem

My last 2 replies, including this one, are from the “repaired” system.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the reply ...hope your mother is doing OK...figured you were busy with other things....

Never heard of Comodo Firewall...

But I see a good review:

Comodo Personal Firewall 2.0

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Just dropping this link here:

Personal Firewall Reviews

[savedbygrace]

Yeah, I’m not too happy with the latest revs of Commodo Firewall, myself. Nothing as bad as what you faced, but it’s been way too sensitive to everything.

It gives me 3 to 5 warnings when I try to open any app. After struggling with that for a couple of weeks or so, I finally just set it to ignore any apps starting up. Not the ideal solution, but it was bugging the tar out of me.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Was this a failure of the functioning of the package or just one of those ....installation problems....?