System Check Virus ... Can't System Restore even in Safe Mode

[Corrine]

Hi, Maddielee.

Please run Microsoft Fix it 50542.  Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and then follow the steps in the Fix it wizard:  http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9750246  (If you save the file to your computer, double-click the downloaded file to run.)

[Maddielee]

Window Installer box pop-up:

"The system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation"

[Corrine]

Hi, Maddielee.

Are you logged on to the Administrator account or as a "Limited User"?

Try running the Microsoft Fix it solution in Safe Mode.

[Maddielee]

Thank you for your patience....even in Safe Mode (as Administrator or limited user) I receive the same massage about 'admin has set policies to prevent installation', when trying to install the Fix it 50542.

There is nothing on my screen in regular windows.  The Start menu only shows MacAfee.  NO documents, pictures, My computer links...etc.  When I go to Programs, and click on one, they are Empty.  When in Safe Mode the Program folders also show 'empty'. 

For kicks I opened, in Safe Mode,  Control Panel and tried to open Administrator Tools.  Nothing.

[Corrine]

Hi, Maddielee.

Let's try the following:

A.  Restore Default Start Menu:

1)  Download the following to restore the default Start Menu:  http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/grinler/fakehdd/winxp-pro-32bit-sm-reset.exe

2)  If any menu items are still missing, right-click on the Start menu, select properties, click on the Start Menu tab, click customize, and then the advanced tab.  You should be able to enable all the missing start menu items on that page.

B.  Reset Permissions:

1)  Download and install Subinacl.exe from Microsoft.

2)  Copy the text in bold below to Notepad and save to your desktop as fix_permissions.bat:

cd /d "%programfiles%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools"
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subdirectories %windir%\*.* /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f

3)  Go to Start > Run > and type in "cmd" (without the quotes) and press Enter.  In the black window that opens, type in the complete path to the fix_permissions.bat file (including the filename) and press Enter repair the registry permissions.

The normal path to the desktop is c:\documents and settings\(username)\desktop.  Thus, use c:\documents and settings\Administrator\Desktop\fix_permissions.bat

[Maddielee]

in the  \Windows\system32\cmd.exe     box, I got:: 

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>c:\documents and settings\Administrato
Desktop\fix_permissions.bat
'c:\documents' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>\Desktop\fix_permissions.bat
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>\desktop\fix_permissions.bat
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>desktop\fix_permissions.bat

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>cd /d "C:\Program Files\Windows Resour
Kits\Tools"
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
'subinacl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER
rant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
'subinacl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
rant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
'subinacl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>subinacl /subdirectories C: /grant=adm
istrators=f /grant=system=f
'subinacl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>subinacl /subdirectories C:\WINDOWS\*.
/grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
'subinacl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

[Corrine]

This has one less permission included but may work for you.  Download reset.zip unzip and run the reset.cmd file.

Did the "Restore Default Start Menu" make a difference?

[Maddielee]

""This has one less permission included but may work for you.  Download reset.zip unzip and run the reset.cmd file.

Did the "Restore Default Start Menu" make a difference?""

I'm sorry, you lost me.  I 'think' I unzipped and ran the rezip program, nothing happened.  What is the reset.cmd file?   Should it have come up?

Yes, the Restore Default Menu did add some things to the Start Menu.

[Corrine]

The reset.cmd file is what you will find in the reset zipped file you downloaded.  The object is to restore the messed up permissions.

[Maddielee]

brain dead here.   I'll try in the morning.

Thanks for hanging in with me.

[Corrine]

 Its been a hectic evening and my brain isn't doing all that great either so no worries!

[Maddielee]

another day, good morning.

I think I unzipped and ran the reset program.  Although nothing seemed to have happened.  I honestly don't know if it ran or not, should something have happened?

[Maddielee]

By the way, I found our Dell Reinstallation CD for Windows XP.  I don't know if it could be helpful??

[Corrine]

Hi, Maddielee.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you today.  A repair install of Windows XP may be the route to go.  Since that isn't something I've ever had to do (knock on wood/laminate...), I have been looking for a good tutorial for you if we find that it necessary.  There is something else we can try first though.

Please download SystemLook from one of the links below and save it to your Desktop.

Download Mirror #1
Download Mirror #2

• Double-click SystemLook.exe to run it.
  
• Copy the content of the following codebox into the main textfield:
  

Code Select Expand


:dir
%Temp%\smtmp /s

• Click the Look button to start the scan.
  
• When finished, a notepad window will open with the results of the scan. Please post this log in your next reply.
  

Note: The log can also be found on your Desktop entitled SystemLook.txt

[Maddielee]

When I clicked 'Look' in  System Look I got a pop-up:    "Script Required"