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Author Topic: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe  (Read 10921 times)

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tgp1994

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Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« on: February 08, 2009, 02:08:35 PM »
First of all, this is intended as an answer, I'm not asking a question. At one point, when I tried to launch Internet Explorer, (the version doesn't matter), it would say:
Quote
Windows cannot find 'C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe.' Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.

I checked the folder, and iexplore.exe was still there. So after much searching, it turns out an infection on the computer could cause this problem. If this problem is happening to you, I recommend you first download Spybot S&D. (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html)

Next, update it, and do a full system scan. Once that is complete, fix and remove any problems it finds, then reboot your computer.

After that, try starting IE. If it still doesn't start, you are going to have to delete a registry key. Open the Run... prompt, type regedit, and hit enter. Now in the folder tree, navigate too:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\iexplorer.exe

First of all, right click on that key, and export it to some place you will remember, like your desktop. Then right click on that same registry key a second time, and hit Delete. Now try opening IE. It should work now.

If something goes wrong, then remember, you can double click on the key you saved from wherever you saved it. If IE launches fine, then you can delete the key you saved.

What happened is a virus had changed the launching information in that key to it's self, so every time you tried to open internet explorer, that virus would instead get opened.

I hope the Moderators of Computer Hope will consider putting this topic in the FAQ section, and remember, keep safe, be careful what you download, and maintain high, if not, ample security protection on your computer!


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« Last Edit: February 09, 2009, 04:51:33 PM by tgp1994 »

tgp1994

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2009, 02:22:13 PM »
And can a moderator please move this topic to the Internet/Browsers section of the FAQ?

kpac

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2009, 02:26:03 PM »
Geez, give it time. There are other issues besides this on the forum.

tgp1994

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2009, 02:39:17 PM »
Lol geez right back at you.

mroilfield



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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2009, 05:52:11 AM »
I am not a moderator so I will ultimately let them decide but if it was up to me I would not put something in a FAQ's section that tells inexperienced people to start making changes to their registry. If some one isn't paying attention to what exactly they are doing they can cause more problems then the solution is worth.

I definitely wouldn't come to a forum as a new poster and start telling the moderators what to put in the FAQ's. Plus I don't think you gave complete instructions. What does the person do with the registry key that they "exported" to their desktop? Do they leave there for ever, do they delete it, or do they keep moving it around to other places? What advice do you give to people who try this and still have the problem?

I know that you are trying to offer a solution to a problem but there are solutions out there that doesn't require the user to go into the registry.
You can't fix Stupid!!!

tgp1994

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2009, 08:21:27 AM »
Well, I did say please :)

Ya, this isn't the best tutorial I gave, but editing the registry is the only way to solve this issue.

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2009, 09:39:51 AM »
but editing the registry is the only way to solve this issue.

No. It's not. Very few times have I seen editing the reg. a fix for this error. "Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe" is actually kind of a generic way for Windows to say there is a problem. What problem? Windows doesn't know...

Nice effort but this isn't going to make it into the FAQ's. It would be a good article were it refined.

- Make it OS specific, were about to have 3 major systems on the market so yes, the version does matter.
- Start out with some more simple fixes like a MS KB http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299294, or a CHKDISK. Then progress on to more suggestions like malware scans and in the end bruit force, like editing the registry.
- Always advise and give instructions on how to backup the registry before sending a user in to edit it. How to back up and restore the registry in Windows


tgp1994

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2009, 04:44:07 PM »
Well, I can tell you right now that windows is saying it can't find it. And like I said in my first post, a malicious program changed the registry key to launch another program, but if that program is missing, windows gives the user that error message. And unless someone else can protect themselves %100.00 against attacks, there is no other way to fix this error message. (Unless you actually wanted to reinstall Windows, which really isn't worth it compared to deleting a registry key that windows re-creates it's self.)

As far as I know, Windows is the only operating system with a "registry", so I guess that kind of limits the amount of OSes this can apply to. That Microsoft KB article can help, but it really doesn't fix it. Also in my first post, I suggested running a Malware scan. Also, I did give advice for backing up the registry, but the previous poster was right, I should give instructions for applying the backup. (Although it is a simple double click.)

Thank you, nonetheless, for you reply.

evilfantasy

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2009, 04:57:01 PM »
Quote
As far as I know, Windows is the only operating system with a "registry", so I guess that kind of limits the amount of OSes this can apply to.

Good point, only getting there is slightly different.

And like I said in my first post, a malicious program changed the registry key to launch another program

OK what about the other malicious files?

Fixing the symptoms is one thing. What about removing the malware...

tgp1994

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Re: Windows cannot find iexplorer.exe
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2009, 05:48:43 PM »
Quote
OK what about the other malicious files?

Fixing the symptoms is one thing. What about removing the malware...

True, but then, lots of malware is different, and it could take me ages to list the solutions for different types of malware. For the one that infected me, all I had to do was do a full scan on Spybot then remove it.