Directx Diagnostics is being forced on me.

[tpolcha]

I assume I'm in the correct forum.

PC: Old recovered Hp Pavilion running Xp home v5.1  I use all your 'read me first' advice religiously.  Browser: IE7.  Microsoft update runs daily.

Problem: Two desktop icons just haphazardly disappeared and one (freecell) changed its feature icon display from the a 'king' image to a 'X' image.  Like I said the hog is old.

I'm and old customer of yours; I've ran my scans and keep this old PC up to date.  All scans showed zero defects--no malware present.  All I have to post is the HJT log and a copy of the Dx window that pops up I saved in MS Works as a .txt

When I try to open freecell to play cards I am automatically sent a Directx Diagnostic Tool window that wants me to use it to check drives and  ensure they are digitally signed as logo's by MicroSoft Hardware Labs (WHQL).  I automatically equate this to something that sounds like activex spyware intrusion. 

I've never been asked to do this before with any PC, it's just plain weird.  Please review and advise.

Thanks Tom

 

[BC_Programmer]

Is this the message?


---------------------------
DirectX Diagnostic Tool
---------------------------
Do you want to allow DxDiag to check if your drivers are digitally signed as logo'd by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL)?  This may cause Windows to connect to the Internet to download new WHQL certificates.  No information is retrieved from your system.  We recommend answering "Yes" so that DxDiag has more complete information about your system.
---------------------------
Yes   No   
---------------------------


your "freecell" icon is now pointing towards another Program, DXDiag, which is a diagnostic tool included with DirectX for testing. (this is further substantiated by the "X" icon as you've described it).

How this occured I haven't a clue, but the remedy is to change your freecell icon to point to the freecell program.

Right Click on the freecell shortcut and select "Properties".

Select the "Shortcut" tab (if this tab doesn't exist, please say so in your next post)

the "Target" textbox should read

Code: [Select]

%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\freecell.exe

If it does not, change it, and press OK. Hopefully freecell starts properly again.

[tpolcha]

Hey BC_Programmer,

It didn't like the Target Text as you wrote in your last post when I tried to change it.

Currently the target text is as follows:

C:\Windows\System32\dxDiag.exe

I tried changing the text to C:\Windows\System32\freecell.exe and it automatically reverts back to the dxdiag.exe path.

What should we try next?

Thanks,

Tom

Since we don't know why this occurred all of a sudden I assume you currently recommend I do not allow the Diagnostic Tool to run.   

[BC_Programmer]

Since we don't know why this occurred all of a sudden I assume you currently recommend I do not allow the Diagnostic Tool to run.   

It doesn't matter, it won't do any harm. But more importantly it isn't freecell

instead of editing that shortcut, create a new one pointing to freecell.

Right-Click desktop, new->Shortcut, then enter "C:\windows\system32\freecell.exe" on the first page, next, and "Freecell".

there should now be a new freecell icon.

you can delete the other icon if you wish.

[tpolcha]

Sorry but that didn't work either.  It says that the path doesn't exist.

[BC_Programmer]

start->run, and type freecell

does that work?

[tpolcha]

Sorry, that didn't work either as well.   I tried freecell (one word) free cell and freecell.exe.  The error notice says,"it doesn't exist".

[BC_Programmer]

by all accounts you don't have freecell on the PC 

you culd search the computer for freecell (via find files or folders)

[tpolcha]

Ok.  Before I read your reply (after the 'Run' request) I performed a search using freecell.exe and this is the result:

FREECELL Path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\dllcache Size 54KB Type= Application

Does using upper and lower case matter? 

I double clicked on the underlined and low and behold, the game started.  I'm going to go back to the earlier instruction of rt clicking the desktop and using the new path as the target text.

[tpolcha]

I put the new path (\dllcache) in the properties of creating a new icon but all I got was a new icon that takes me to the cache folder.  I should have known better.

What do you think we should try next?

[tpolcha]

I found it.  The last icon I created was the \dllcache.  I opened it.  Inside that folder ws the original freecell icon.  I created the shortcut from there and it works now. 

Thanks for showing me how to think this through.

[BC_Programmer]

I found it.  The last icon I created was the \dllcache.  I opened it.  Inside that folder ws the original freecell icon.  I created the shortcut from there and it works now. 

Thanks for showing me how to think this through.

OK, that will work-


I recommend running a

Code: [Select]

SFC /SCANNOW, this will copy the freecell program back to its proper location, and then you can change the icon to point to that version.

Of course all is working for you so this is completely optional- I cannot think of a compelling reason not to use the freecell in dllcache as opposed to one "properly" in system32.

[tpolcha]

I am not familiar at all with your suggestion; I don't know how to proceed running an "SCF / SCANNOW".   Apparently I found a backdoor to freecell and not the front door that was originally designed to be used.

I have to go to work shortly but will be back on line after.

[BC_Programmer]

SFC:

Start->Run, type

Code: [Select]

sfc /scannow


[tpolcha]

I ran the command sfc/scannow.

1.  I guess since there was no report at the end, everything was / is OK or did it silently repair anything it found?

2.  The freecell icon I created from the dllcache folder; is it recognizing the proper path now?

Leaving for work now; be back later.