Can only launch .exe files from very specific locations

[Karsten75]

I've just run into a new and very annoying (not to mention vexing) problem on a fresh install of Windows Vista on a HP Pavilion DV2000 laptop.

I should mention that the first 1 million times I installed Vista I did not run into this problem. THe last two re-installs, this is occurring.

Here is the issue. I've tested with various files and the symptoms are the same. Let's call the file abc.exe.

Here is a list of locations I try and the results.

E: (Removable USB drive) file executes. UAC conformation pops up
C: might as well not click, nothing happens. No UAC, no entry in event viewer
C:\users\Josh\Documents\: might as well not click, nothing happens. No UAC, no entry in event viewer
C:\users\Josh\Downloads\: might as well not click, nothing happens. No UAC, no entry in event viewer
C\Windows\ file executes. UAC conformation pops up

I've checked file/folder permissions and as far as I can tell, there isn't an issue. I can also freely move files between the various locations and it is a copy of the same file (not a shortcut) that I test in the various locations.

I tried the regedit in this article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2688326

The failure occurs when I double-click, or when I right-click and select "Open" from the context menu.

There seem to be no other hits, except indications of malware, and that seems unlikely as I'm doing a clean install from genuine media.

 

[hang-the-9]

After you did this clean install, what else did you do? Did you do a restore from a backup or anything else? I don't see why a really clean setup would not run programs. If you do a new setup, without anything else, can you open programs then? The built-in Windows stuff like Notepad, Device Manager, etc...

 

[Karsten75]

Was a clean install, partway through playing catch-up with MS updates. No other applications had been installed. However, it's all academic now as it turns out the laptop was one of a long-ago batch that had a latent defect in their on-board Nvidia GPUs. With all the hassle of getting updates after Vista Service Pack 2 installed, I left the machine running too long at 100% utilization and the bug reared its' head. THe machine is now ready for it's true destiny at a recycling yard.


http://www.cnet.com/news/summarizing-the-nvidia-problems-with-laptop-chips-overheating/