How to revert back registry? Something is wrong with my .exe files.

[Oggi-Wan]

After somebody tampered with my .exe in my registry, I have been experiencing problems with .exe files for most of my (steam) games. Even more frustrating is the .bat files that start mods for some of them, really don't start the game anymore.

The only way games start is if I launch them from the steam client.

I have tried CCleaner, I tried importing old registry files, and I always get errors. There is no "revert to default" option as far as I know, and I DO NOT intend to reinstall entire windows for this problem alone.

I also reinstalled the games, I re re-downloaded them and reinstalled and I reinstalled steam itself, so the problem has to be with Windows.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I cannot start Norton removal tool (I get : "the interface is not supported"), nor can I start Norton uinstall Via control panel, so I guess something is really iffy with the registry. I also tried Windows Repair, and it couldn't find any problems.

 

[boosted1g]

Have you tried a system restore point?

 

[USAFRet]

and I DO NOT intend to reinstall entire windows for this problem alone.

That's what *I* would probably do.
And then set a hard password on the machine.

What changes did they make? How do you know?
What else did 'they' mess with?

 

[Oggi-Wan]

No restore points old enough to even bother attempting.

They or rather he told me he messed something with the .exe in Hkey classes Root.

 

[MrZoolook]

This post on the Windows 7 forums has a whole bunch of individual registry files for individual file types.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

It's interesting you mention Steam specifically too. I recently encountered a bug where my Steam game shortcuts no longer worked. It turned out something bugged out with the steam:// url handling those shortcuts used. Typically, by the time I'd found this out and found a tool to automatically convert all those steam:// shortcuts into proper shortcuts to run the relevant .exe file, the problem had sorted itself out.

Can I ask, is it JUST Steam shortcuts that fail to run, or all shortcuts? Can you run the games actual executable file (running Explorer and navigating to the games actual location, and physically running the executable directly) and does that work?

The fact you can run CCleaner and (presumably) a Web browser so you can post here STRONGLY suggests that the .exe file handling is actually OK. And since Steam shortcuts aren't pointing directly to executables (by default anyway), but to a steam:// url, this seems likely an issue with the url handler.

 

[Oggi-Wan]

Yes only shortcuts for games that go via steam don't work.

 

[MrZoolook]

Try this little program. http://skwire.dcmembers.com/fp/?page=steam-url-converter

Although it was developed to help with missing steam icons, it helps with this issue. After unzipping and running it, click the option to add it to the "send to" right click menu. Once done, you can right click a steam shortcut, and use the send-to option to send it to the URL converter. Once done, you'll have 2 shortcuts in the folder that look the same, but the new one is actually a REGULAR shortcut (instead of a url) that runs Steam and passes the app-id of the program you want.

Essentially, it bypasses the steam:// url protocol entirely, and if these new shortcuts work, then that's the issue, and .exe file handling is fine. (I suspect this is the problem anyway, but this will prove it for sure)

nb: right click the steam games menu in the start menu, and select the option to open in a new window, which will then allow you to select multiple shortcuts to convert (ctrl+a here works wonders).

 

[Oggi-Wan]

Thanks, but I am having problems with other .exe files now, so I guess it's not steam's fault.