ShellExecute failed. Code 2. Any ideas?

[slipperman12]

Hi Dave,
Sorry for the delay in replying, but I just spent 3 hours at the Nurburgring

It's not a Registry fix that's required, it's the missing values that have to be put back into the Registry!

If you are OK with looking at files, I suggest you download the file I pointed to and open it using NotePad - DO NOT run it (yet)! You will see several lines, each being an entry in the Registry; compare your Registry (look at that by using Regedit) to check if the lines are present; for this you will need two screens open, or alternatively, print the file you've got open in NotePad.

Copying files may get over your immediate problem, but what about BAT files which require running in the future?! You really need to solve the problem.

As a matter of interest, I've discovered that neither BAT nor EXE file types are shown in the Folder Options > File Type listing !!

Cheers,
Ged

[delticcity]

Hi Ged, I think I might be getting out of my comfort zone now. I have got a text doc open on the other PC with the Registry settings for Batfile and I have opened my registry with regedit. Then it gets complicated. I can't see any obvious correlation between the two, which may or may not be the problem, but I have no experience of comparing such data. I don't know what looks right or wrong and I can't find the long strings of numbers as seen in the data from the website. And I don't know where is ok to look.
On a more positive note, at least where simming is concerned, I have successfully used the other PC to operate the batch file and isolate the required files so at least Dorset Coast is up and running now. Don't fancy doing S&D the same way though. Dave.

[slipperman12]

Hi Dave,

I think I might be getting out of my comfort zone now

I can appreciate that If you have a friend who is computer-savvy, it would be worthwhile to let them have a look at it. The Registry is what you might call the heart, brains and whatever else, of Windows and unless you are confident of what you are doing, can result in a complete non-working system

I believe Windows has a repair facility which may help, but it's a long shot; someone with more experience of it may be able to help.

Of course, if your XP disk is OK, that would your best option, but means backing up all your data first and making sure you've got all the installation disks for software and drivers.

Good luck,
Ged

[delticcity]

I do have a computer-savvy friend but the selfish git has just gone to France on holiday for 10 days! Many thanks for your help so far Ged, you've got me as far as you can with my limited pc literacy. I'll let you know of any developments on his return. Cheers for now. Dave.

[delticcity]

Hello again Ged, Ash and Mike. Well finally my learned friend has returned from France and has sorted out the problem over the webcam and a couple of beers. He talked me through a few tests and eventually discovered that cmd.exe was entirely absent from the System32 folder, preventing the command prompt from working. We also then found that on copying cmd.exe over from my other XP machine the Start/Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt properties were showing a path to actmovie.exe as opposed to cmd.exe Very strange and presumably the work of some hopefully now removed virus. Given that Spyware Doctor and TrendMicro HouseCall both show a completely clean set-up can anyone think of/recommend a specialist virus/malware scanner that might be able to search more specifically for any other likely problems caused by such a virus? And once again many many thanks for your help on this guys, its really appreciated. Dave.

[rlmathers]

This saved the day, where others failed:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security ... pport.aspx

[delticcity]

Thanks for that, I'll give it a go. Cheers. Dave.