Applications won't load

[mark knowlton]

I am opertaing windows XP

When I start my user profile all applications in the start up list fail to execute instead causing IE to load for each app and it attempts to download the application exe file and run it. Hitting run causes IE to reload and we go back to square 1!

Similar problem occurs trying to lauch my applications form the start menu or via explorer (doble click on application exe).

However if I try starting a data file for an application (e.g. xls) the app will load (Excel in this case).

Other user profiles on the PC are operating normally

Any ideas?

Mark

[Rik_]

I would suspect damage caused by malware. What protective software have you got and have you scanned with it recently?

[gerbil]

.

[Rik_]

Er, bit of a sort post there!

[gerbil]

:) . I had an idea, posted about it, then tested it. And removed my post...
I think your malware post has it covered... I was considering that maybe his reg shell entry had been switched from explorer.exe to iexplore.exe. Windows will load, but you cannot get explorer to present the desktop; starting it just opens an explorer window, and that did not fir his symptoms. MBAM or hijackthis should show up the culprit.
One can somewhat duplicate his symptoms by opening an explorer window to some application folder and then dragging, say, procmon.exe into an IE window - the "download this file" box opens with Run, Save etc. If I then press Save it will copy the file procmon.exe from the app folder to the [in this case] desktop. If I instead press Run it actually does start an instance of Procmon.exe.
Somewhere IE has been switched for explorer...

[Rik_]

Hmmm, that's an interesting possibility that I hadn't though of!

[Johnclave111]

yea it may be cause of malware