Serious problem with XP user permissions

I have a tower here with XP Home, and there's 3 user accounts, and all 3 have had the user permission completely torqued. When I try to run anything, I get a ". . . file not found" error. This applies to the Device Manager, most other built-in system tools, and it also applies to any 3rd party software. BUT- if I right click on a file and select "Run as.." and then just click OK w/o changing anything, the file will run just fine until it needs a DLL or other file, then I immediately get the ". . . file not found" error. So- is there an easy way to rebuild/reset/repair the user permissions?
:confused

(I'm having a deja vu here.... I think I posted a similar thread a few months ago.... yeah.... here it is: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=160777 )

 

Re: Serious problem with XCP user permissions

:-o I just realized that I screwed up the title of this thread. rolleyes Obviously, I hit the "C" at the same time I hit the "X" and ended up with "XCP" . . . DOH! So, it should say "Serious problem with XP user permissions". Whatever....

So, I have yet to find an answer to this issue, and (unfortunately), this seems to happen fairly often. Well, maybe not often, but I run into this same issue maybe 4-5 times a year, and I always end up formatting and reloading a clean OS 'cuz nothing else seems to work.
:cry

 

Re: Serious problem with XCP user permissions

here see if this helps...

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article07-102

just download the file and run it.

good luck!

 

Re: Serious problem with XCP user permissions

:-D Thanks! I'll give it a shot!

 

Re: Serious problem with XCP user permissions

Unfortunately, a co-worker started a repair install on this PC. Naturally, with messed up permissions, it didn't work and promptly errored out right at the start of the graphical stage of the install. I was able to perform a 'remote' system restore which seems to have more-or-less fixed the permissions issue, but now there's a bunch of DLL problems.... so, thanks again for the link above, and as soon as I get a chance to try it out, I'll be sure to post the results.

 

Re: Serious problem with XCP user permissions

Well, as it turns out, I ran into another PC with the same problem, but on this PC it appears that the issue was caused by malware. I manually removed the bulk of the malware via a PECD, rebooted to Windows desktop and realized I couldn't install anything or even run basic Windows features like msconfig or regedit. So I tried the info from the provided above by sdawg27.....

:celebrate :highfive :dancer :dood :hyper :-D

It worked PERFECTLY!!!! I attached it below for others to use in the future. Download the file to your desktop, unzip it, right click the INF file and select "Install". The fix takes place immediately, no reboot needed.

THANKS A MILLION!!!!
:-D

[dlb]