Accidental Loss of Accessories!

Hi, I am trying to help fix my grandparents computer right now and for some reason they don't have MS Paint, Calculator, Word Pad, Solitaire, and Minesweeper. Now just last week when I was here all those programs were working fine but now when I go to open them the computer states that it cannot find them, and the browse box comes up. I think my grandpa may have accidentally deleted them somehow, however it is important that I get them back. They do not have the Windows 98 Installation CD, so I was hoping that anyone could suggest a way to getting those programs back?

At my house, I do have two computers one that operates Windows 3.1 and another with Windows XP..but I'm not sure if copying those versions of Paint, Word pad etc.. will work.

Please help

 

Hi

try looking in the recycle bin if they've only recently vanished perhaps? might be an easy way out...

best wishes, HJ

 

Thank you for your advice.

I looked in my recycle bin and also did a search for mspaint etc. and came up with nothing. Its like they completely vanished off the computer however when I go into Disk Cleanup and than Windows Components it still shows Accessories and Calculator etc. however it is non exhistent to my knowledge.
If you could email me the files to MSPaint.exe/Wordpad and Solitaire it would be greatly appreciated as these programs they use a lot.

My email is Removed

 

jordoe28--First of all, edit your last post and delete your email address. Posting it is one of the best ways to receive lots of spam or worse. I do not know if PeteC will feel he can send you the files, but using a Private Message would be the better way to do that.

If PeteC's suggestions have not helped and the problems with your grandparents' computer started less than five days ago
Start|Shutdown|Restart in MS-DOS mode|OK. At reboot, type scanreg /restore|Enter|pick a date prior to the problem|Enter|Wait|Reboot. With luck the programs may be back.
Otherwise, you could try to restore the .exe files mentioned by PeteC from the Windows CD or from the C:\Windows\Options\Cab folder by using System File Checker.
http://users.erols.com/dj-paulen/ss/

 

I've searched in Windows Cab using the Find button located in the Start menu and it found nothing.. I also don't have the Windows CD so I'm out of luck in that department as well.
I tried restarting the computer in MS Dos Mode and doing the recovery thing however the programs were still not put back...having a terrible time with this!! but thanks for all your suggestions, and anymore would be appreciated.

 

Just to see if the .exe files are there just searching may not be enough. before doing the search start windows explorer and under tools/folder options/view, make sure the following are selected...

Show hidden files and folders


Make sure the following are not selected:

Hide file extensions for known file types
Hide protected operateing system files

Now do a search but restrict it to the windows install directory. Do the search for *.exe or just .exe might be better. I say just .exe because you won't have to do seperate searches for paint etc.. If they do show up in the search list then you just need to right click on them and send to desktop. You should now have working icons on the desktop. You can now put those icons anywhere you want includeing the start/programs list. After you have them you can set the folder options back to what they were.

If they don't show up in the search I have a feeling that you very well may need a windows install cd to get them back. What may save you on this is that they were once there. That means that the .cab file that they are in may be on the hard drive. I would go, as suggested in another post, to add/remove programs in the control panel and modify windows to install them. It may fail but there is a good chanch you will get an option to specify location. If you do we'll make it easy and just set the location to the root of the windows boot drive or maybe down to the windows directory. If the cab is there it should be found.

Boy, Aren't I being quite precise and exact tonight???

Probably cause I'm watching Monday Night Football in a PIP on my monitor.

 

Would you please check their computer to see if there is a folder
C:\Windows\Options\Cabs.

If there is, it is a copy of the windows folder from the install cd. You can just tell windows to look there, or burn it to a CD and do the add/remove programs/ windows componets to add these features back in.