Screensavers file extensions changed

Shortly after running Pareto's RegCure I found that the language bar had disappeared and on reboot my desktop icons had been rearanged.

I restored thae backed up registry entries which RegCure had removed but that made no difference.

I then ran my software vigilantes, ewido anti-spyware, Ad-Aware SE, AVG free, PestPatrol, Spybot and XoftSpySE, none of which reported anything suspicious.

I then restored the system to a time before I ran RegCure, and that made no difference either.

I then went to bed, leaving the PC switched on as normal.

The following morning I found that the monitor's power settings had been changed to switch it to standby and that my default screensaver had been changed to one of Window's standard designs.

I also found that the language bar had been restored. Strange.

Furthermore, I discovered that all screensaver files are no longer listed with the .scr extension nor indeed any other extension, although hovering the mouse cursor over them tells me that they are screensavers. Although screensavers work and I can change them as I could before, I now find that clicking on them no longer opens them up in the display but opens them up in Notepad which present me with alpha-numeric and other characters of course.

This wouldn't normally be a problem for most people, I suppose, but I occasionally create my own screensavers and it is useful to be able to run them from mouse. But in any event I want to know why or how this happened and how I can restore the .scr extension.

I have also run sfc /scannow but that has not cured the problem

Any help will be appreciated.

 

Welcome!

Suggest you first try windows explorer (start-r > explorer > enter) and choose tools > view tab and unhide ALL file types (everything) and apply; then go to file types tab > and scroll to scr and fix the default if necessary.

Don't experiment (by using untested "cleaners ") with your registry.

 

Thank you sparrow.

Windows Explorer is something of which I have been aware, of course, but never used. I can't find it.

A "search" points me to docs and setting/administrator/start menu/programs/accessories/windows explorer - sounds good so far - which presents me with "my documents ".

So I'm stuck.

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Edit

I've found the list of file types in Folder Options. .scr wasn't in the list. I've added it and acssociated it with screensavers. It is set to open with Notepad. I don't know what to change this to.

 

Try downloading and running the scr file association fix on this page. You'll probably have to reboot for the icons to change back to the correct ones.

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

 

Thank you so much Zander. That's fixed it.

What a useful site that is.

p.s. I have just modified my profile from Intermediate computer experience to Beginner +. I think it's more appropriate.

 

Good. Glad to hear it worked for you.