9 in 10 EXE programs report corrupt

Windows 2000 Pro IBM ThinkPad

Just recently cleaned off Spybot.Worm and am having some trouble.
9 in 10 EXE files (tends to be EXEs tha install something) report an error about being corrupt when attempting to open. What's weird here is if I try to run the installs from CD I get right off the bat blahblah.EXE is corrupt. If I copy from CD to desktop and try to run it'll start install and when it gets to the point of creating or extracting EXE files I then get the corrupt error.
EXEs that aren't installs seem to work but I haven't tried too many of these.

I can't install ADAWARE, SPYBOT, THE CLEANER or anything I need to check for anymore trojan, virus etc.

I tried install of OS over itself and got error that some program (didn't say) hadn't finished installing...

Any ideas before Clean Install?

 

Joe - I remember reading about this behavior and a fix for it but don't remember specifics.

Moving this thread to the spyware/security section because one of those guys posted a how-to for doing a repair and it worked.

 

I've seen all the EXE fix threads here but aren't they more for when EXE files won't do anything? (won't even try to run) or do you still think it applies to this situation?

 

Joe Locke--AdAware and HiJackThis.exe will fit on a floppy. You could try downloading to and running AA/HJT from the floppy. Perhaps downloading from another PC if you have access. (Or, of course to/from a flash drive, CD, etc.)
Have you tried the EXE fixes?

 

I've tried assocexe.exe=exefile.
I've tried the registry fix.
I've ran Norton's remove tools for the 2 virus/worms that were found
Spybot and Gaobot (they both reported nothing found after successful system scan)
Still...the same thing.
I was able to run HijackThis from CD-ROM. I'm expierienced on using it and the log looks OK. Everything is legite and I did remove a few 'ify' items (that I knew weren't critical files needed by Windows)

I tried The Cleaner from CD-ROM - it tries to complete the install but on every EXE file that attempts to get extracted or written to the hard drive, I get source file corrupt error. If I copy to hard drive and then run the install I get files are corrupt errors.
That tells me something is 'attacking' the EXE files when they get accessed where the ability to write exsists. Make sense? You can't write to data CD ROM in a non CD-RW drive...

Here's something I've noticed...when I open the CD-ROM folder it takes forever for the icons of EXE files to be displayed and ALOT of

 

Run an online virus scan or two just to be sure. RAV and/or Panda ActiveScan.

You might try running the EXEfixo8.com reg fix too.
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmbox/Reticulated/Only_IE.html

 

I never had the opportunity to try the online scans...I, again, failed to mention critical information in previous posts...I HAD NO INTERNET CONNECTIVITY! It showed connected but would not receive packets. I did everything on that I could, LSP Fix, TCP/IP fix etc - nothing worked.

I did, however, get THE CLEANER to work. Here's how:
On a computer with it already installed, I copied all the EXE files that failed on to CD and moved them to the infected computer. I was then able to run and discover...THE OPTIX TROJAN! (apparently a subseven varriant?)
Once that was removed, ALL IS WELL!


WELL I TAKE THAT BACK...
After a reboot after visting Windows Update, we're right back where we started.
ADWARE, CLEANER and PESTPATROL show nothing.
I'll try the online scanners and report back.