Local disk C and D "not a valid win32 application"?

Question

Yesterday a box popped up on my screen saying that there was a virus found or something but then it said "action taken: quarantined". When I close the box it just pops up again and at the bottom it says how many notifications there are. I think it was something like Trojan horse or something like that and it was like some symantec anti-virus notification. Anyways then I went into "My Computer" and double clicked on "Local Disk (D:)" and it said that "Local Disk (D:) is not a valid win32 application". Same thing for Local Disk C. Can someone please tell me what is wrong with it and how can I fix it? I already tried restarting my computer and I left it off since last night. I can't access anything in (D:). What should I do?

Answer 1

you can try right click > open or explore to access your drive

if you know the filename your antivirus program scanned and deleted you can try this:
start > run > type regedit and hit enter

in the registry editor find the filename your antivirus deleted (e.g. win32.xxx.dll.vbs) and delete the registry found with reference to the file.

if it doesn't work you might want to try it in safe mode

Answer 2

Well... without knowing the exact messages (since you seem a little wishy washy on that) it is difficult to know what's going on... however, it sounds like your system was infected, that your security software caught it and quarantined it, and that whatever file(s) that are infected and now quarantined are ones that your windows system needs to run.


So... I would strongly suggest that if you are able to get into Windows... that you force an update of Norton and perform a complete scan of your computer.

I would also suggest that you open the Norton control center and look in the Quarantine area and make a list of what files are in there. Since they are probably important system files.

Once you know what files have been quarantined, you might be able to simply replace them with good ones. For instance, by perhaps popping in Windows cd, booting to it, and running a repair. But without knowing what files were quarantined this may or may not be what is needed... and you may or may not be infected still with something.

If you do not feel comfortable doing these steps... I would strongly suggest breaking the piggy bank to hire a reliable and truly qualified technician to provide an ESTIMATE of what is going on. I would also suggest that if they tell you the system needs reformatted that you get a second opinion or backup your data completely before allowing that.

Many lesser or lazy techs will opt to format and reinstall all when they do not really need to which is unfortunate but true...

Good Luck

Answer 3

it sounds as if your anti-virus didn;t find it in time and it has already wrecked a good portion of your hard disk and registry, in which case u fuiles will be inaccassable, so u need to salavage whjat u can and then take it to a shop and get them to reload your operating systme, and then get a better anti-virus program ;-)

i recommend using Norman antivirus, anti-malware and anti everything else. its about 40 pounds.

trojans work by entering in the guise of another program or withing emails or downloaded files etc, they sit inacive for a while then they quietly destroy ure comp[uter from the inside, if detected early then it can be removed but if, like with ures ure antivirus doesn't spot it, then u screwed, lol.

hope this helps.