Windows XP: How to block a particular program (by name of exe file)?

Question

In Windows XP is it possible to block a certain program from running, by specifying the name of the exe file?

I have some spyware junk that I just want to block until I can remove it.

Thanks.

Answer 1

??look within control alt delete.....stop any unwanted running programs.or use system restore;take it back to before the spyware.

Answer 2

A simple way to do what you're saying .. and it should block future installs of the product --

After it's installed, reboot into safe mode, go to the folder with the files, rename the executable / dll / whatever file to something else and create a new file with the original name, but with nothing in it.

Example --

spyware.exe 52,000 bytes

renamed to

spywareexe.not 52,000 bytes...

now create a new file with "." in it.. a simple command prompt to do this is ... it's 4 bytes in size because it's . ctrl+M, ctrl+J, ctrl+z.. a fall back to the DOS ages.. (you don't need to understand this part.. =) )

echo . > spyware.exe

you might even do an...

attrib +r spyware.exe

to set the read-only bit on that file.

What this accomplishes is that most spyware will just try to copy and won't check if it succeeded.

Now there is also a way to block Active-X controls to keep them from being installed or executed. You'll have to ask someone else for that information though, I've never fooled around with that.

Regards,

Roger Tiedemann
roger at rogertdj.com

Answer 3

If you can get into safe mode, you get a minimal windows boot that doesn't start everything. From the safe mode, you can usually just find the .EXE file and delete it. When you reboot, I think it is the F8 key you must hold down to get the appropriate menu where you can set safe mode.

Assuming you can do this, switch back to normal mode by rebooting. It will ask you if you want to go safe mode again or a normal reboot. Take the nomal reboot.

Answer 4

if you find the exe-cute file that starts it then i would think the easiest thing to do would be to delete it.
Try searching for some free anti spyware and run it