Hi all,
I'm using a windows 7 32 bit system and have had this problem for several weeks. The problem started after I installed a GTK+ 2.6 file (gtk-win32-2.6.10-rc1) that messed up my environment variables (I was trying to get this calculator emulator program to work http://lpg.ticalc.org/prj_tiemu/win32.html). I have since uninstalled and deleted that file but it didn't help. Now I have many problems. First, I am unable to install any new programs. This includes updating firefox, adobe, and microsoft update, etc. Also, certain windows accessories programs such as calculator, command prompt, notepad, paint, etc don't have the normal icon anymore and don't do anything when I click on them. Also system restore and backup don't run either, when I click on the icon under the program list nothing happens.
I also cannot access the advanced system settings after opening system properties, I get the error saying "Windows cannot find '%windir%\system32\systempropertiesadvanced.exe'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again." Also, after using the computer for a while ~1hr, on my desktop it says in the bottom right hand corner that my copy of windows might not be authentic (which is wrong since I bought the os from my school). When I go to check the windows activation settings under system properties it says "status not available" and "Product ID: Not Available".
I think it is definitely a environment problem and when I run cmd and type echo %PATH% I just get a single semicolon with nothing else. After searching for answers I found many people with the same problem but no solutions. How do you add the default environments back in (C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;) when you can't access the edit function under advanced settings?
In trying to find a way to do this through a command prompt I discovered that typing regedit only runs when I'm in safe mode and not under normal startup. I get the error: "C:\Windows\regedit.exe The system could not find the environment option that was entered."
I tried to run system file checker but it always had errors. And as I mentioned earlier system restore and backup will not run since they can't find the environment. I really think a solution would be to add back in the default environment variables, but I don't know how without using the advanced settings. I would really like to find a solution to this so I won't have to reinstall windows. Right now, the computer runs fine, but at some point I'm going to want to install a new program or at least update my current ones (esp windows).
Thanks for the help.