hello,
My problem is everytime I open up any instalation programs it says something like this

C:\documents and settings\Dsyanvu\desktop\(program name eg.Powerdvd6.exe)

The handle is invalid.

This only started...a week ago but i dont know what i did.Please help

Thanks in advance. :wave:

It seems that you need to update the codecs for your DVD player environment.
Is your problem with self-burned DVDs?

No, i just used the dvdplayer as an example of what doesnt work. Most of the installers dont work.

Installers dont work?

(a) 'invalid handle' in progammers terms means an attempt to open a file with low-level read capability failed - *why not* is the source of your troubles.

If installers dont work, have you got administer rights?

Is the place your installs try to use (typically c:\windows\temp) now set read-only?

Can you save a file to c:\ and c:\windows\temp using say notepad

and by the way, it's hard for us to help if you fail to fill in your details - we have to just guess you are using WinXP home for instance.....

Alllright..K i do have administer rights, yes i can save a file to windows\temp and it is set to read-only.
heh yeah I do WinXP but pro.

more possibilities

I assume when you say c:\windows\temp is read only, you mean is not read-only!

More suggestions - the quickest thing is perform a system restore back to when all was ok.

Failing that, your installer may be corrupt, try downloading a new copy of the installer (trawl Microsoft download site for 'Windows installer')

look at this reference where a built-in windows XP system driver verifier is described - for the expert only. http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_11-5714091.html?tag=nl.e064 (you may have to register with tech republic to view it, but registry is free)

Oh, and you have done all the usual virus checks etc of course? see this site.

Hey
Thanks for your help again but it still wont work. I tried setting the temp file to not read only and i also tried the system restore. Also i ran the a virus check already. I downloaded the windows installer........but it wont work, "the handle is invalid" agian. It wont even run the verifier cuse it says the "the handle is invalid" too! =P anymore suggestions? thansk.

Dysanvu,
no need to repeat the previous poster's message all the time! (in other words, don't use the "Quote" button).
Click on the symbol "Hand on Paper" at the very right under a message, to reply to a thread.

i use the quote so then i dont have to go back to see what you wrote =P

Hello,
It turns out that all .exe files say "the handle is not invalid"
does anyone know how to fix this?

Is it still limited to just "installers"? Now you say EVERY *.exe file doesn't work? Could be file association problem. I posted this in another thread. Try it:

Create a new file called "fixexe.reg". Use notepad if you can but just make sure it is only "fixexe.reg" and not "fixexe.reg.txt".
Edit this file if you can and place everything between the dotted lines in it.

-------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
"Extended"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHan dlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHan dlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHan dlers\{B41DB860-8EE4-11D2-9906-E49FADC173CA}]
@=""
--------------------------------------------------

Save this file. Then double-click it. It should ask to import to registry. Say yes.
Now refresh My Computer and check your files again.

good luck.

aww thanks for the suggestion but it didnt help. It diddnt do anything even though it said it added all the information on to registry.Again, tahnsk

Check that .reg file.
The forum-quirk strikes again, it splits long texts!

PropertySheetHan dlers should be
PropertySheetHandlers without a space in it.

haha, so it did put a space. Odd.

Here it is as a txt attachment. Have to rename to .REG before using.

Hope that was it! We'll see.

:dead: It still didnt work.

Are you sure it is EVERY exe file? Can you go to Start-Run and just type "regedit.exe" and "calc.exe". Do those work? Try to narraw it down. If it is global EXEs everywhere then I expect associations which the reg should have fixed. But if it's limited to some EXEs and not others, that's a different story.

Read this thread, he has a similar problem:
http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic29083.html

Can you get into Regedit and check the values listed in the REG file to make sure they stuck? If a virus or other malware did this then it could be changing the values right back. Especially this one:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

That must be exact. Often a virus will change it to something like "badie.exe %1" or some such.

I also have XP Pro, so I went through my own registry and copied ALL references for my EXE extension and posted into a larger reg file. This file follows through to deeper level classes.
Use it at your own risk. If you System Restore is ON, if it doesn't work you can use Last Known Good. Or backup your registry first.
Again, rename to REG from TXT to use. Go ahead and view the file first and compare to the older one. There are more classIDs in this one.

i assume you have access to another computer as you are posting here... you need to download an antivirus program that can be ran from your floppy or cdrom drive that is independant from the o/s.

here is a link to download Fprot for dos... have a look..
http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?Category=Antivirus&sb=0&so=descend&nh=3

you may have to do some configuring to get it to work. but what you are describing sounds like a virus... i know back about 5 years ago there was the navidad virus that did the same thing... disabled all exe from being able to run

so...it isnt all .exe programs but most. i can run some things like regedit.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*" mine is different it is "%1" %* when i trie dto change it to "\"%1\" %*" the msg(when i checked) said to check the path. Also i tried the nex fixexe.reg file but it stil didnt work. is there anything eles that could be wrong other than the registry?

"%1" %* is fine. Just as long as it doesn't point to a file.

If some EXE files work and others don't, can you narrow down to where/what files these are? The guy in the other thread I posted has the same issue but it's all in ONE folder. What is your situation?

Be sure to check for viruses, if you can run Internet Explorer, go to housecall.trendmicro.com and run a virus scan.

Right-click a bad file and choose Properties. Look at the Compatibility tab and see what's going on in there. The files in question, are they YOUR files? As in, you, in your user account, created them?

Also like the guy in the other thread, your files may have been destroyed by "something". You may have to just get rid of them. Because it could be the very code in the file that is corrupt, a header changed, something. That may not be fixable.

The files that dont work are almost all types of installation programs.Theyare everywhere where i can put them and theyl wont work. i found that Media player 10 setup works though..so other files like like my snes emulater znesw.exe wont work.i used nortons anti-virus 2003 to check for viruses and i didnt find.I dont understand what u mean by the compatibillity part and yeah it is on my account.