Inactive Windows 7, can't access directories (aka explorer), control panel

[Bobbye]

I'd like you to try something please:

Navigate to the F Drive:
Click on Start> Run> type in services.msc> enter> find each of the following Services and set as directed:
CLHNServiceForPowerDVD
CyberLink PowerDVD 11.0 Monitor Service
CyberLink PowerDVD 11.0 Service

Double click to open> Change Startup Type to Disabled> Stop the Service
-------------------------------------

• Click on the Windows 7 start icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.
• Type MSCONFIG in the search box> press enter or double-click on the MSCONFIG program that appears in the search results.
  
  
• Click on Selective Startup
• Click on the Startup tab. You will now see the System Msconfig Utility
  
  
  
  
• Uncheck processes related to CyberLink/Power DVD- with the exception I added below: here is more information to help you locate them:
  1.S2 CLHNServiceForPowerDVD;CLHNServiceForPowerDVD;f:\program files (x86)\PowerDVD11\PowerDVD11\Kernel\DMP\CLHNServiceForPowerDVD.exe [2011-08-24 83240]
  2.S2 CyberLink PowerDVD 11.0 Monitor Service;CyberLink PowerDVD 11.0 Monitor Service;f:\program files (x86)\PowerDVD11\PowerDVD11\Common\MediaServer\CLMSMonitorService.exe [2011-08-26 75048]
  3.S2 CyberLink PowerDVD 11.0 Service;CyberLink PowerDVD 11.0 Service;f:\program files (x86)\PowerDVD11\PowerDVD11\Common\MediaServer\CLMSServerForPDVD11.exe [2011-08-26 292136]
  4. S2 ntk_PowerDVD;ntk_PowerDVD;f:\program files (x86)\PowerDVD11\PowerDVD11\Kernel\DMP\ntk_PowerDVD_64.sys [2011-08-24 75248]
  --------------------
  Exception: Leave this Entry and Service set as it: Service Name:>ppped
  Service Display Name: >PowerPanel Personal Edition Service
  
• When finished> click on OK
  Reboot the computer.
• When you see this message come up: Check 'don't show this message again'> then Restart.

Images courtesy NetSquirrel
This does not remove a process or program- it can still be accessed when needed through All Programs. And you can go back at a later time and reset the default programs if needed.
==========================
Regarding this:

Last night, I noticed my network icon in the bottom right showed a red "X" even though I am still able to use the internet.

My wireless router and modem are hardwired to the desktop system. I use my laptop most of the time. There are 3 'computer' icons in the Notification Area:
1. One, with a single screen, shows the Wireless Network Connection.
2. One with a double screen is the 1394 adapter
3. The other double screen icon has a red x on it- always. It is for the Local Area Connection and shows 'Network cable is unplugged.'

#3 is because the hardware is hardwired to the desktop. As long as the two other icons are clear, I have no problem connecting the laptop to either the wireless network or the home network I have set up.

If your setup is similar to this, what you are seeing, the red x on the local area is okay and not something to worry about.
==============================================
You are running processes from both the C Drive and the F Drive> I'll be back shortly with info for for Windows Explorer. You can go ahead with the above.

 

[Bobbye]

Okay, I'm not a programmer, but I think what has happened is:

When you set all these up

Yes, F:\ is my conventional internal HD (not my boot drive; my boot drive is C:\ which is a solid state drive although both C:\ and F:\ have Windows 7 installed)
I:\ is one of my external HDs with J:\ being another partition of that drive
K:\ is my other external HDs with L:\ and M:\ being partitions of that drive

Whatever copy technique you use has mixed up the Source and the Destination Directories. Some of the registry entries have a double back slash \\. This has a different designation than the single slash\

Most of the processes you're running are on the C Drive. The following are on the F Drive:

"PeerBlock"
"Spybot Search & Destroy/TeaTimer"
"avast"
"RemoteControl11/CyberLink PowerDVD 11.0"
"WinampAgent"
"Microsoft Office.lnk"
"PC Tools with DMDefragService/DMRepairService"

======================================
It seems to me that when looking for the Directories, you are going to have to look on the Drive that has those Directories>>

I haven't tried booting from my conventional internal HD but I'm afraid that'll get corrupted too so I'm hesitant to yet.

Finding Directories in Win 7 isn't difficult- if the Directories are in the right place:
To access the Directories in Windows 7:

Right click on Start> Open Windows Explorer> Click on Computer (or other name if you have renamed it> Double click on the OS, or C Drive> your Directories should show on the right screen.

Your system is new. Is it possible that you were not familiar with Win 7 when you set up all these partitions?
=======================================

sometimes when I'm trying to install something it'll say that Windows Installer is messed up and I can't even seem to replace that via the files I tried to download off microsoft's website.

This may or may not be related to the way the system is set up. For now, I suggest that you do not attempt tp install anything unless directed to do so.

 

[jamezuva]

I did the things you mentioned in terms of removing Cyberlink/PowerDVD from Services.msc and Msconfig startup.

The two external harddrives I used were drives I used with my old computer which ran Vista 32bit. I created all the partitions on them using the program GParted.

When I received my new computer, it had the two physical harddrives, the solid-state drive I use as C:\ and the conventional harddrive I use for the bulk of storage which is F:\. All the other drives I mentioned are a part of my external harddrives and were created before I touched my new computer and I haven't created any new partitions since receiving my new computer unless what I describe below is considered a partition.

However, I have redirected directories that are on C:\ to F:\ to try to cut down on the space taken up by Windows 7 on C:\. This includes a large portion of the directories under C:\Users including directories under my one and only user profile under Windows 7. I would agree that if my current problems were not caused by malware then this would be the most likely reason for my problems. I don't know how to reverse the redirection of directories unfortunately. I didn't redirect any directories under C:\Windows however.

I also had reduced my pagefile.sys virtual memory via sysdm.cpl down to 512 mb but I have since changed it back to letting the system manage the size.

I also had disabled hibernation via Power Options since I had read allowing this also can eat up a great deal of memory

In terms of the big red "X" over my network icon in my bottom right corner, I only have one computer icon in that section. This isn't as concerning as the other stuff going on since I still am able to access the internet fine, but before I started running into my other problems, the computer icon did not have the big red "X." The "X" popped up at essentially the same time as when my other access problems started which is why I lumped it into my original explanation of the problem in the hope that it would give some clue as to what happened.

 

[Bobbye]

Maybe it would be easier just to format C:\ and reinstall Windows? I have never formatted the my main drive and reinstalled an OS before though.

Considering this history:
Install Date: 9/9/2011 2:02:25 PM
RP36: 9/30/2011 9:59:15 PM - Restore Operation
RP39: 9/30/2011 10:14:39 PM - Restore Operation
---------------------------------------
==== Disk Partitions =========================
.
C: is FIXED (NTFS) - 60 GiB total, 35.357 GiB free.
D: is CDROM (UDF)
E: is FIXED (NTFS) - 0 GiB total, 0.069 GiB free.
F: is FIXED (NTFS) - 1863 GiB total, 1702.415 GiB free.
G: is Removable
I: is FIXED (NTFS) - 732 GiB total, 26.304 GiB free.
K: is FIXED (NTFS) - 633 GiB total, 129.581 GiB free.
M: is FIXED (FAT32) - 95 GiB total, 2.948 GiB free.
---------------------------------

C:\ is my SSD and main Win 7 boot drive, F:\ is my conventional internal HD which also has Win 7 installed on it but I have never booted from it. E:\ is my reserve drive related to C:\. All the other drive letters are partitions from my 2 external HDs (e.g. K:\)

--------------------------------
You put Combofix in the temporary internet files. When you ran OTM, it would have removed it:
1. ComboFix 11-10-02.03 - Jamez 10/02/2011 20:04:42
Running from: f:\firefox temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\BNPHAY2A\ComboFix.exe

2. OTM by OldTimer - Version 3.1.19.0 log created on 10192011_003854
OTM: %systemroot%\sysnative\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows \Temporary Internet Files folder emptied: 50534 bytes

You downloaded and changed the location to run these:
3. ComboFix 11-10-19.01 - Jamez 10/19/2011 0:47.3.4
Running from: f:\users\Jamez\Desktop\ComboFix.exe
Command switches used :: f:\users\Jamez\Desktop\CFScript.txt

4. ComboFix 11-10-23.02 - Jamez 10/23/2011 14:06:34.4.4 - x64
Running from: f:\users\Jamez\Desktop\ComboFix.exe
Command switches used :: f:\users\Jamez\Desktop\CFScript.txt
------------------------------------------
I think you have "over-manipulated" the system:

Maybe it would be easier just to format C:\ and reinstall Windows?

Yes

You will find excellent reformat/reinstall instructions here:
http://www.tech-101.com/support/ind...and-repair-xp-vista-7/page__p__5329#entry5329

Think hard before setting up all the partitions!