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Solved Windows cannot find C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskmgr.exe

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M

MurderMoose

PCHF Member
Jan 13, 2018
38
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25
#1
Hey guys, the issue started today when I needed to shut down a program through task manager but apparently it wouldn't open and I was getting this error window

"Windows cannot find 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskmgr.exe'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again"

I thought this was weird and looked up some fixes and some said go through administrator CMD, and apparenly it cant find cmd when run in admin mode.
so then I tried regedit and still it cannot find that either.

Thank you for any help that is given.
 

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#4
  • Download and run Power Run. Make sure and drag this icon to your desktop, when you download it.
  • Then install and run the all in one repair tool. Drag the All in one repair icon onto the Power run tool, with power run open; then follow these instructions....

Windows Repair.

Install (use the direct download) the Tweaking.com - Windows all in one repair tool. Then boot Windows into Safe Mode, (Make Certain To Run This Program As Administrator) then run through the Prescan on step 2 tab. Then skip to step 5 and create a system restore point. Then go to the repair tab...

Notice create a registry backup is ticked by default, so no need to do so in step 5...
upload_2017-1-5_18-37-26-png.1290


Now run the program, with the boxes ticked in the picture below.

Click Image Below For Better Resolution.

upload_2017-1-5_18-40-40-png.1292


May want to save picture or write down what boxes need ticked, since you will run this in Safe Mode.


Important: Make certain to reboot twice after running this tool!!
 
#5
Malnutrition said:
  • Download and run Power Run. Make sure and drag this icon to your desktop, when you download it.
  • Then install and run the all in one repair tool. Drag the All in one repair icon onto the Power run tool, with power run open; then follow these instructions....
Windows Repair.

Install (use the direct download) the Tweaking.com - Windows all in one repair tool. Then boot Windows into Safe Mode, (Make Certain To Run This Program As Administrator) then run through the Prescan on step 2 tab. Then skip to step 5 and create a system restore point. Then go to the repair tab...

Notice create a registry backup is ticked by default, so no need to do so in step 5...
upload_2017-1-5_18-37-26-png.1290


Now run the program, with the boxes ticked in the picture below.

Click Image Below For Better Resolution.

upload_2017-1-5_18-40-40-png.1292


May want to save picture or write down what boxes need ticked, since you will run this in Safe Mode.


Important: Make certain to reboot twice after running this tool!!
Click to expand...
I can't even run powerrun, i get the same error
 
#13
OK, run this tool for me from the admin account, and if you can please run it from the other account, perhaps in safe mode if needed....

I'd like to see logs from both accounts....

Instructions Part 1 Diagnostic Scan With FRST:

Please download the FRST 32 bit or FRST 64bit version to suit your operating system. It is important FRST is downloaded to your desktop.

If you are unsure if your operating system is 32 or 64 Bit please go HERE.

Once downloaded right click the FRST desktop icon and select "Run as administrator" from the menu"

icon2-jpg.794


If you receive any security warnings, or the User Account Control warning opens at any time whilst using FRST you can safely allow FRST to proceed.
FRST will open with two dialogue boxes, accept the disclaimer.

frst-disclaimer-jpg.795

  1. Accept the default whitelist options,
  2. If the additions.txt options box is not checked please select it.
  3. Then select Scan

frst-jpg.796


Frst will take a few minutes to scan your computer, and when finished will produce two log files on your desktop, FRST.txt, and Addition.txt. They will display immediately on the desktop, but can be reopened later as a notepad file.

2016-08-12_152002-jpg.797


Please Copy and Paste the contents of these logs in your next post
 
#14
Malnutrition said:
OK, run this tool for me from the admin account, and if you can please run it from the other account, perhaps in safe mode if needed....

I'd like to see logs from both accounts....

Instructions Part 1 Diagnostic Scan With FRST:

Please download the FRST 32 bit or FRST 64bit version to suit your operating system. It is important FRST is downloaded to your desktop.

If you are unsure if your operating system is 32 or 64 Bit please go HERE.

Once downloaded right click the FRST desktop icon and select "Run as administrator" from the menu"

icon2-jpg.794


If you receive any security warnings, or the User Account Control warning opens at any time whilst using FRST you can safely allow FRST to proceed.
FRST will open with two dialogue boxes, accept the disclaimer.

frst-disclaimer-jpg.795

  1. Accept the default whitelist options,
  2. If the additions.txt options box is not checked please select it.
  3. Then select Scan

frst-jpg.796


Frst will take a few minutes to scan your computer, and when finished will produce two log files on your desktop, FRST.txt, and Addition.txt. They will display immediately on the desktop, but can be reopened later as a notepad file.

2016-08-12_152002-jpg.797


Please Copy and Paste the contents of these logs in your next post
Click to expand...
I tried running it on the main account and as i expected it "couldn't find it" but when i run in the admin account it just doesn't do anything, doesn't open or pop up with anything, the cursor does the circle loading icon for about 3 seconds then goes away
 
#17
Also, you can create a new admin user, then log into the admin account you enabled earlier.
Type C:\Users into the windows search on the start menu.
Then double click your main user folder.
Organize -- Select All -- Copy.
Now double click on the newly created account folder.
Organize -- Select All -- Right Click selected folders -- Delete.
Click Organize again then select paste.

This is gonna take a long time....

When you get done with the file transfer then you can log out of the admin account, then log into the new account you created... Hopefully all of the settings you had will be transfer... This is the easiest way that I know of to perform this action, have done it on several machines without issue. When I was unable to solve issues such as yours.
 
#19
You have to be in the Admin account and completely logged out of the other two accounts for this to work properly. I should have mentioned that before.
 
#20
Malnutrition said:
Also, you can create a new admin user, then log into the admin account you enabled earlier.
Type C:\Users into the windows search on the start menu.
Then double click your main user folder.
Organize -- Select All -- Copy.
Now double click on the newly created account folder.
Organize -- Select All -- Right Click selected folders -- Delete.
Click Organize again then select paste.

This is gonna take a long time....

When you get done with the file transfer then you can log out of the admin account, then log into the new account you created... Hopefully all of the settings you had will be transfer... This is the easiest way that I know of to perform this action, have done it on several machines without issue. When I was unable to solve issues such as yours.
Click to expand...
what do you mean by Organize
 
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