Can anyone help me with advanced computer problems?!?

Question

Now, if you are not computer savvy, don't even bother to answer with a dumb answer. I really need help here.

Here my situation out:
The whole problem started when I deleted a media player called "PlayItAll".
I uninstalled it, and soon after, ALL my program icons changed into the unknown software icon.
So, I refreshed a couple of times to see if that would bring my icons back, and it didn't. So I clicked on one random program, which happened to be "HP Document Viewer" and tried to go to properties and find the program manually. As soon as I clicked the program I needed through the programs list, ALL of my icons changed into the HP document viewer icon. Now, when I try to open other programs, all it says is, "You have uninstalled your HP Photo and Imaging Software. If you would like to use the software you must re-install it."
This message pops up for EVERY program, including software that have no affiliation with HP. I guess I triggered some x=y variable, where I accidentally made everything rely on HP Document Viewer to be opened.

So in efforts to solve this problem, I went to System Restore, so I could go back a day or so to regular settings. BUT, SYSTEM RESTORE HAS ALSO BEEN CHANGED INTO THE HP DOCUMENT VIEWER ICON! It gives me the same message when I click it.
My computer has also lost its ability to open exe. files.
So I cannot even try and download a program to help me. It just makes me go in circles to re-download.
What can I do?
I even tried to uninstall and re-install my HP software again, only to result with no difference.
PLEASE, SOMEBODY HELP!


Computer info:
Windows XP
PC
The only things that work at the moment are Google Chrome, and a few of Microsoft Office's programs.

Answer 1

It sounds like a file association issue.



Open all of these files and load them into the registry:

XP - http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

Vista - http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/105/1/File-association-fixes-for-Windows-Vista.html

Windows 7 - http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/file-asso-fixes-for-windows-7/



You can google to the specific files you need.

Answer 2

So the computer savvy persons fails to recognise an infection, and has not bothered to run anti malware programs. you can always go to the recovery partition and take it back to out of box factory settings, but you have to remove the infection first. tapping F11 will get you to recovery partition, then reformat it back to factory settings. what AV are you running?

Answer 3

try re naming that icon systems restore.