Posted by Support (24.209.104.73) on October 26, 2004 at 21:50:37:
In the recent past we have been getting calls asking for assistance because the file autoexec.nt has been trashed and this prevents The Property Manager from starting.
Autoexec.nt is a Windows file that is needed by The Property Manager. Our program does not directly access this file, but portions of the Windows system that our program uses access this file.
We do not know what the problem is, but it appears to be related to Windows XP and *possibly* is directly associated with SP2. We don't know if it is a spyware problem, or a bug in SP2.
However, we do know how to fix it. To do this, you have to be logged in as an Administrator.
If your copy of The Property Manager refuses to start and a Windows error message mentioning autoexec.nt appears, you need to do the following things:
1. From the Start button, select "Search" then "for files or folders"
2. In the "search results" window that opens, select "all files and folders", then put the name "autoexec.nt" into the search string.
3. A copy of the file will typically be found in the C:\Windows\repair folder, as well as in the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
The copy in the System32 folder is the copy that the system uses, and this is the copy that will be corrupted.
4. Right-click on the copy that is in the repair folder, and select "copy".
5. Now go to the Start button, select "My Computer", and in the window that opens, double click on the C:\ drive.
6. When you get the contents of the C:\ drive in the window, double click on the Windows folder. When this folder opens, it will show no files and will give you a message that says that these are system files that you shouldn't change. There will be a choice to "open folder anyway". Select that.
7. Now you will see the contents of the Windows folder. Double-click on the System32 folder. You again will see no files and again will be warned that you shouldn't change these files. Again choose the choice to "open folder anyway".
8. Now, from the "edit" menu on the top of the window, select "paste". This will copy the autoexec.nt file from the repair folder into the System32 folder. You will get a warning message: "autoexec.nt already exists. Overwrite?" You say "yes".
Now you have restored your autoexec.nt file, but you have to protect it from being damaged again. To do this, locate the file in the folder System32, and right-click on it. Then select the choice "Properties" from the drop-down menu that appears. Select the "Read Only" box that appears near the bottom of the "general" tab on the requester that opens, and select "OK" to close the requester. The autoexec.nt file has now been set read-only and cannot be corrupted by anything in the system.
At least, we hope it can't be corrupted by anything in the system.