Windows 7 Amdin Accounts Cannot Accress Control Panel or Windows Update

Sounds like some corrupted system file. You can first try to do a system restore to before the problem occurred. Otherwise, try this:

Type cmd at the START search. Right click the cmd.exe and run as admin. Type sfc /scannow - and press enter. (you might need your Windows installation disk at hand). Tell us how it went.

Thanks zvit but I have already run System File Checker which stated no corrupt system files were found.

I have also done a full scan with Malwarebyte, Spybot Search & Destroy, CCleaner and Microsoft Secutity Essentials all with no issues found other than the usual adware cookie etc here and there.

Please post the long string of numbers you get when going to Default Programs and I'll look into it. (Sounds like a virus. Make sure your MSE is up to date before you scan)

zvit said:

Please post the long string of numbers you get when going to Default Programs and I'll look into it. (Sounds like a virus. Make sure your MSE is up to date before you scan)

Click to expand...

The message I get when trying to go into Default Programs is as follows:

::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}\8\::{17CD9488-1228-4B2F-88CE-4298E93E0966}

Application not found

Since I am sure we would all agree your situation is not normal for Windows 7, it appears something has corrupted part of your system, or some system settings have been changed or removed. Is this a new install or did this just start to happen in an old install?

You have not found a virus, so have you done anything to modify your system as far as the basic configuration? Have you used any registry cleaners or other software to "Clean" your system? You do still have the User Account Control turned on?

How many admin\users do you have on the system, and they all behave the same? If all the admin accounts behave in a certain way, as opposed to just one account, that would lead us to think the settings for administrators had been modified.

There are a few things you might check.

First, in the registry, HKEY_Users, there is a listing of all of the users on your system. You might compare the Stardard user with the Admin user. I cannot remember right now how to associate the S-1-5-... numbers with User Ids, but I will get back with that, but for now look for the longer ones. But this would seem to fall under the heading of not working for only one account rather than several.

You could open the lusrmgr.msc panel and see if you notice anything there as far as the different Groups or Users.

And you might check the gpedit.msc panel to see if anything there might be restricting access to something like Control Panel for some users.

Can you perform other Admin duties, like creating new user accounts or open an administrative command prompt by Winkey and typing cmd, the CTRL+Shift+Enter?

Edit: This is where the User Names and SIDs are:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList