Errors with the appearance of messages that the system or service cannot find the script file with an indication of any extension or a specific script are a fairly common phenomenon in Windows. Some experts in the field of computer protection associate this behavior of the system with a viral effect, but this is not always the case, since failures of this type can also occur due to rash actions by the users themselves. Next, we will examine in more detail the main causes of this phenomenon, the most common situations and possible methods for eliminating failures of this type.
Cannot find script file: main causes of failures and possible situations
As already mentioned, it is believed that basically the appearance of such errors with the issuance of appropriate warnings is associated with viruses. This explanation is not entirely correct, since it has the other side of the coin. The fact is that Windows can issue a message stating that the system cannot find the script file not only if there is a threat on the computer, but also if it is partially neutralized or deleted. It turns out that the main virus applet seems to be isolated, but its components, say, prescribed in the start settings of the operating system and oriented towards the execution of a script, remained untouched. The same can equally be attributed to the Windows-systems themselves, since among their components of executable scripts you can also find a fairly large number. Thus, if it is reported that it is not possible to find a VBS-format script file, this may not have any relation to viruses, and most often it is associated with damage to the system components themselves. Based on the foregoing, we will seek the most effective solutions, and for a start we will consider the simplest, but very effective methods of correcting such situations.
Scanning for viruses
So, when a message appears stating that the system, service or process cannot find the script file, the first thing is to urgently check your computer for virus threats. Moreover, in this case we are talking about the remnants of viral applets that the user tried to remove or neutralize with the help of regular free antiviruses like Avast, since the body of the protective program could also have a negative impact, as a result of which it was not possible to completely get rid of the virus. For such purposes, portable scanners are best used. Web CureIt! or KVRT, but with the mandatory update of anti-virus databases at startup.
In the case of manual removal of threats, for example, of an advertising nature, which are able to integrate their components into browsers, it is necessary to use uninstaller programs or system cleaners for garbage, which includes the remnants of remote applications.
At the same time, it would be nice to check the properties of browser shortcuts, where in the object type field indicating the full path of the executable file of the EXE-format browser, delete all links and posts that may be present after the extension (there, by the way, redirection to a VBS script or even Internet resource). For complete confidence, it is best to completely reset the browser to its initial state.
Cannot find the Start.vbs (or Run.vbs) script file at computer startup: what should I do?
However, most often the appearance of such notifications is noticed at the stage of computer startup, when the "Desktop" does not appear, and the system remains in an underloaded state. In this case, the explorer.exe service, which is responsible for displaying the graphical interface of the operating system, must be manually restarted.
To do this, call the "Task Manager" using the standard combination Ctrl + Alt + Del (assuming that the "Desktop" has not booted up, or a message constantly appears on the screen that the system cannot find the script file).
In the dispatcher, through the file menu, you need to select the item for creating a new task (the window will exactly correspond to the "Run" menu window) and enter explorer.exe in the executable command field.
How to enable the launch of the "Desktop" in the registry?
After starting the GUI, you need to go into the registry (regedit), and then find the Winlogon section in the HKLM branch, as shown in the image below. On the right are the Shell and Userinit keys. Their values must be changed or re-entered manually.
The Shell parameter is set to explorer.exe, and for Userinit, the full path to the userinit.exe file is located in the System32 directory of the Windows folder in the system partition.
Such actions allow restarting the launch of the interface launch service, which saves the user from the further appearance of a message stating that the start script file cannot be found.
How to remove the remnants of a virus script in the registry?
But the above actions should not be limited. Now you should check the registry for residual keys created by the virus. Their name will contain the name of the script.
To do this, in the computer section, you need to use the search (Ctrl + F), enter the value run.vbs in the field and delete everything that is found (to search for all the values, you must constantly click the "Find Next ..." button until the registry scan is completely completed )
Checking the "Task Scheduler"
Another way to disable script execution, for example, when you receive a message stating that you cannot find the Checker.vbs script file or any other type, is to check for an automatically scheduled task in the "Task Scheduler", which is easiest to call through a search in the start menu.
In the scheduler, use the library section, and on the right side, find the task the link to which is displayed in the system message, on the action tab below, make sure that this process is really in the stage of planned execution, then delete the task and reboot the system.
Note: note that a task automatically created by a virus can be disguised as a system partition, the name of which will be slightly different from the original (for example, instead of Windows, the name Windowss or something similar may be given). Such tasks should be deleted first.
Summary
As you can see, the appearance of the messages described above is mainly due to viruses and the inability to load the main graphical interface. If the notification displays a link to some other file, the proposed actions can also be applied. But for the most complete correction of the situation, it is best to use both the registry editor and the "Task Scheduler", not to mention the initial use of various anti-virus utilities or automated uninstallers and cleaners for the hard disk or even the registry.