You've already replaced the file
with another one and this works until you reboot, then the file is lost
again.
Some Internet forums say that a
spyware program called "windupdate.exe" is responsible, so you may want to
check for it. The forums suggest to download a copy of Giant Anti-spyware
from:
http://www.giantcompany.com
Then update it to latest definitions, run it, let it fix what it finds.
If still a problem, try copying a fresh Autoexec.nt file and then
right-clicking the file and setting it to read-only.
After installation of Service
Pack 2, Windows XP may display an error message relating to "AUTOEXEC.NT"
when trying to run certain 16-bit applications.
The InstallShield software used
for installation of most commercial programs and many Microsoft products, makes use of
16-bit Windows technology which requires a valid AUTOEXEC.NT file to be
present in the system. This file, which is part of the Windows 16-bit
subsystem as it ships with Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server
2003, normally resides in the "System32" subdirectory of the Windows
installation directory.
Installation of Windows XP
Service Pack 2 on an otherwise "healthy" Windows XP system may delete the
AUTOEXEC.NT file. As a result, when trying to run certain applications which
make use of 16-bit technology an error message like the following may be
displayed: "16 bit Windows Subsystem - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The
system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows
applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application."
The error message can be
misleading, because it is displayed even if the AUTOEXEC.NT file is actually
missing.
To verify whether you have the
file, type "%windir%/system32/" in the address bar of an Explorer window. If
there is no AUTOEXEC.NT file proceed as follows:
-
Browse to "%windir%/repair/"
(usually "C:\WINDOWS\repair")
-
Right-Click and Copy the
AUTOEXEC.NT file
-
Browse to "%windir%/system32/"
(usually "C:\WINDOWS\System32")
-
Right-Click inside the window
and Paste the file
The error condition described
here may also be the result of corruption of the AUTOEXEC.NT file, in which
case the above procedure may be helpful to restore a valid file.
