Hello! Since yesterday, my computer launches the game Mass Effect 2 on startup, despite me not having added it to any startup register. While digging around the system files and OS software utilities trying to find the source, I found that files without extensions (listed simply as "File") all bore the same icon - a blank ME2 logo:
On a gamble, I double-clicked the above "hosts" file - which promptly started the launch utility for the game. To the best of my knowledge, while loading up the system, Windows tries to launch a startup file and instead launches ME2.
I contacted EA support for the game, and they kindly directed me to use the CCleaner program to disassociate the files. However, I mistakenly closed the chat window where I recieved the exact instructions, and so I thought I would turn to this forum for help. Is there any way I can do this, and how?
(Note, this would constitute the opposite of “unused file extension” - I want to remove a file association, not attach a new one)
CC doesn't remove or associate file extensions to programs.
ME2 has done something wrong during its installation and re-associated, wrongly, files without an extension to open with ME2.
you may get lucky if you uninstall the game and things may go back to the correct settings, then reinstall the game in the hope it was just an installation glitch.
if it happens again, its an ME2 glitch.
perhaps try Windows Repair from tweaking.com as it has a Repair File Associations. (option 23)
@mta: Yes, I figured it would be easier to reinstall. I didn't come across any options hinting at a solution in the CCleaner utilities, so it's very probable that EA support simply took my query as "Mass Effect 2 launches on startup, make it stop" and gave a solution to that, rather than "Mass Effect 2 has taken over blank file extensions, make it stop".
@hazelnut: I’m running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit SP1.
