'open with' box opens when i try to open an exe

[cscs]

I just purchase a new Compaq Turion 64 laptop last night. Out of the box everything ran fine. I did the Microsoft Update and then went to bed. In the morning, all of a sudden most exe files I attempted to run opened up the "Open With" box: Choose the program you want to use to open this file: File: rundll32.exe"

Oddly, I can run some programs like Firefox, WMP. But I can't open any other exe's such as IE or anything else.

I've done a google, but every link talks about a different problem having to do with .lnk files.

Does anyone have any ideas what's going on? I know it's new and I could just return it, but I'm not about to just yet, so I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[TG2]

Try using system restore yet?

Sounds like spyware or a virus to me.

 

[ForumMaster]

try, just to check, to rename the extension from .exe to .com to see if it's spyware or just a fvcked up windows setting.