Says" Project1 Runtime Error 53, File not found"

Go to the Compaq folder and remove the lutil by placing the lutil subfolder into the recycling bin...

Earlier I said I had no problem by putting it back...this didn't last. I am suggesting that the lutil folder should be left in the recycling bin.

Please advise"

I am running Windows 98SE and have the same problem of Project1 Runtime Error 53 during startup. I tried various ways of loading windows and I discover that the problem disappear when I prevent windows from running its drivers. The problem is after narrowing it down to that, I am now at a loss as to what I can do next to solve the problem.

I am not sure but it seems to me that the problem came about after I tried deleting a spyware process and was requested to restart my computer.

Would appreciate it if anyone can help out on this.

further to my earlier posting.. i have discovered that for my problem, the cause of it appears to be this program called "Sysu". What I did then is to run a find for this in my registry and managed to find it. Deleted that from my registry and my comp works again.

Would not advise you guys to do the same thing though cos i have no idea absolutely on what "Sysu" is.

Anyone more enlightened can advise?

Did some quick check and found this. If you guys look into your "Program Files" folder and find a "ddm" folder in which there are programs such as "sysu.exe" and "ddm_d.exe", then I suspect that your problem is similar to mine.

My guess is that these are spyware programs since after running one of them, I used Ad-Aware to check my system and found a couple of spyware items in my registry and cookies.

I will leave it up to you guys to decide whether you want to remove the "sysu" that is in your registry then. Be careful though in editing your registry if you so choose to. One wrong entry can bring your system down.

Hope this helps!

Thank you!

I did have the "project1 runtime error 53 no file found" problem and solved it by deleting the ddm folder.
What I want to add is that it might be a virus (a trojan horse). My antivirus found six infected files named "optimize.exe" in the subfolders of ddm.
There are also several programs ("sysu" is among them) that you must remove from the cookies in C:\Document and Settings\"Your name"\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files (if you have Windows XP)

1) end the following process: sysu.exe, this is what causes the problems and seems to be an error in whoever wrote the program, kinda negates the purpose of it if nothing can be run by the user.

2) uninstall
Active Alert

3) delete the following folders:

C:\Programs\ddm
C:\Programs\pup
C:\Program Files\Internet Optimizer

in C:\...\system32\ look for .exe files that start with a random 7/12 digit number eg. 37473696.exe, check the properties to see if they were originally named winpup.exe and delete them

search for and delete the following:

actalert.exe
ddm.exe
ddm_d.exe
msbb.exe
optimize.exe
pup.exe
sysu.exe
winpup.exe

4) using Regedit (usual warning about backing up first)

delete these keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and/or RunOnce that refers to ddm, *randomnumber*.exe or sysu.exe.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache
delete the keyfile C:\progra~1\ddm\sysu.exe

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\pup.setup

delete these folders:

HKEY CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{539AFCA0-9542-44F0-A286-9B8857DFD30A}

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F5192746-22D6-41BD-9D2D-1E75D14FBD3C}

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{2C4AC0A2-7DA0-4061-B57A-C292A8F3B109}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avenue Media

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\\Dynamic Desktop Media

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ddm

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\pup

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupreg\Internet Optimizer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Management\ARPCache\Internet Optimizer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Internet Optimizer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Internet Optimizer Active Alert

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Internet Optimizer Software Installer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\msbb

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\nCase

5) using msconfig: uncheck the entry that corresponds to a file you deleted