Launching Visio, launches every .exe on my "D:" drive.

[JMO]

I'm ready to pull my hair out and hoping someone can assist. 

1)  I installed Visio 2007 onto my C: drive from our corporate software download site- this was a clean download on a new system.
2) Everytime I would launch Visio, a MS pop-up window would prompt me to visit MS to download an 'enhancement to Visio'.  After ignoring the pop-up for about 4 weeks, I finally clicked the link and downloaded the 'patch' or 'upgrade' or whatever it was -- I DO know it was from a microsoft URL.
3) Now, when I launch Visio, EVERY .exe file on my D: launches (c: not affected). 
4) I ran Norton anti-virus and spyware scans, then I ran MS 'Defender' - Neither found any virus'.
5) I uninstalled Visio from Add/Remove programs and reinstalled Visio 2007 -- issue continued (note the MS Visio enhanced functionality 'pop-up' prompt did not return after reinstall).
6) I can launch Visio in safe mode with no issue (hold down ctrl key on start up).
7) Because the issue doesn't exist if I'm in safe mode, to troubleshoot I went through every Add-On available from Tools --> Add-Ons, and ran them separately.  The issue was reproduced when an Adobe Acrobat conversion add-on launched (didn't write down the name).
As FYI - there are no "macros" showing under the macro options.
9) I uninstalled Adobe Acrobat, uninstalled Visio -- rebooted, then reinstalled both apps again... yes, the problem STILL exists.
10) As of today, working in MS Word 2003, when I SINGLE click to select a Visio diagram, it triggers the same response (all .exe's from D: launch) EVEN though I already have a Visio 2007 session running.
11) I have gone into Tools --> Trust Center and disabled Active X and Macro options, however the "Add-Ins" option to "disable all Application Add-in (may impair functionality)" will not hold my checkbox option after I hit "OK"... when I go back into the window, it's always unchecked again -- nevertheless, the settings which did stick had no affect on the issue I'm having.

I've spent a few hours on MS website looking for support documents, but didn't find this issue.  I did find something remotely similar related to Adobe, but I unistalled and reinstalled, and currently the adobe icon for conversion is not present in my tool bar icons as it was before.

My internal help is just telling me to refresh my profile, but no one knows the issue -- feels like that's not root causing.
 
Has anyone seen this issue before?  Does anyone know what could be causing this and what I can do to resolve?

Thank you for your time,

Soon to be known as "Baldy" ;-)
 

[Lars-Erik]

9) I uninstalled Adobe Acrobat, uninstalled Visio -- rebooted, then reinstalled both apps again... yes, the problem STILL exists.

1- How about uninstalling just Adobe Acrobat and running Visio? what happens then?
2- You could see if you can get into Acrobat's settings and tell it to keep its paws of Visio. probably some option for it to "intigrate with office" It's not so much a fix as a workaround I guess. But it might just make Visio usable again. Also, have you updated your Acrobat Reader? (Doubt this will matter, but still)

Perhaps there is some tool to remove Visio from ur computer and have a clean install, uninstall features often leave files behind.

As a side note:
I still believe mallwarebytes is a better scanner then windows defender: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Though I doubt your problem is malware /a virus etc.

- Lars

[Paul Herber]

3) Now, when I launch Visio, EVERY .exe file on my D: launches (c: not affected). 

Check menu Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> File Paths
and check there isn't a "D:" by itself in the Start up section.

Uninstalling often won't help in cases like this as this is a user setting that has been changed away from the default and the installer software leaves such stuff alone.

[JMO]

RE: "Check menu Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> File Paths
and check there isn't a "D:" by itself in the Start up section"

Negative: there is no path referring to D:

I really do appreciate your taking the time to respond!

(and thank you for the info regarding: http://www.malwarebytes.org/)

[JMO]

RE:
1- How about uninstalling just Adobe Acrobat    
Apologies for not making that clear.  I did uninstall both, then loaded just Visio without Adobe... same issue which made me think it wasn't adobe, or something hidden which didn't uninstall.  I then reinstalled both Adobe Distiller 8 and the Reader.

2- You could see if you can get into Acrobat's settings and tell it to keep its paws of Visio.
Would you know where to do this?  In Adobe I checked Edit->Preferences and went through the options on left, didn't see anything.
I previously removed the Adobe menu's from Visio trying to keep it out of there as well


I really do appreciate your taking the time to respond!

[Paul Herber]

Are you happy using the Registry editor? Just to read, not to modify anything.

Start RegEdit (Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools )
Find key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Visio
right-click -> Export
save the file and post it here.

[JMO]

RE: Registry editor

Please see attached

Lars: removed the attachment, as suggested

[Paul Herber]

"StartUpPath"="D:\\data"

Does that path exist?
I'll guess that's the problem.

()

[Paul Herber]

I meant to say as a PS in the previous message, when this is sorted out delete that registry file.

[JMO]

Well Paul Herber, I hope you are not offended, but you get the biggest, virtual kiss EVER <SMOOOOOOOOCH>!!!  Reg Edit setting changed to "c:/data" resolved the issue!

My hubby and a friend from work mentioned the same thing, but under Tools --> Options --> Advanced --> File Paths, only the "my shapes" path was populated.  I may have deleted the 'start-up' "d:/data" path early on as it doesn't show through the UI, but it didn't change it in the RegEdit (I always change those to reduce the time it takes to navigate thru the directory structures).  I shall be a navigator again for Visio files

Gosh, you have no idea how relieved I am!!
Thank you SO much!

 

[Paul Herber]

Woo   
I'm glad it's fixed. Best to go back to your previous message and delete the reg file attachment.