Vista - 16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem Error

When i try to open any program on my computer it gives me a 16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem error.

the error message for Mozilla Firefox is

C:\Users\Matthew\Desktop\Mozilla Firefox.lnk
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers. Virtual Device Driver
format in the registry is invalid. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application

i don't know what i need to do, the only way i can open some programs is by right clicking and running as administrator.

manderson

Are you running a virtual machine? could you fill in your system specs (in lower left corner)

Thanks

Ken

i don't think i am, i just started up my computer and it started happening

i didn't really know what my system specs were, so i took what i could from Control Panel\System

manderson

Was this a clean install or upgrade? do you have a backup to restore? if not you could try sfc/scannow to check the system files. If that doesn'tm help what about a repair install?

Ken

I didn't install anything to my computer, this just started happening

and for backup, i had 5 disks but i ran out of them, so i couldn't finish the backup, and there's alot of new things since the backup

manderson

Ok no system restore. what abt the sfc/scannow? and repair install?

Ken

i did the sfc and it didn't do anything, just quickly brought up a box then closed it. i found the system restore.exe and it also did nothing after it did what is was doing and restarted my computer.

I got DOS Box to be able to play The Incredible Machine (TIM) about a week ago, and it did nothing to my computer, the error started appearing today.

the icon for avast! isn't there anymore, and i can't set that as my default virus scanner anymore, because i can't open the area to do that...

any more ideas?