Unable to open .exe files

Anonymous
2010-02-01T02:00:45+00:00

Vista won't load .exe files! And more problems...

Ok, so all of a sudden, my computer goes berserk and I get all these pop-ups and messages saying that my computer is infected. Then it continues to say that I can't use the computer unless I delete the Trojans. I press the Remove Virus button and it takes me to a page on IE that says I have to pay for this Windows Vista Security package to remove the viruses. I ignore that, and proceed to download Avast! the great free anti-virus program that so many people have told me about.

Well, I tried to open Avast! but Windows kept saying that that file was infected. So I shut down several times, and I still had the problem. So I gave up, went to bed, hoping that the problem would be fixed tomorrow.

Next day: I opened Windows, and I didn't have any of those pop-ups. But, I couldn't open ANYTHING. I tried to open Firefox, and something popped up saying something like "Windows cannot find the correct program to open firefox.exe, choose a program from the list" and all that was on the list was Internet Explorer.

When I tried to open Microsoft Word, it said that it couldn't find the correct program, and told me to choose frmo the listed programs, which was just Internet Explorer.

Same thing happened with Google Chrome, Avast!, and Notepad.... All of them were prompting me to open them with a different kind of program.

Thing is, when I try to open IE itself, it prompts me to open it with the correct program-opener, and lists Internet explorer.

I didn't get those pop-ups, or messages telling me I had viruses anymore...

Please help, as soon as possible.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Apps

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Anonymous
2012-03-30T01:04:56+00:00

Hello Pixel Lite,

There was a KB article created to help fix this issue, the article has a Fix it to automate the steps.

See this KB article:

Can't open .EXE files in Windows 7 or Windows Vista

Hope this helps.

L.D.

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Anonymous
2010-02-04T09:10:54+00:00

So I just fixed mine, EXEs are loading correctly now. It was a few registry issues that just need to be changed.

  1. Type command in the RUN dialog box to open Command Prompt
  2. When Command Prompt is up, type cd \windows3. Type regedit to open up the Registries.

4. Expand HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and find the folder of .exe

  1. Without expanding it, on the main .exe folder, Right-click (Default) and Modify. Change the Value Data to exefile6. Now in the same HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT find the folder of exefile and Right-click (Default) and Modify. Change the Value Data to "%1" %*
  2. Lastly expand exefile, expand shell, expand open, click on the command folder, Right-click (Default) and Modify. Change the Value Data to "%1" %*
  3. Close Regedit and Restart the computer. When restarted, EXE files should not prompt you to choose a program to run it now and load correctly.

Hope this helps yall out!

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-19T21:32:35+00:00

    I owe you a lunch if you are ever in my area.  You saved me having to take the computer in to be fixed.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your help with this singularly nasty virus.

    Gail

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-16T23:44:15+00:00

    did you get the same prompts when you right click?  I don't get a modify option.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-16T17:53:55+00:00

    Did all that and still can't run exe's. My problem (actually my daughter's laptop) was caused by that AV virus thing, only I had found one of the virus files and changed its name so it wouldn't run. When I did that the exe's wouldn't run so I changed it back and exe's ran again. I changed it again, but this time I was interrupted and didn't get back to the computer before it did some kind of restart and I now cannot remember where that file is, plus the permissions to where I think it is have been reset to deny me access, so I'm really stuck. This thing didn't come with a restore disk (they keep cheaping us down!). I can't get free support cause sysinfo won't run for me to get the appropriate numbers to qualify free support. In XP I know there is a program somewhere that goes thru all your system files and fixes them, but I can't remember where it is nor do I know if such is available for Vista. I have an "advantage" that I can call HP and get it fixed for about $100. That hurts my budget but I'm not finding any answers.

    WARNING: I was able to back up files to my daughter's desktop not realizing she had deactivated her antivirus so now that computer is showng the initial signs of this "AV" virus. I'm not surprised, despite all MS's concerns for security, that they have no apparant recognition nor a solution for this virus which has been around since at least 2007.

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