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
    2010-03-02T05:41:34+00:00

    Okay. I read and reread the forum and tried the steps recommended by the above posters.  But in each recommended solution, I would get stuck somewhere.  It's because anything the requires an .exe file to be ran it would state xxxx.exe is infected and won't allow me to run it.

    1.  I can't use the command prompt recommendation because the window only stays open for a half a second. Then it states cmd.exe is infected

    2.  I can't run Malwarebytes because once I try to start it, I get the error message malwarebytes.exe is infected.

    3.  I can't use the notepad exefileFix.reg recommendation because it states a regedit.exe is infected.

    I can't use the internet because any page I go to, it states "Internet Explorer Warning - visiting this web site may harm your computer".  Then it gives a recommendation to go to an Antivirus Soft page to purchase antivirus protection.

    It seems like the virus I got has adapted in a way that methods that previously worked to get rid of it DOES NOT work now.

    Any more suggestion or recommendation?  Thanks.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-01T22:24:58+00:00

    THIS VIRUS HAS A REATTACK!!!! METHOD LOADED IN YOUR WINDOWS DIRECTORYThe methods in this thread will remove only the av.exe file, but I found another file:   ichgrg.exe

    MalwareBytes found it in the C:\WINDOWS\Temp directory.  Why is an executable in the Document Temp directory?  I think this file is called to make changes to your Registry.  If I have to make a guess as an acroynm, it probably stands for iChangeRegistry.  I think it is called from another file hiding in the C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Recent Documents.  This file looks like:  

    RUNDLL32_EXE_hashnumber. I believe this last file is run from the Prefetcher and it calls the first EXE file which reinfects your Registry.

    I have removed these files and their entryies in the Registry and deleted theC:\Windows\Prefetch directory.  This removes any bogus calls to prefetch files.  Windows will rebuild a good prefetch file the next time you reboot as long as you have removed the virus files and reattacker. 

    MalwareBytes also found another bad Key Value in the Registry. Use RegEdit to check:

    **HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\qmsqolwi.**I let MalwareBytes remove this key along with some other "empty" keys:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\avsoftHKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\avsoftThe last keys had no values and probably were just left over junk from some other Registry cleaning.  I also don't have the bogus 'start' item in the Right-Click popup menu, even thougth it is still in the .exe Key in the Registry.  Special note:  Be sure to change all references to the "command" KEY VALUE in the Registry in the HKEY_ROOT and KEY_USER locations.  Search the Registry and make the same changes to:  "%1" %*. Also Step 6 above should be "Application" instead of "%1" %*. (see below)

      I'm rescanning with MalwareBytes and waiting to see if I get reinfected.  So far its working.  I'll report back later.  Hope this helps everyone!

    kingralp

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-01T08:16:58+00:00

    Thank you so much! This was exactly what I needed and it worked perfectly! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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