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
    2010-02-27T19:28:28+00:00

    Well so far every thing is looking good I do have a question I just got done running CCleaner and did a registry check and there are some items in there, didn't know if I should have it fix them or if I should run a different program to have them removed. I am thinking these are from the virus.  Any thoughts?

    Thank you  :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-02-27T18:45:11+00:00

    Hi,

    Here is the entire method :

    1. Make a Restore Point so you can revert back if needed though not likely required.

    How to Create a System Restore Point in Vista

    http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76332-system-restore-point-create.html

    How to Do a System Restore in Vista

    http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76905-system-restore-how.html

    2 . Copy BETWEEN these lines and paste into Notepad - Save as exefileFix.reg  -  then Right

    Click on it and MERGE - REBOOT

    DO NOT COPY LINES

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.EXE]

    @="exefile"

    "Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.EXE\PersistentHandler]

    @="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]

    @="Application"

    "EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00

    "FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,\

      00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,\

      32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\

      00,2c,00,2d,00,31,00,30,00,31,00,35,00,36,00,00,00

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]

    @="%1"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]

    "EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]

    @=""%1" %*"

    "IsolatedCommand"=""%1" %*"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]

    @=""%1" %*"

    "IsolatedCommand"=""%1" %*"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]

    @="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

    [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts.exe\UserChoice]

    DO NOT COPY LINES

    If needed :

    Check the EXE file fix here

    http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/105/1/File-association-fixes-for-Windows-Vista.html

    Also check this one if it applies

    http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/165/1/Restore-the-exe-file-association-in-Windows-Vista-after-incorrectly-associating-it-with-another-application.html

    How to Set Default Associations For a Program in Vista

    http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/83196-default-programs-program-default-associations.html

    Hope this helps.

    Rob - Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-02-27T18:34:00+00:00

    Ditto to all the info my son got home from college with the virus and I have been up all night trying to find an answer, I had done a scan and thought it was removed but just like everyone else then the computer would not open any programs. I was able to finally get it to restore, got Malwarebytes on ( for if like others wouldn't let me download new programs) so I download what I need on a flash drive from a clean computer to load the programs.

    Jimbous your link was great ( I was to tired to trust myself going to regedit )  :)

    But I think it is finally fixed!  :)

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