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.

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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
    2010-02-27T19:34:46+00:00

    Hi,

    Make a Restore Point and then use the CCleaner if you wish and also tell it to back-up first.

    CCleaner - Forums

    http://forum.piriform.com/

    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

    Hope this helps.

    Rob - Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-02-27T21:09:19+00:00

    Thanks I was not sure if that did anything to the computer yesterday for I had ran a virus scan ( saw the av.exe ) then did a CCleaner and then it was like the computer got strange.  Does anyone know where this virus is attacking from...youtube or video sites? I am amazed how many people are dealing with it, my son said it just showed up on his compter in the last week.

    Again this is a great place for info....thank goodness I just keep googling my issues in a different way. Nice to see a group that wants to help.

    :) K

    If a tree falls in the

    forest and no one is around

    to see it, do the other

    tree's make fun of it?

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-01T05:48:48+00:00

    Wow, this is a nasty bugger.  I was able to find everything I needed to erradicate this sucker in this thread.  Here is what I found useful (I'm running Vista):

    • Ceate a new admin user on the system and Run Malwarebytes (search on Google for it).  This seemed to get rid of the binaries involved, but didn't fix the registry.  There was one binary left behind as well that it indicated it had trouble with removing.

    - Run the registry fix file referenced here: http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/105/1/File-association-fixes-for-Windows-Vista.html  Performing the registry edits suggested here manually did not work for me.  Note that you have to be logged in as the user account that is having trouble.

    • At this point, I can run ie and other programs.
    • Enable, update and run Windows Defender.  This got rid of the last binary that was left behind by malwarebytes.

    At this point I seem to have erradicated this SOB from my system.  Whew!!!

    EDIT

    Also, let me say THANKS to you guys for posting this information.  With the help provided here, I was able to fix it in an hour rather than in days/weeks!!

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