Dumb computer problem...

[Anayo]

I have a Acer Aspire One netbook with Windows 7 Starter. Lately when I click on an icon to execute a program, instead of just executing the program (like firefox for instance), it brings up a box that says, "What program would you like to use to open this file firefox.exe"? In other words rather than actually executing the program it thinks I'm trying to open it as a file like a word document or .jpg photo or something. I hate to post here with personal computer trouble, but if someone knows how to reconfigure this back to the way it was, I'd owe you one.

[Hatta]

I don't have a solution, but my boss had the same thing happen to him in connection with a virus infection. I'm always the first person he asks about computer stuff heh. IT reimaged his drive. In the interim, he was able to launch programs from a different user account.

So I'd make a new account for the time being, and run a virus scan.

[Hobie-wan]

Yes, it is very likely that you have an infection on the PC. #12 on this page works to fix the issue on XP, it might work on W7.

[isiolia]

I've used the registry script from this page http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/1 ... Vista.html on 7 and had it work fine if the aforementioned one doesn't do the trick.

[Niode]

[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\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
"IsolatedCommand"="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
"HasLUAShield"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
"IsolatedCommand"="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runasuser]
@="@shell32.dll,-50944"
"Extended"=""
"SuppressionPolicyEx"="{F211AA05-D4DF-4370-A2A0-9F19C09756A7}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runasuser\command]
"DelegateExecute"="{ea72d00e-4960-42fa-ba92-7792a7944c1d}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
@="Compatibility"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Compatibility]
@="{1d27f844-3a1f-4410-85ac-14651078412d}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\ShimLayer Property Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"

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

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.EXE\OpenWithProgids]
"exefile"=hex(0):

Copy and paste that into a blank text document. Save as 'exefix.reg' without quotes. Double click your newly created reg file. Click yes when prompted by UAC then click yes again when asked if you want this file to make changes to your registry. Fixed.

[fastbilly1]

I was about to post what Niode posted, that is how I fixed it on my work computer.

[Hatta]

Well isn't that user friendly.

[Niode]

Well isn't that user friendly.

What are you talking about? Windows being utterly crap when it comes to this sort of thing or my instructions? If it's my instructions I fail to see how I could have made it simpler...

[Hatta]

The former, not the latter! People bitch about unix and text based configs. Never had to text edit a config file just to launch a program on unix.

[fastbilly1]

Corrupted registries happen on Windows sometimes, fact of life.