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exe applications will not start. Windows Vista won't launch exe files

EXE is an extension for programs in DOS and Windows. Exe format refers to a group of executable files that contain all the data for installing an application. To compactly distribute the installation file, compression algorithms are used.

File contents

An object with the EXE extension is found in Windows OS. The exe program contains scripts and compiled program code that initiates the installation of applications. The contents of the EXE object include:

  • Software resources - graphics and other media elements, as well as compressed packages (.package) of program code classes;
  • Object forms (bitmaps, sheets, application icons);
  • Information for the file uploader;
  • Installation launch module.

When you run the EXE, the system begins to automatically initialize all archived components of the flash drive, virtual disk, or hard disk. The components of an EXE file include software libraries, connected services, and program code.

After unpacking the executable file in the operating system, initialization of all software classes and installation of the application begins.

Programs for opening EXE

In Windows Exe, the object can be opened using the standard installer or the 7Zip utility. To launch a file, just double-click on it with the mouse or launch the object through the archiver menu. To run in MacOS You should install a Windows OS emulator and open the Exe file in it.

EXE can be not only a program installation module, but also a self-extracting archive. Launching Exe files allows its contents to be unpacked into a folder specified by the user or the archive itself.

To view the contents of an EXE file without running it, you should use developer tools, namely the Visual Studio software package. With its help, you can edit software resources, change the interface and functions of the software module. Changes are only possible for open source applications (which do not use encryption).

When working with a computer, there are often situations when, when running executable EXE files, nothing happens or an error occurs. The same thing happens with program shortcuts. For what reasons does this problem arise and how to solve it we will discuss below.

For the EXE file to run normally, the following conditions are necessary:

  • No blocking from the system.
  • The correct command coming from the Windows Registry.
  • The integrity of the file itself and the service or program that runs it.

If one of these conditions is not met, we get the problem discussed in today's article.

Reason 1: File locked

Some files downloaded from the Internet are marked as potentially dangerous. This is done by various security programs and services (Firewall, antivirus, etc.). The same can happen with files accessed over a local network. The solution here is simple:

Reason 2: file associations

By default, Windows is configured in such a way that each file type has a corresponding program that can be used to open (run) it. Sometimes, for various reasons, this order is violated. For example, you mistakenly opened an EXE file with an archiver, the operating system considered this to be correct and entered the appropriate parameters in the settings. From now on, Windows will try to launch executable files using the archiver.

This was a clear example; in fact, there are many reasons for such a failure. Most often, the error is caused by the installation of software, most likely malicious, which causes a change in associations.

Only editing the system registry will help correct the situation. You should use the recommendations given below in this way: follow the first step, restart the computer, check the functionality. If the problem persists, perform the second one and so on.

First you need to launch the Registry Editor. This is done like this: Open the menu "Start" and press "Run".

In the function window we write the command "regedit" and click OK.

An editor will open in which we will perform all actions.

  1. There is a folder in the registry where user settings for file extensions are written. The keys that are registered there have priority for execution. This means that the operating system will first of all “look” at these parameters. Deleting the folder may correct the situation with incorrect associations.

    Next, there are two possible scenarios: folders "UserChoice" or the above parameters ( ".exe" And ".lnk") are missing from the registry or the problem persists after a reboot. In both cases, move on to the next point.

  2. Open the registry editor again and this time go to the branch

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command


    There are also two options here: the parameters have the correct values ​​or the files do not start after a reboot. Go ahead.

  3. If the problem with launching EXE files persists, it means that someone (or something) has changed other important registry keys. Their number can be quite large, so it is worth using the files, the link to which you will find below.

You probably noticed that the link opens a folder containing three files. One of them - reg.reg— will be needed if the default association for registry files has also disappeared. If this happens, then you won’t be able to launch them in the usual way.


Reason 3: Hard drive errors

If launching EXE files is accompanied by any error, then this may be due to damaged system files on the hard drive. The reason for this may be “broken” and therefore unreadable sectors. This phenomenon is far from uncommon. You can check the disk for errors and fix them using the program.

The main problem with system files in bad sectors is the impossibility of reading, copying and rewriting them. In this case, if the program does not help, you can restore or reinstall the system.

Keep in mind that the appearance of bad sectors on your hard drive is the first call to replace it with a new one, otherwise you risk losing all your data.

Reason 4: CPU

When considering this reason, one can make an association with games. Just as games don't want to run on video cards that don't support certain versions of DirectX, programs may not run on systems with processors that aren't capable of executing the necessary instructions.

The most common problem is the lack of SSE2 support. You can find out whether your processor can handle these instructions using programs or.

In CPU-Z the list of instructions is given here:

In AIDA64 you need to go to the branch "Motherboard" and open the section "CPUID". In the block "Instruction Sets" you can find the information you need.

There is only one solution to this problem - replacing the processor or the entire platform.

Conclusion

Today we figured out how to solve the problem with launching files with the EXE extension in Windows XP. To avoid it in the future, be more careful when searching and installing software, do not enter unverified data into the registry and do not change keys whose purpose you do not know, always create restore points when installing new programs or changing settings.

Hello everyone dear readers! The exe extension is an executable file; any installed program has this extension. Some users encountered an error when, when launching the application, a window was displayed on the screen where the system prompted them to choose which program to open this file through, and in some cases the system may produce other errors. In any case, if exe files do not open, there are several ways to solve this problem. If you don’t know what a file name extension is, you can read the article “”.

The cause of such an error is often caused by viruses, but there is also a problem with opening the executable file; the user who made changes in the registry may be negligent.

Solution

Method 1. First of all, check your computer for viruses and the question immediately arises: how to scan your computer for viruses if not a single program starts? Everything is very simple, you need to download the LiveCD (with built-in antivirus), then burn it to a CD/DVD disc and boot from it from under Bios. If you don’t have the Internet at hand, you can remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer as an additional hard drive and check it for viruses on another computer.

If exe files do not open after scanning with an antivirus, then try the methods below.

Method 2. If your computer has the Windows XP operating system installed. Download the file. We launch it, agree with the messages, click “Yes” twice. After that, we try to launch the programs.

Method 3. If the operating system is Windows Vista/Windows 7. Download the file. Open the file and make changes to the registry, agree, click the “Yes” button twice.

Method 4. Open “My Computer”, go to the C:\Windows folder, find the file svchost.com. Now you need to delete the file and reboot the system. After restarting the computer, go to the registry editor, Start-> Run-> enter “regedit” and click “OK”. A tree is displayed on the left side of the window, find the branch HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command and check that the value is “%1” %* .

If programs still do not open, then one of the solutions is to perform a system restore using the Windows installation disk. If you have encountered such a problem, then write how you solved it, I will be interested in hearing from you. If exe files still do not launch in Windows 7, then watch the video below.

Be sure to watch the video:

Sometimes you can encounter a very unpleasant crash when the executable files of various programs do not launch or their launch results in an error. Let's figure out why this happens and how to get rid of the problem.

In most cases, the source of the problem is viral activity: the problematic files are infected or the Windows system registry is damaged. Sometimes the cause of the problem may be incorrect operation of the firewall built into the OS or a failure "Conductor". Let's look at the solution to each problem in order.

Method 1: Restore file associations

Often, malware attacks the system registry, which leads to various failures and errors. In the case of the problem we are considering, the virus has damaged the file associations, as a result of which the system is simply not able to open EXE files. You can restore correct associations as follows:

  1. Open menu "Start", type in the search bar regedit and press Enter. Then right-click on the found file and select the option "Run as administrator".

  2. Use "Registry Editor" Windows to go to the following path:

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe

  3. Double click LMB by parameter "Default" and write in the field "Meaning" option exefile, then click "OK".

  4. Next, in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT branch, find the folder exefile, open it and go to shell/open/command .


    Open the entry again "Default" and set it in the field "Meaning" parameter “%1” %* . Confirm the operation by clicking on "OK".

  5. Close "Registry Editor" and restart your computer.

This method helps in most cases, but if the problem is still observed, read on.

Method 2: Disable Windows Firewall

Sometimes the reason why EXE files do not launch may be the firewall built into Windows, and disabling this component will save you from problems with launching files of this type. We have already reviewed the procedure for Windows 7 and newer OS versions; links to detailed materials are provided below.

Method 3: Changing the sound scheme and account control (Windows 8-10)

In rare cases on Windows 8 and 10, the cause of problems with launching EXE may be a malfunction of the UAC system component responsible for notifications. The problem can be fixed by doing the following:

  1. Click RMB by button "Start" and select the menu item "Control Panel"

  2. Find in "Control Panels" paragraph "Sound" and click on it.

  3. In the sound system properties window, go to the tab "Sounds", then use the drop down list "Sound Scheme", in which select the option "Soundless" and confirm the change by pressing the buttons "Apply" And "OK".

  4. Return to "Control Panel" and go to the point "User accounts".

  5. Open the page "User Profile Management", where click on “Change User Account Control settings”.

  6. In the next window, move the slider to the bottom position "Never notify", then click "OK" for confirmation.

  7. Do steps 2-3 again, but this time set the sound pattern to "Default".
  8. Restart your computer.

The described sequence of actions looks unusual, but it has proven its effectiveness.

Method 4: Elimination of viral infection

Most often, EXE files refuse to work correctly due to the presence of malware in the system. Methods for detecting and eliminating threats are extremely varied, and it is not possible to describe them all, but we have already considered the simplest and most effective ones.

Conclusion

As you can see, the most common cause of failures in the operation of EXE files is virus infection, so we want to remind you of the importance of having security software in your system.

Files with the EXE extension are executable files for most of the applications we use every day. When installing any program on a computer, we create a shortcut for it on the desktop to make it easier to find. But it happens that a program that was running just yesterday does not open despite any manipulation.

Let's assume that you are faced with this problem: EXE files do not launch. In this case, a window often appears asking you to select a program to open the file. In this case, first you need to check your computer for viruses and malware. If your antivirus is outdated or missing altogether, the first thing you need to do is install a scanner or an updated version of the antivirus and deeply scan your computer. If you often use a portable flash card and take information from different computers, then it is simply vital for you to install a program designed specifically for portable USB devices. When you connect a flash card to your computer, it scans it for viruses, worms, and EXE files that can't run. There are many such instructions, but they take up few resources in your machine’s system. But it also happens that the user himself accidentally makes changes to the registry, thereby disrupting its operation. Of course, then EXE files do not open. In this case, you need to restore the registry to make the file executable.

How does this happen? Let's describe the problem in more detail. The user or malware disables the registry editing feature. To enable it and make the necessary changes, you need to:

Go to "Start>Run..." Then enter: "gpedit.msc", click OK, then "Group Policy", select "Local Computer" from the list that appears, then go to the line "User Configuration", then "Administrative Templates" . In the window that appears, select “System”... In the “System” window, find the line called “Make tools unavailable” After all, the problem with EXE not launching is related to the operation of the virus. It switches registry editing to the “Enabled” state, making changes impossible.

In the Properties window, disable the feature that prevents you from making changes to the registry. After a reboot everything should work. In order not to enter information into the registry yourself, you can download data for it that is suitable for your operating system.

If after this EXE files do not launch, you can enter the information manually or you need to name it arbitrarily, double-click on it and open it. Then you need to go to the command line: “Start>Run”, enter the name of your created file (with the reg extension) and click Ok.

If after all this work nothing happens, use an anti-virus utility to restore data. If even after running this utility the EXE does not start for you, try reinstalling the operating system on your computer. Before performing this procedure, save all important information to a disk that will not be formatted.