Windows 10: Can't run excutables from my external HDD or flash USB

Hello,

I am facing this strange issue that started since I updated to the latest build ( creators update) as I am now unable to run any exe file from any removable storage... I can save, copy, past, rename, and open all kind of files, I just can't execute the .exe

this is driving me crazy! I tried all the registry and group policy settings related to removable storage... and also checked NTFS permissions still I could not solve this...





:)

 

Recovering my HDD

Hi,

My HDD died in my computer. I thought I was save since I made the recovery usb flash. Installed a new SSD drive in my computer. Booted using usb recovery stick created but I am not able to reinstall windows on the new drive.

I have an image from my HDD after I installed the windows 10 update but my Seagate external hdd is not recognized when I boot using the recovery flash stick created. I can't access my backup :-(

How can I get my computer back running?

Thanks for your help.

 

How to Install Windows 10 on Devices with Limited Space

Thanks to this thread, I've finally done it, so thank you everyone! I still think this is too much effort for the average user, but that's on Microsoft, not anybody posting here.

After a few failures, I decided to experiment and go with a variation on the "You can also try the following" tip at the bottom of the original. To be clear, my problem is that my HP tablet has only one micro USB port, which doubles as the power input and
the only USB host input. The refusal of Windows Update and the Update Assistant to recognize my SD card left me high and dry.

What I changed was substituting an external, low-power WD portable HDD (from the Esssentials line) for the recommended flash drive. Due to the low power output of the tablet's micro USB port, I also had to add a USB Y-cable to the mix, powering the HDD
from a separate power supply. I'm not sure if this gave me more speed, or less drain on the tablet's battery, but it worked.

These are the steps, which could probably be made more efficient:

• Using another computer, download and run the Media Creation tool
• Create the installation media on a USB flash drive (it will be bootable, but that doesn't matter)
• Copy the contents of that flash drive to a folder (I named it "Win10") on the external HDD
• Using the Y-cable (plus a USB host adapter), connect the HDD to the tablet
• On the tablet, navigate to the setup files on the HDD, and run setup.exe (I did not need to run it as administrator)
• Follow the on screen instructions.
• When prompted for extra space, select the external HDD (which also contains the installation files)
• Wait while Windows 10 setup installs

 

Try disabling antivirus, install programs then turn antivirus back on.

HTH

 

I have only the windows defender installed, disabling the real time protection did not help...

 

Do the applications run if you copy them to the desktop and run from there?
Have you tried running as Administrator from the external device?

 

- yes I am able to run them if I copy to the local drive
- won't run from external HDD even if I run as administrator
- I gave my self full permissions on the files, even then I can't run them from external hdd

 

Have you reviewed the following?
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...rogram-or-file

 

Thank you for your reply, no I have not seen that particular article, but I have tried and checked everything in it... all of the points mentioned are generic points and were the first things that jumped to my mind when I first faced the issue...

I am working on servers, security, and client support since 25 years... but I was not face with this situation... it is as if I lost the "execute" permission only to my whole external storage... even though windows is showing I have "full permissions"

only executing... I can do whatever i like with the files... just not execute.

If I have an exe on the C drive, which I can run it in there, if I copy and paste it to the external drive or flash storage, then I cannot run it from there! the same file!

and get this: even if the external drive is formatted as FAT32! so even if the NTFS permission thing is taken out of the picture, I still get the message that I don't have access or permission to the file when I run it!

 

Really does point to permissions for the external devices and not so much the applications on them.
I understand you have what appears to be full rights, but you know permissions and their peculiarities as well as the next guy.
Try setting the external device(s) to only have "everyone" assigned with full permissions.

Are the external drives connected to Servers or Workstations?
Is your PC on a Domain?
I assume there is sufficient space on the external device to run !

Does this happen to all exe files no matter of the location or device?
Do they run if you plug the external device into another PC or laptop?

If it is all EXE files, regardless of the location of the external device, then your reg entry for exefile maybe corrupt.
to try and resolve... Backup registry first... then,
If you have access to another PC where you have no issues and is the same version and build, then export the registry entry [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile] from the working system and run as a reg file on the issue system.

HTH

 

well... I had some hope since you suggested something I did not think of, which is the exefile reg key, I exported one from my other working laptop, and tried importing it to the one with the problem... no change... but you may be on to something... I will pursue the issue of the registry further...

and to answer your questions...

this is my home laptop, not joined to domain, no group policies are applied...

even if I put the exe on an empty USB flash key or and empty external hard drive, it won't run. so free space is not the issue...

even if the drives are fat32 and not NTFS, still the exe will not run... FAT32 has no permission... it simply gives everone the full permissions.

and yes, if I plug the same external hard disk in another laptop, all exe files on it will run without a problem... the issue happens only on this one laptop. *Mad

the problem is definitely in the OS and not in the storage...