Windows 10: My PC can't open exe files, how do I fix this?

I have a windows 11 PC and for some reason, I'm now having the issue of being able to open exe files. I'm not sure what else to do at the moment. I've tried all the different solutions including going into regedit to check/change some of the exe settings but none have worked. I click on the exe and no message box shows up, no error, nothing. It's almost as if I didn't click anything at all. Is there any other possible thing I could do or is factory resetting and wishing for the best all I can do now?I've included a gyazo gif reference as to what I mean: https://gyazo.com/62407f94016d7c7baf12

:)

 

Exe file slow to open

A SFX archive isn't going to open right away. The files have to be extracted first. When you are opening it in WinRar, it's not extracting the file, it's just reading it which is why it opens right away.

 

Membuka file/apk .exe muncul select an app to open this .exe file

Hi, LSP UM

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

We understand that you have encountered the problem of accidentally setting Adobe Acrobat as the default application for opening .exe files, which causes all your applications to try to open using Adobe Acrobat. We suggest you try the following options:

1. Reset the file association:

- Right-click on any .exe file in File Explorer and select Properties.

- In the General tab, click on "Change..." next to the "Open Method" button. In the General tab, click on "Open as" next to the "Change..." button.

- A window will pop up showing a list of programs. You may not see the correct program here, so click on "More Applications", scroll down and select "Find other applications on this PC".

- Navigate to and select the Open as Program.exe file and press Open. c:\windowsexplorer.exe

2. Use the Control Panel:

- Open the Control Panel and go to Default Programs > Set Associations.

- Scroll down to find .exe in the list, select it, and click Change Program.

- Select the correct program that should be or will be used to open the .exe file for that particular application. explorer.exe

3. Registry Repair (Advanced): If the above steps don't work, you may need to fix the problem through the Windows Registry Editor. Please note that this is for advanced users, so proceed with caution.

- Open the Registry Editor by pressing , type and press Enter. win + Rregedit

- Navigate to . HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe

- Delete the folder UserChoice.exe.

- Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer.

If the problem persists and you have previously created a System Restore Point, you may want to consider creating a System Restore Point before proceeding:

1. Open Settings:

- Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of the taskbar and select the Settings icon (gear shape).

2. Go to Update and Security:

- In the Settings window, click Update & Security.

3. Select Restore:

- In the Update & Security tab, select the Restore tab.

4. Find Restore this PC:

- Under the Restore tab, you will see a section for Restore this PC.

5. Select Start:

- Under the "Recover this PC" section, click "Start".

6. Select either "Keep Files" or "Delete Everything":

- Windows 11 will prompt you to choose whether to Keep Files or Delete Everything. Choosing Keep Files keeps your personal files but deletes installed applications and settings; choosing Delete Everything will restore your system to factory settings and delete all files.

7. Select a restore point:

- In the next step, you will see a list of available restore points. Select the specific restore point you wish to restore to and follow the on-screen instructions.

8. Complete the restore:

- After completing the above steps, the system will begin the restore process. Please wait patiently for the system to complete the restore operation.



Sincerely

Nicholas | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

Exe file

New PC

Windows 10

Trying to download Chrome browser (exe file)

when trying to open, prompts open with and list programs to open with

will not allow exe file.