Lost file associate with .exe on windows 7 (fucked myself)

dexter

I'm using my phone right now since I can't open anything of use to me on my desktop computer.

Somehow I changed .exe files to open with adobe.. No idea how to fix this. I can barely follow any instructional sites since I can't open any of the programs necessary.

This sucks. Please help!

matt has a problem

Here's the Microsoft help note on it:

To open the Task Manager, press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC.
Click File , press CTRL and click New Task (Run…) at the same time. A command prompt opens.
At the command prompt, type notepad, and then press ENTER.
Paste the following text into Notepad:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

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

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe\OpenWithList]

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

On the File menu, click Save as.
Select All Files in the Save as type list, and then type Exe.reg in the File name box.
Select Unicode in the Encoding list.
Return to the Command Prompt window, type REG IMPORT Exe.reg, and then press ENTER.
Click Yes, and then click OK in response to the registry prompts.
Log off from your account. Then, log back onto your account.

Note You may have to restart the computer to restore the program icons to their original appearance.

Note After the problem is resolved, delete the Exe.reg file so that it is not mistakenly added back to the registry at a later date.

SeñorAmor

Googling turned this response up a few times. I assume it's correct, but YMMV:

Click Start, Run and type Command.com
Type "c:\windows\regedit.exe"

Fix the .exe association here:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe
Set the (default) to exefile

Goto:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
Set the (default) to the following *exactly as given below*

"%1" %*

Close Regedit.exe

dexter

Dudes, I can't copy paste anything since I can't open explorer to even get there - I'm on my phone right now. Also, I can't run that stuff since I can't run the first .exe file.


FUCK! This is really very terrible. Thanks anyway, guys..

SeñorAmor

What about a repair install of Win7?

L Ron Howard

Have you tried changing it through the Control Panel? You don't need to open any .exes or anything.
Go to Start -> Control Panel.
Go to the Search in the top right, and Search for "File association."
One of the options should be "Folder Options," with a sub listing of "Change the file type associated with a file extension" - Click that
Let it load for like 2 minutes, or whatever.
Find .exe, and change it. I don't know to what you would change it, but maybe something like explorer.exe so you can get online. Then launch explorer, and do something.

dexter

I typed in all that registry editing stuff into notepad. Followed the instructons but apparently I cannot import the .reg because the file is not anregistry script. I can only import binary registry files from within registry editor. This is very frustrating.

dexter

Ron, the .exe isn't even listed in here.. There's an .exc though haha.

NeitherHereNorThere

Do you have another computer at hand?

If so, it's pretty easy to change registry settings remotely and fix the exe association.

Otherwise a repair install as already suggested would do it. Do note that you may have to reinstall some programs as the registry will be overwritten.

Alternative solution:
1. Create a BartPE bootable CD (http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/create-bartpe-bootable-cd-using-pe-builder/)
2. Boot your PC with this CD, and edit your registry (http://windowsxp.mvps.org/peboot.htm)

KurnDerak

Had a friend's laptop lose the ability to open any .exe files due to a virus. Just did a system restore to a day or two before the problem started after clearing out the virus. Solved the problem perfectly fine.

I know its not exactly the same, but is a system restore to a rather recent point possible?

dexter

It doesn't hel

dexter

Oops, phone was playing up.

Thanks for all the advice, dudes. In the end nothing worked so I got fed up and just did a clean install. Every other "solution" required use of actual exe files. That was a huge pain in the ass.

Was it a virus that did this or what?

Thanks again, guys.

JebusUD

In the future, what you have to do to run those codes on your computer is to put them into a text file on a separate computer and rename it with the .reg extension.

Then when you double click it, it automatically inserts itself into the registry.

edit: I think I missed that you already did that.

proXimity

I came across this problem once after a virus did nasty stuff. What I ended up doing was, from the command prompt, opening up malwarebytes (programs will still open this way, apparently), and then doing a scan/repair/whatever. That ended up fixing it. This probably won't be useful for you, but who knows.