all .exe files are opening in Wordpad

G

Guest

I mistakenly set all .exe files to open with wordpad. now whenever i try to
open a .exe file, it opens with wordpad and shows a bunch of unreadable
characters (example...
ìjšçîÕÑŒ¡bþ_ôÃ_ó3Tð_ˆ;.’IC¶¶å¼Ã°EȱOÓâBVÅ’_K«bî«R;ÉH__N_òR_Èò0ëÀîÙÛ1q[
@_ŠØéR^èà_mVÖ.?ØncÃV .Z_´_Â¥.u¿ÄΨ¯›÷Ãœý0ÂðµeªæhX.æå). When i first log in,
all my startup .exe files open in wordpad also.
if i right click on an .exe file, it does not give me the option to "open
with..." anymore. if i right click on an .exe file and select properties, i
do not have the "change" option that is usually there to select which program
to open the file with. if i highlight the .exe file and click file on the
menu bar, i do not get the "open with..." option there either.
i am really stuck with this one and not sure how to resolve it. i am running
windows XP Pro and a standalone laptop. i appreciate any help you can offer.
 
R

Ramesh, MS-MVP

..EXE files always open with Notepad or any other application ?:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/exeasso.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


I mistakenly set all .exe files to open with wordpad. now whenever i try to
open a .exe file, it opens with wordpad and shows a bunch of unreadable
characters (example...
ìjsçîÕÑO¡bþ_ôÝ_ó3Tð_^;.'IC¶¶å¼Á°EȱOÓâBVO_K«bî«R;ÉH__N_òR_Èò0ëÏ?îÙÛ1q[
@_SØéR^èà_mVÖ.?ØncÏV .Z_´_¥.u¿ÄΨ¯>÷Ïoý0ÂðµeªæhX.æå). When i first log in,
all my startup .exe files open in wordpad also.
if i right click on an .exe file, it does not give me the option to "open
with..." anymore. if i right click on an .exe file and select properties, i
do not have the "change" option that is usually there to select which
program
to open the file with. if i highlight the .exe file and click file on the
menu bar, i do not get the "open with..." option there either.
i am really stuck with this one and not sure how to resolve it. i am running
windows XP Pro and a standalone laptop. i appreciate any help you can offer.
 
G

Guest

first of all, thank you for your help.

i followed the instructions from the "EXE files always open with Notepad or
any other application ?" webpage, when i navigate down to explorer\FileExts i
do not have a .exe to select. there are many other file extensions, but no
..exe.

i went to the other page referenced at the ".EXE files always open with
Notepad or any other application ?" webpage, "Cannot run EXE files - Programs
don't open" and followed the instructions there. the two values that it asked
me to navigate to and change were already set to the correct values.

it also suggested downloading and running fixreg.com. i downloaded it and
opened the program, but a command prompt breifly flashes on the screen and
then disappears.

Also, i am having to have to run the command.com and regedit features in
"safe mode with a command prompt" becuase when i try and run command.com in
normal more, i get a window with the title "16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem" that
says "C:\WINDOWS\System32\command.com
C;\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable for running
MS-DOS and Microsoft windows applications. Chose Close to terminate the
application."
I chose close and it shuts down, if i select ignore it shuts down also.

Any more ideas??

Ramesh said:
..EXE files always open with Notepad or any other application ?:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/exeasso.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


I mistakenly set all .exe files to open with wordpad. now whenever i try to
open a .exe file, it opens with wordpad and shows a bunch of unreadable
characters (example...
ìjsçîÕÑO¡bþ_ôÃ_ó3Tð_^;.'IC¶¶å¼Ã°EȱOÓâBVO_K«bî«R;ÉH__N_òR_Èò0ëÃ?îÙÛ1q[
@_SØéR^èà_mVÖ.?ØncÃV .Z_´_Â¥.u¿ÄΨ¯>÷Ãoý0ÂðµeªæhX.æå). When i first log in,
all my startup .exe files open in wordpad also.
if i right click on an .exe file, it does not give me the option to "open
with..." anymore. if i right click on an .exe file and select properties, i
do not have the "change" option that is usually there to select which
program
to open the file with. if i highlight the .exe file and click file on the
menu bar, i do not get the "open with..." option there either.
i am really stuck with this one and not sure how to resolve it. i am running
windows XP Pro and a standalone laptop. i appreciate any help you can offer.
Click to expand...
 
D

dave

Hi,
Also, i am having to have to run the command.com and regedit features in
"safe mode with a command prompt" becuase when i try and run command.com in
normal more, i get a window with the title "16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem" that
says "C:\WINDOWS\System32\command.com
C;\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable for running
MS-DOS and Microsoft windows applications. Chose Close to terminate the
application."
I chose close and it shuts down, if i select ignore it shuts down also.
Click to expand...

See:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/16bit.htm

or

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=324767

or (if the problem keeps returning after reboot)

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_m.htm#16bit


choochman said:
first of all, thank you for your help.

i followed the instructions from the "EXE files always open with Notepad or
any other application ?" webpage, when i navigate down to explorer\FileExts i
do not have a .exe to select. there are many other file extensions, but no
.exe.

i went to the other page referenced at the ".EXE files always open with
Notepad or any other application ?" webpage, "Cannot run EXE files - Programs
don't open" and followed the instructions there. the two values that it asked
me to navigate to and change were already set to the correct values.

it also suggested downloading and running fixreg.com. i downloaded it and
opened the program, but a command prompt breifly flashes on the screen and
then disappears.

Also, i am having to have to run the command.com and regedit features in
"safe mode with a command prompt" becuase when i try and run command.com in
normal more, i get a window with the title "16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem" that
says "C:\WINDOWS\System32\command.com
C;\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable for running
MS-DOS and Microsoft windows applications. Chose Close to terminate the
application."
I chose close and it shuts down, if i select ignore it shuts down also.

Any more ideas??

Ramesh said:
..EXE files always open with Notepad or any other application ?:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/exeasso.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


I mistakenly set all .exe files to open with wordpad. now whenever i try to
open a .exe file, it opens with wordpad and shows a bunch of unreadable
characters (example...
ìjsçîÕÑO¡bþ_ôÝ_ó3Tð_^;.'IC¶¶å¼Á°EȱOÓâBVO_K«bî«R;ÉH__N_òR_Èò0ëÏ?îÙÛ1q[
@_SØéR^èà_mVÖ.?ØncÏV .Z_´_¥.u¿ÄΨ¯>÷Ïoý0ÂðµeªæhX.æå). When i first log in,
all my startup .exe files open in wordpad also.
if i right click on an .exe file, it does not give me the option to "open
with..." anymore. if i right click on an .exe file and select properties, i
do not have the "change" option that is usually there to select which
program
to open the file with. if i highlight the .exe file and click file on the
menu bar, i do not get the "open with..." option there either.
i am really stuck with this one and not sure how to resolve it. i am running
windows XP Pro and a standalone laptop. i appreciate any help you can offer.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
G

Guest

Hmmm... whenever I try to open ANY file with WordPad OR NotePad, I get
ìjšçîÕÑŒ¡bþ_ôÃ_ó3Tð_ˆ;.’IC¶¶å¼Ã°EȱOÓâBVÅ’_K«bî«R;ÉH__N_òR_Èò0ëÀîÙÛ1q[
@_ŠØéR^èà_mVÖ.?ØncÃV .Z_´_Â¥.u¿ÄΨ¯›÷Ãœý0ÂðµeªæhX.æå)... the same as YOU
described!! It's as if all of my "text"-type files are "encoded" somehow.
Also, MS WORKS can no longer open any files either. I get a message that
reads: "Windows cannot find______. It may be in use by another application,
the file format may not be supported by any of the installed converters, or
the file may be corrupt" What happened????? :-(

dave said:
Hi,
Also, i am having to have to run the command.com and regedit features in
"safe mode with a command prompt" becuase when i try and run command.com in
normal more, i get a window with the title "16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem" that
says "C:\WINDOWS\System32\command.com
C;\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable for running
MS-DOS and Microsoft windows applications. Chose Close to terminate the
application."
I chose close and it shuts down, if i select ignore it shuts down also.
Click to expand...

See:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/16bit.htm

or

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=324767

or (if the problem keeps returning after reboot)

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_m.htm#16bit


choochman said:
first of all, thank you for your help.

i followed the instructions from the "EXE files always open with Notepad or
any other application ?" webpage, when i navigate down to explorer\FileExts i
do not have a .exe to select. there are many other file extensions, but no
.exe.

i went to the other page referenced at the ".EXE files always open with
Notepad or any other application ?" webpage, "Cannot run EXE files - Programs
don't open" and followed the instructions there. the two values that it asked
me to navigate to and change were already set to the correct values.

it also suggested downloading and running fixreg.com. i downloaded it and
opened the program, but a command prompt breifly flashes on the screen and
then disappears.

Also, i am having to have to run the command.com and regedit features in
"safe mode with a command prompt" becuase when i try and run command.com in
normal more, i get a window with the title "16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem" that
says "C:\WINDOWS\System32\command.com
C;\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable for running
MS-DOS and Microsoft windows applications. Chose Close to terminate the
application."
I chose close and it shuts down, if i select ignore it shuts down also.

Any more ideas??

Ramesh said:
..EXE files always open with Notepad or any other application ?:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/exeasso.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


I mistakenly set all .exe files to open with wordpad. now whenever i try to
open a .exe file, it opens with wordpad and shows a bunch of unreadable
characters (example...
ìjsçîÕÑO¡bþ_ôÃ_ó3Tð_^;.'IC¶¶å¼Ã°EȱOÓâBVO_K«bî«R;ÉH__N_òR_Èò0ëÃ?îÙÛ1q[
@_SØéR^èà_mVÖ.?ØncÃV .Z_´_Â¥.u¿ÄΨ¯>÷Ãoý0ÂðµeªæhX.æå). When i first log in,
all my startup .exe files open in wordpad also.
if i right click on an .exe file, it does not give me the option to "open
with..." anymore. if i right click on an .exe file and select properties, i
do not have the "change" option that is usually there to select which
program
to open the file with. if i highlight the .exe file and click file on the
menu bar, i do not get the "open with..." option there either.
i am really stuck with this one and not sure how to resolve it. i am running
windows XP Pro and a standalone laptop. i appreciate any help you can offer.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

My words and excel file are not opening as it should be 1
Help! My .exe files all converted to Wordpad 2
.exe files opening in wordpad 2

Top