.EXE's viewing as WordPad

[Zorteck]

For some reason all of my .exe programs are opened in WordPad everytime I try to run one. I have no idea how to fix it although I already tried to fix Windows 2000 but the disc isn't working. Would anybody happen to know a mannual sollution to this problem? thx in advance.

 

[Kage]

hmm weird... they are auto exectuables files so should boot into themselves...

Are you sure your not trying to run EXE files made for Windows PC's on a Macintosh? If so, these won't work and might have that effect.

 

[Zorteck]

Nah, I was playing starcraft and I exited to chat on AIM. I think some one hacked it just to mess around while I was on AIM. So when I tried to load up starcraft it came up in WordPad with alotta boxes and random letters and things like that. And now all my exes are like that... even my load ups such as sound manager and ATI toolbar.

 

[Kage]

Hmm, it seems you have a bug in your system that has in some way told exe files to open in wordpad.

You can make windows choose a different program to open stuff in, but thats the thing, exe's are a program so shouldn't need anything else to run them.

Have you got antivirus protection you could update and scan?
It might be a joke virus, as I don't think its going to be one of those serious ones since windows is still working

So do a scan and hopefully it'll find the bug thats caused the computer to change how it runs EXE's

I hope this helps!

 

[Zorteck]

hmm... know of any decent free Anit-Virus programs? But even so if I download one it will probably open up in WordPad.

 

[Kage]

hehe yea....opps....

Well you could always try an online scanner which will look through your pc, and then tell you step by step how to delete the files.

Try this:

http://www.pandasoftware.com/active...guage=2&Country=63&Partner=1&Ref=EN-PR-AS-107

and:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

These will both scan your PC. I'm not sure if the first one has the ability to delete files, though I know the second one just tells you how after finding them, though its not hard

Plus, after this is fixed, get yourself a good antivirus program, like Norton or a free alternative, AVG Antivirus which is great! Plus if oyu haven't got spyware detectors then, get a free one of those, and same for firewall if you hvaen't got one, and a good free one that I use is, Zone Alarm

After this is sorted out, we'll give you links to these programs if you want to protect your pc, as they are very important to have.

I hope this helps

 

[setishock]

Ok...

Jeeze and I haven't even finished my first cup of coffee...
In the windows os there is a function for connecting what program/data file is opened by what in house program. It's how when your winamp takes over your music files you break the association.
I think in simpler terms it's called > open this program with.
If the connection between your .exe files has been changed to notepad then you break it there.

A quick and dirty way to get back to before this is to go back a day or two with system restore.

But Kage is right. Use an online scanner if it is a virus. They will load an active x applet and then have a look.

 

[Zorteck]

I dont think win2k has system restore, but I see what your saying about open program with option, but how do I do it with .exe's and what is the program called to correctly use exe's with?

 

[Kage]

Yeah Setishock, I thought of the Open Program with function too:

"You can make windows choose a different program to open stuff in, but thats the thing, exe's are a program so shouldn't need anything else to run them."

and I'm sure that its only used to select programs to run them as, and not to disable what program is used... as they'd be no alternate program to make them run with to make it go to that instead

Hopefully those online virus scanners will find something and get it sorted, though if they dont find anything, then hopefully setishock is right in saying you can select to disable a program running something (like winamp) though I didn't think you could do that from within windows for EXE's

 

[BuzzStPoint]

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/xp_exe_fix.zip

Should work for 2000 but I'm not sure.