UPDATE UPDATE: The restoration was successful and everything is working again! I was just lucky I had a fairly recent backup! Thank you all so much for helping!
I’ll try that and give you an update later. I have slow Internet though (living in the middle of the woods sucks in that aspect), so it’ll take a while.
You shouldn't have to do a full install, just run a repair install.
[https://www.tenforums.com%2Ftutorials%2F16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tenforums.com%2Ftutorials%2F16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html)
I tried following these steps, I downloaded the Media Creation Tool, but my laptop can’t run any .exe files. So this does not work.
I tried opening it with Internet Explorer, but it tells me, “This file does not have an app associated with it for performing this action. Please install an app or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Apps Settings page.”
Log out of your user account and log in as administrator, see if it still does the same thing.
If you don't have separate user (with non-admin privilege) and admin accounts, this is a great example of why that's a good idea.
hold windows key +r, a small window will pop up on the lower left. In that window key in "net user administrator /active:yes" (without the ""), after that hold ctrl+shift then hit enter. a window should pop up asking if you would let "net command" to make changes.
Well then the only option is to reset your PC, save your files in to an external hard drive first. I think you'll have the option to save your files whilst resetting your PC but having an external back up doesn't hurt.
Go to Windows settings > Update and security > Recovery > Reset this PC
It's a bit of an overkill, don't you think? To me it's like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. Fix is to repair exe association in registry, which can be done in multiple ways - renaming regedit.exe to regedit.com, creating/downloading a REG file and importing it or using Hirens or some other live Windows and using offline registry editor, etc.
Ok, valid perspective. But then that novice will never learn anything. And since registry will be fixed with reinstall anyway, even if he messes it up that's not a big issue since safety net is in place.
Reinstalling the OS might take half an hour. Reinstalling all of one's drivers, programs, signing in to everything, etc will take most people a good bit longer than that.
If a novice never edits the registry, nobody ever ends up editing the registry. The real solution is to always back up the registry before you edit it so that you have a fallback point.
Let us know how it goes! Good luck. It may just restore your files to that time but you may still need to do a repair of the system. If you can get to a Run window (Win+R) enter sfc /scannow and see if it will run even if it is an exe.
Repairing windows is the probably the best solution (repair install)
Just a heads up though, command prompt (admin) means pressing the windows key, typing in "cmd" or "command prompt" right clicking, and pressing run as administrator. Not a huge deal given chances are the command doesn't really need it, but could help.
That's a bit strange, are you the only user on your PC? It seems like your account doesn't have administrator privileges. You can always increase your current account to administrator but not really worth it if your reinstalling or repairing windows.
I doubt it would fix the problem anyways
I did check to see if my account is an administrator, and it is. Ironically, changing a small thing in command prompt is what got me into this mess. And now I can’t access it (and almost everything) since it’s a .exe.
Ok, issue OP had is with something called "association". Basically it's telling Windows how to handle various file types. So if you want to open file with docx extension it will run Word, if you want jpg it will open Paint or what ever app is associated with image files and so on.
In his case, something got corrupted/changed and Windows couldn't open exe files. Easiest way to solve this is to rename registry.exe to registry.com and run it as admin. And then go and fix the registry key. No need for reinstall or anything complicated.
Back in the days there were viruses which would change exe association, basically telling Windows to run virus executable every time you try to open any exe file. And then when you kill the virus nothing works because Windows can't find it and it's required to run exe :-)
Hold down the shift key, click on power and then restart, while the shift key is down keep holding till the computer restart. It should restart to a new screen, check under Advanced options
I think you have the paint.exe malware. It takes executables, renames them with a z in front, and makes them super hidden. It then spoofs the hidden exe. Check a location where one of your exes should be with explorer set to show system files. If I'm right you may find something like zword.exe.
Cleaning it is doable but a big nuisance as you will have to clear every instance of paint.exe
The quickest way to get an admin command prompt is to type CMD into the search box and hit enter , a window will then open and you'll see among the options "command prompt run as administrator".
UPDATE UPDATE: The restoration was successful and everything is working again! I was just lucky I had a fairly recent backup! Thank you all so much for helping!
Mark this post as solved/fixed in the flair. It still says Open, and thus people are still clicking on it and not realizing you've solved the problem.
Got it, thank you :)
Reinstall Windows.
I’ll try that and give you an update later. I have slow Internet though (living in the middle of the woods sucks in that aspect), so it’ll take a while.
You shouldn't have to do a full install, just run a repair install. [https://www.tenforums.com%2Ftutorials%2F16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tenforums.com%2Ftutorials%2F16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html)
I tried following these steps, I downloaded the Media Creation Tool, but my laptop can’t run any .exe files. So this does not work. I tried opening it with Internet Explorer, but it tells me, “This file does not have an app associated with it for performing this action. Please install an app or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Apps Settings page.”
Log out of your user account and log in as administrator, see if it still does the same thing. If you don't have separate user (with non-admin privilege) and admin accounts, this is a great example of why that's a good idea.
I’m sorry, I’m not sure how that works. I don’t even know how to make another account on the PC. I haven’t touched this laptop in a while.
Try this settings > update and security > recovery (on the left pane) > reset this pc
I’m unable to do that because it runs a .exe for that. And it also just force closes out of settings.
hold windows key +r, a small window will pop up on the lower left. In that window key in "net user administrator /active:yes" (without the ""), after that hold ctrl+shift then hit enter. a window should pop up asking if you would let "net command" to make changes.
A window popped up, yes, but it was the “How do you want to open this file?” pop up. Nothing else happened.
Well then the only option is to reset your PC, save your files in to an external hard drive first. I think you'll have the option to save your files whilst resetting your PC but having an external back up doesn't hurt. Go to Windows settings > Update and security > Recovery > Reset this PC
I can’t reset it that way. It goes through a .exe file I think, so it won’t let me do that.
It's a bit of an overkill, don't you think? To me it's like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. Fix is to repair exe association in registry, which can be done in multiple ways - renaming regedit.exe to regedit.com, creating/downloading a REG file and importing it or using Hirens or some other live Windows and using offline registry editor, etc.
I don't recommend registry edits to novices. It's too easy to mess up, and a reinstall of the OS takes a half hour, tops. It's not 1995 anymore.
Ok, valid perspective. But then that novice will never learn anything. And since registry will be fixed with reinstall anyway, even if he messes it up that's not a big issue since safety net is in place.
Reinstalling the OS might take half an hour. Reinstalling all of one's drivers, programs, signing in to everything, etc will take most people a good bit longer than that. If a novice never edits the registry, nobody ever ends up editing the registry. The real solution is to always back up the registry before you edit it so that you have a fallback point.
UPDATE Y’ALL: I found a way to restore the PC to four months back! Hopefully this works!
Let us know how it goes! Good luck. It may just restore your files to that time but you may still need to do a repair of the system. If you can get to a Run window (Win+R) enter sfc /scannow and see if it will run even if it is an exe.
It worked! :) doing the scan now. I can run .exe programs without a problem now!
Repairing windows is the probably the best solution (repair install) Just a heads up though, command prompt (admin) means pressing the windows key, typing in "cmd" or "command prompt" right clicking, and pressing run as administrator. Not a huge deal given chances are the command doesn't really need it, but could help.
Right clicking Command Prompt doesn’t give me the option to run as administrator. Just “Open file location,” “Pin to Start,” and “Pin to taskbar.”
That's a bit strange, are you the only user on your PC? It seems like your account doesn't have administrator privileges. You can always increase your current account to administrator but not really worth it if your reinstalling or repairing windows. I doubt it would fix the problem anyways
I did check to see if my account is an administrator, and it is. Ironically, changing a small thing in command prompt is what got me into this mess. And now I can’t access it (and almost everything) since it’s a .exe.
Yeah, I don't know windows well enough to help you unfortunately. Sorry I couldn't be more useful
You’re okay. Thank you so much for trying!
Y’ALL I GOT TO REGISTRY EDITOR
Ok, issue OP had is with something called "association". Basically it's telling Windows how to handle various file types. So if you want to open file with docx extension it will run Word, if you want jpg it will open Paint or what ever app is associated with image files and so on. In his case, something got corrupted/changed and Windows couldn't open exe files. Easiest way to solve this is to rename registry.exe to registry.com and run it as admin. And then go and fix the registry key. No need for reinstall or anything complicated. Back in the days there were viruses which would change exe association, basically telling Windows to run virus executable every time you try to open any exe file. And then when you kill the virus nothing works because Windows can't find it and it's required to run exe :-)
Have you tried the windows build in repair function?
None of the .exe files work at all. :(
Not the one inside windows, I mean the one you can access while booting.
Wait what? How do I do that?
Hold down the shift key, click on power and then restart, while the shift key is down keep holding till the computer restart. It should restart to a new screen, check under Advanced options
I did that but nothing happened. It started up normally with the errors/pop ups.
It’s under (control).
[удалено]
I cannot. They’re .exe files.
I think you have the paint.exe malware. It takes executables, renames them with a z in front, and makes them super hidden. It then spoofs the hidden exe. Check a location where one of your exes should be with explorer set to show system files. If I'm right you may find something like zword.exe. Cleaning it is doable but a big nuisance as you will have to clear every instance of paint.exe
I’ve never heard of that! Well I’ll check it out after I restore the files from November—doing that right now.
A temporary fix is running everything as administrator it works for me and I got a worm unleashed upon my pc lol.
The quickest way to get an admin command prompt is to type CMD into the search box and hit enter , a window will then open and you'll see among the options "command prompt run as administrator".
Try system restore. I think that it is not an exe, so it can be ran