Very odd, very irritating issue.

**Tranque101**

Alright, so I was attempting to open an Exe one evening and I incidently clicked Unzip.

There it began. Every single exe in my computer opens like a ZIP file. When I deleted the Unzipping program, all the programs when clicked on essentially ask me to manually find and connect it to the base file, even when it-itself IS the base exe.

>.o This is painfully irritating. Any help?

**phi**

well done. You have associated the .exe file type as a zip file.

the fix is fairly easy, but if you do it wrong yo can easily make things worse.

What version of windows are you using?

**Tranque101**

Oh I am using Windows: Hell.

Or as its alternate title, Windows Vista.

**odj**

Tranque101 wrote:

Oh I am using Windows: Hell.

Or as its alternate title, Windows Vista.

Haha that's the best way of describing Windows Vista I've heard yet. SMILEY

**phi** · 07/03/2008 19:00:45

Follow the following precisely:

START Orb > Run
enter "Regedit" (with out the quote marks) and press OK

In the registry editor navigate to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT > .exe

there will be two entries and a subfolder.
the entries should read:

Name                  Type            Data
(Default)             REG_SZ          exefile
Content Type          REG_SZ          application/x-msdownload

in the sub-folder ("PersistentHandler")
there should be 1 entry:

Name                  Type            Data
(Default)             REG_SZ          {098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

if the settings are anything other than these post back what you have.

*Edit: DAMNED Smilies"

**Tranque101**

Ehm... Regedit... application cannot be found

**phi**

Tranque101 wrote:

Ehm... Regedit... application cannot be found

try regedit.exe

if you are unable to run regedit you will have to run a windows repair.

**Tranque101**

Will I lose every ounce of data I have on my computer?

**phi**

Actually I just though of 1 or two other things we can try... and no you won't lose all you data, just a couple of windows preference settings... but only if we have to run a repair as a last resort.

**Tranque101**

Alright, hit me with the two options.

**phi**

Open the File Types dialog from any Explorer window -- use My Documents or My Computer (Tools | Folder Options | File Types Tab). Scroll down to where .EXE would be in the alphabetical order and make certain .EXE is not there (if it is, then edit it there by changing the association to Application). Finally, select the New button, type in EXE for the extension and select the Advanced button. From the list pick "Application." It should look something like this:

While not shown on the picture above there should be a "Restore" button you can click. If so, use that and, hopefully, this should cure the problem (thanks to forum member diginono for finding and posting this solution). The Restore button only shows up when there is a problem on the system.

**Tranque101**

My folder options are General/View/Search in that order.

**phi**

1 sec... those instructions are for XP.

**Tranque101**

Heh no problemo, normally xp instructions work fine on Vista, but sometimes vista likes to torture you by hiding things. You get used to it >.o

**phi** · 07/03/2008 19:25:41

Well your only real option at this point is to restore to the most recent system restore point
because under Vista Control Pannel > Default Programs > Set associations
.exe files do not show in that list as a Vista safety precaution.