Windows Vista .exe File Associations

[Afasoas]

Hallo,

Friend has asked me to fix a PC. All the .exe files are associated to Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is not good.

I have Googled and applied the follow fix, rebooted and re-logged in:

Code: [Select]

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.EXE]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.EXE\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,\
  00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,\
  32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,2c,00,2d,00,31,00,30,00,31,00,35,00,36,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
"IsolatedCommand"="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
"IsolatedCommand"="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

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

The above seems to be reinitialising all the relevant registry keys. But it didna work. I have checked some of the registry keys and they seem okay.

Any ideas?
Thanks

[Biggsy]

I would try: a malware scan, then CCleaner - Registry Cleaner, then resetting the .exe association via Control Panel - Programs - Default Programs - Set Associations - .exe - untick Always use the selected program...

[Afasoas]

Thanks Biggsy.

Turns out I had fixed it, just the icon cache needed rebuilding.

TVM

[Pingu]

Dumbass question:

Why wouldn't removing the File Type under Tools > Folder Options in Windows Explorer (in Win XP, possibly somewhere in Control Panel in later Win versions*) do the job?



*I'm at work!

[Afasoas]

Vista wasn't listing .exe files under the default programs -> file associations (or whatever it's called)

All fixed up now, friend happy.