Fix .EXE File Association Errors

Fix .EXE File Association Errors:
The operating system has to know where a file is located and what to do with it before it can open the file. File extensions are a method of telling the operating system what kind of file it is and by using associations what application should be used to open the file. The operating system uses the file extension…the three letters after the period such as word.exe to determine the association.The .exe extension states that a file is an executable application. A .doc extension identifies the file as a word processing document that can be opened with MS Word, Wordperfect, Wordpad and several other word processing applications.
File associations are stored in the windows registry in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT hive. The picture below shows the .exe entry in my windows registry.

The registry key also contains the following information:

• preferred program that can open the file
• the full path to the location of the preferred program
• Actions that can be performed on the file
• A default action (what happens if you double click on it)
• Other programs that can open the file
• Other actions that can be performed

For example, the registry entry for the .mp3 file extension on my machine is shown below. On my machine both Quick Time and Real Player are associated with and therefore can play the file. Notice that Quick Time is the default.

Since an executable file is an application that runs on your computer. Every program you open in windows has an executable file associated with it. .exe executable files are opened by the windows application launcher. If the file association listed in the registry for .exe files is incorrect, applications using that file extension will not be able to run.
EXE File Association Error in Windows Vista
How does the registry entry get changed? It can happen when someone inadvertently assigns the .exe extension to an incorrect program. If they have not established a system restore point before making the change, the registry gets changed and executables using the .exe extension stop working. Usually the first symptom is that shortcuts suddenly have the .lnk extension which means they are no longer pointing to a valid operation.

Solutions

First off, if you are not comfortable changing your windows registry files, you should try a free registry cleaner scan first and check for any potential errors that might be able to be fixed automatically.
Since programs like anti virus, spyware detectors and firewalls monitor the registry in real time, you must turn them off before you edit the registry to avoid unexpected unpleasant consequences. At worst they can either trash your system or prevent you from making the necessary corrections by not letting you save your changes.
Creating a New File Extension
Since almost all of the tools available in windows use the .exe extension very little will work. If you can get windows explorer, My Documents or My Computer to open, perform the following steps:

• Open the File Types dialog box from Windows Explorer, My Documents or My Computer by selecting Tools -> Folder Options -> File Types as shown below.
• Click on the New button and the Create New Extension window will open up
• Next, click on the Advanced button. Your window should look like the one below.

• Type in EXE for the extension and select Application from the drop down list if it doesn’t appear automatically.
• Click OK and reboot the machine.

If this procedure does not work or none of the applications would run, you will have to edit the registry.
Editing the Registry
Warning—Back up all of the files you created before you attempt to edit the registry. Also create a restore point so that you will be able to restore the system if you accidentally trash the operating system to the point that it will not boot up.
The EXE association problem can occur in all versions of windows and is normally fixed by editing the registry. We will only discuss how to fix the problem in windows vista. You must delete a registry key to correct this problem. Perform the following steps:

• Open up the registry editor by going to Start -> Run
• Type regedit in the dialog box.
• Select Edit -> Find as shown below.

• The dialog box shown below will open. If the file association problem exists the registry key listed below will exist. Type exe in the search field as shown below or you can manually navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe Manual navigation is usually faster.

• By existing, this registry key’s configuration is overwriting the default file association for .exe files. Therefore, to fix the problem you must delete the registry key by right clicking and selecting Delete from the drop down context menu.
• Reboot the machine. When it reboots, the system will use the default values. Therefore, the EXE extension should work properly again.

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• EXE File Errors