MS logo (http://www NULL.rj-diamond NULL.com/alex/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mslogo NULL.gif)A friend of mine was working on a laptop that he was asked to clean up after the laptop got infected by viruses.  He was able to clean up the viruses with very little effort, but (there is always a but in these stories, isn’t there!) one of the affects of the clean up is that some of the “opens with” file type associations were gone.  Some viruses are written in such a way that if you clean them out, they will go and cause as much destruction as possible on there way out (Basically a sore loser).  

     In my friends case it was the ability to open files that ended in exe that was affected.  What are exe files, well simply almost any file that is used to install, start, or open a program is an exe file (So they are kind of important for the purposes of using your pc).  He would see this message when he tried to open anything that was an .exe file

 exe file fix 0 (http://www NULL.rj-diamond NULL.com/alex/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/exefilefix0 NULL.jpg) 

     The solution for this problem (and of course for every problem there is always a solution), which was not to reinstall windows came in a small registry file that puts all the .exe settings and .exe “open with” file associations back in place.  In case anyone else runs into this issue, here is the file that fixes the issue.  Just click on the folder below to download the file (Because this is a registry file, your pc may alert you to a security warning, just click on allow if it does).    

.EXE fix download (http://cid-8804db538b4de88c NULL.skydrive NULL.live NULL.com/browse NULL.aspx/ NULL.Public/exe%20Fix) (http://cid-8804db538b4de88c.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/.Public/exe%20Fix (http://cid-8804db538b4de88c NULL.skydrive NULL.live NULL.com/browse NULL.aspx/ NULL.Public/exe%20Fix)) (http://cid-8804db538b4de88c NULL.skydrive NULL.live NULL.com/self NULL.aspx/ NULL.Public/exe%20Fix?authkey=OSitJlxxXDg%24) )

      Once you download the file (just save to your desktop or other easy to find area), double click the file and you will add a message that says

exe file fix 1 (http://www NULL.rj-diamond NULL.com/alex/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/exefilefix1 NULL.jpg)

(Note where my file says \XPMUser yours will have the name that your signed on to the pc with) click on the yes button.

You will now see a message that says

exe file fix 2 (http://www NULL.rj-diamond NULL.com/alex/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/exefilefix2 NULL.jpg)

click ok…..and that is all.  You should now be able to open .exe files without being prompted