[Solution] EXE Files Always Open with Notepad or Other Applications OR Can’t Open EXE Files in Windows
Many times people face problems while opening .EXE files.
- The EXE file opens in Notepad.
- EXE file opens in some other installed programs.
- Windows displays “Open With” dialog box to choose the program.
- Windows shows error message, “Windows cannot find .exe file. Make sure you typed the name correctly”.
Most of the times it happens when you accidentally change .Exe file type settings from Folder Options. Sometimes it might happen due to virus.
Anyway no need to worry. Here are some solutions which will fix this annoying problem:
Advertisement
Table of Contents
METHOD A: Using Ready-Made Registry Script
Download following ZIP file, extract it and run the extracted REG file. It’ll ask for confirmation, accept it. It should solve the problem.
METHOD B: Manually Editing Windows Registry
1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd or command in RUN dialog box.
2. Now provide following command:
cd\windows
3. It’ll activate Windows folder. Now provide following command to open Registry Editor:
regedit
Advertisement
NOTE: If you can’t open Command Prompt or if it also opens with Notepad, then try this:
Press CTRL+ALT+DEL keys together and open “Task Manager“. Alternatively, you can press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys together to directly launch Task Manager. Now click on “File” menu, press and hold “CTRL” key and click on “New Task” menu. It’ll open a Command Prompt window. Now run regedit.exe command and press Enter. It’ll open registry editor without any problem.
More Info: Hidden Secret Trick to Open “Command Prompt” Window Using Task Manager
4. Now go to following key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe
In right-side pane, change value of Default key to exefile
5. Now go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
In right-side pane, change value of Default key to:
“%1” %*
6. That’s it. Now exit Registry Editor and restart your Windows. Now you should be able to open EXE files without any problem.
METHOD C: Using Command Prompt
1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd or command in RUN dialog box.
2. Now provide following command:
assoc .exe=exefile
It’ll fix the problem.
METHOD D: Using Microsoft Fixit Tool
Microsoft has also released an automatic Fixit tool to fix this annoying problem. This Fixit tool is based on the same method given above in this tutorial.
You can download it using following link:
Don’t forget to check solutions for other common PC problems in following topic:
It worked! Option A worked for me. Thank you!
Thank you bro! It works 100%!!!
awesome support i fixed the issue
Thanks
Saved my arse there pal. Thanks very much.
I’d faffed around with the registry and nothing would open.
Option A worked great!
Did not work
Great Solution Bro. Worked 100%
Thank you soooo much for this post. Really saved me a lot of trouble
Thanks bro very much. I was very happy when i restarted my com…. YOU ARE THE BEST!
Really it works, great!! thanks a lot. ☺️
You’re amazing! Thanks for the help. Problem was solved within seconds.
Thank you very much. Great help you are putting into the world.
Thank you you have saved my life
The reg file worked just great for me! Thanks for this gorgeous solution !!
it’s great bro, thanks
Method B just ruined my machine. I can’t even get back into REGEDIT. Nothing opens up now.
Thank you so much. Method 2 registry editor worked like a charm. Everything is working now.
my cmd is not working. i have dowmload file of method it not installed in my pc
You’re a genius, VG!
Registry Script solved the problem for me and I can’t thank you enough
Robert V. DeSilverio, M.D.
Hi, I’m a blind user, and I got into serious trouble when messing up with changing default programs to open some extensions. Since I obviously use a screen reader, I lost control of my computer, and every time I randomly wanted to open my screen reader by using a shortcut key, well, my computer opened a web browser. Thank God I have a laptop, so I searched on internet for a solution and your website came up. The script did the trick for me, and you made my day. I was really desperate. This is very very helpful.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH , THANKSS , FOR 30 MINUTES I WAS THINKING I NEED TO REINSTALL MY WINDOWS , BUT YOU SAVED ME ,THANK YOUUU!!
Thanks dudes! oh. I was going to kill my brother for wrecking my computer
You saved my life bro. Method A worked flawlessly! God bless you 🙂
I just wanted to thank you for the download file that sorted my in ability to access exe files after I had edited the registry and left out a space after ” and before %. I spent days trying to sort it and your file sorted it instantly.
Thank you sor much. Steve Hulme
Thank you so much. I used option 1,but the only this was I couldn’t open my internet browser on my computer…. So I download the zip file to my phone, connected it to my computer and transferred the file and bad-a-Bing bad-a-boom fixed! Thank you so much
Thanks you so so so so so so so much.
Thank you very much.
bhaii mazaaaa aa gayaa……kasam se….option A se turant sahi ho gyaa
thankss very ………..much………..
Hey, it doesn’t work at all! Even my Task Manager is opened by Notepad! what a bug by win10!!!!
Hello,
Your Fixit Tool got me out of a tough situation where no apps would open due to the .exe files were opening in Notepad. Thanks for your excellent work. I’m able to open apps like Google Chrome now. I’m using Windows 10.
Sincerely,
Eliot
Thank you so much. I used option 1 after i extracted the file on to a pen drive and ran the file from there