Problems with downloaded files .exe opening

Question

My downloaded files for Quicken qw.exe and Google Chrome will not open in Windows 11 What is the problem?

Answer 1

Hello Doug W Davidson,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I see that you are having issue opening files. Before we proceed, I'd like to ask a few things to better understand the situation.

• May I know if there any other .exe files that failed to run other than the two? Also, may I know if this is the installation file or the executable file of the app itself?
• May I know what it show you when it failed to run?

I'm waiting for your reply.

Answer 2

If you are experiencing issues with opening downloaded EXE files such as Quicken's qw.exe and Google Chrome on Windows 11, it may be due to corrupt registry settings or interference from a third-party product or virus. This can change the default configuration for running EXE files, leading to errors when you attempt to open them.

To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Click Start, and then select Run.
2. Type "command.com" and press Enter to open a DOS window.
3. Type the following command lines, pressing Enter after each:

      cd\
      cd \windows
   

4. Type copy "regedit.exe regedit.com" and press Enter.
5. Type start regedit.com and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
6. Navigate to the key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
7. In the right pane, double-click the (Default) value, delete the current value data, and type:

      "%1" %*
   

8. Close the Registry Editor.

Make sure to back up your registry before making any changes, and if you are using Windows XP, you may need to disable "System Restore" in "Safe Mode" before following these instructions.