exe files open as text files

  • Thread starter Thread starter wapanap
  • Start date Start date
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wapanap

I have encountered a very strange problem. I have downloaded two exe files
recently. When I doubleclick on the exe file, instead of the application
installing, what should happen but Word of all things opens with, in the
case of one of them a box headed 'File Conversion - arw5setup.msi', and a
similar wording in the second, asking me to select the encoding that makes
my document readable. Whatever I select, the exe file then opens as a text
file. (The reference to an msi file is baffling as both files were exe
files.) When it happened the first time I thought it was a corrupt file, but
when it happened again it has to be that there is something wrong with my
system. Is this a virus? Spybot has just come up with a clean slate ...
 
wapanap said:
I have encountered a very strange problem. I have downloaded two exe
files recently. When I doubleclick on the exe file, instead of the
application installing, what should happen but Word of all things opens
with, in the case of one of them a box headed 'File Conversion -
arw5setup.msi', and a similar wording in the second, asking me to select
the encoding that makes my document readable. Whatever I select, the exe
file then opens as a text file. (The reference to an msi file is
baffling as both files were exe files.) When it happened the first time
I thought it was a corrupt file, but when it happened again it has to be
that there is something wrong with my system. Is this a virus? Spybot
has just come up with a clean slate ...
Click to expand...


No way to help without the name of the file
 
Thanks for that crucial intervention! For some reason, the default program
for msi files had been changed to Word. Now I changed it back everything is
fine. Thanks again!
 
CrucialHoax said:
The name of the file is in the original post...
Click to expand...



The way the OP posted...he was pretty confused as he specifically said
it ended in .exe

that's why I wanted him to confirm the file name...

as you correctly surmised...it was of course an .msi file and not .exe
 
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