Hi, Joe.
What kinds of exe files are these? Normally, of course, "exe" means
"executable". We don't "Open" these files with anything; we Run these files
and often they will Open other files with other extensions. For instance,
we click on WinWord.exe and that starts the Microsoft Word program, which
then can open Letter.doc or any of our other .doc files.
I see at least two possible dangers in your message. The first is that the
exe file you want to "open" just might be carrying a program that you DON'T
WANT, and if you did manage to get it to run, it might put adware or spyware
or a virus on your computer. This is especially likely with "free"
programs. If you tell us the name of the file, someone here might recognize
it and know whether it is safe to run at all.
The second danger is that it might not be an exe file at all. Unless you've
changed WinXP's default settings, "extensions for known file types" are
hidden. In that case, WinWord.exe would appear as WinWord, with no
extension. Many malware programs add their own extensions to other files;
WinWord.exe might become WinWord.exe.vbs, but, since the true extension
(.vbs) is hidden, you will see only WinWord.exe and wrongly assume that this
is an exe file. If you did manage to "open" that file, you would run the
..vbs wrapper, not the innocent Word program. Gotcha!! :>(
So, open Control Panel | Folder Options. (This screen can be reached in
other ways as well.) Click the View tab and Uncheck the box that says to
Hide extensions for known file types. This will help guard against the
hidden-extension problem. Then, on the File Types tab of Folder Options
(you'll have to wait and watch the searchlight while WinXP inventories your
HD to find all the file types you have on your drive), scroll down to see
what you have listed for EXE files. You should have NOTHING here; EXE
should not even appear in the Extensions list.
Post back and tell us what you find, and we should be able to guide you
further. In the meantime, don't open ANY downloaded exe file unless you
KNOW that it is safe!
RC
