WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Liam
  • Start date Start date
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Liam

I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
boonies.)
She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
a valid executable.
I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
Application and Shortcut.
Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
must be those files.
Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
files.
Any ideas what I can check or do?
Thanks!
Liam
 
Liam said:
I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
boonies.)
She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
a valid executable.
I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
Application and Shortcut.
Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
must be those files.
Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
files.
Any ideas what I can check or do?
Thanks!
Liam
Click to expand...

They don't have to say foo.ex_ to show they weren't fully downloaded. I'm
betting her connection is crappy and the files are corrupt or the download
isn't finishing.
 
I agree, Skype is about 22 Meg on a modem.
Have her try a slightly smaller file like Belarc Advisor.  Its slightly
over 1 Meg.http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're all right. The Skype file, for example, was only half a
meg.
I helped her lower her modem port from 115K to 36K--I remember, oh,
ten years ago when I dealt with modems, that would often help
stabilize connections.
Thanks for the reminders!
 
I agree, Skype is about 22 Meg on a modem.
Have her try a slightly smaller file like Belarc Advisor. Its slightly
over 1 Meg.http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're all right. The Skype file, for example, was only half a
meg.
I helped her lower her modem port from 115K to 36K--I remember, oh,
ten years ago when I dealt with modems, that would often help
stabilize connections.
Thanks for the reminders!
 
Colon said:
Yeah, you're all right. The Skype file, for example, was only half a
meg.
I helped her lower her modem port from 115K to 36K--I remember, oh,
ten years ago when I dealt with modems, that would often help
stabilize connections.
Thanks for the reminders!
Click to expand...
That will never solve her problem. Only this problem.
It would be better to install a download manager that would resume the
download after a disconnect or break in the download.
 
Liam said:
I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
boonies.)
She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
a valid executable.
I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
Application and Shortcut.
Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
must be those files.
Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
files.
Any ideas what I can check or do?
Thanks!
Liam
Click to expand...

An item no one seems to address:
Skype takes a lot of throughput on a connection. If she is having
issues with downloading the file, I just can't begin to think how much
issue she's going to have with Skype.
 
An item no one seems to address:
Skype takes a lot of throughput on a connection.  If she is having
issues with downloading the file, I just can't begin to think how much
issue she's going to have with Skype.
Click to expand...

I agree!
But I think she just uses it as a chat program, not the telephony
component.
 
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