Member Avatar for zarf16fraz

March 26. My thanks in advance for your help. I searched Explorer problems postings; my problem seems to be unaddressed (I'm a dummy; I could be wrong). After a notification of a 3-item infection, I ran an AVG whole-computer scan and clean-up. The infections were eliminated, but some sort of serious corruption occurred: my Explorer browser had been wiped away. Getting to the Internet via My Computer + "explore," I downloaded Explorer from the Windows website--or thought I did: I was informed that the download was successful, but when I attempted to open the browser--"Explorer" now appeared in my START menu--I was told that Windows couldn't recognize the item. The newly-created shortcut on my desktop did nothing. Repeated downloads were always "successful," but always with the same result inside my machine: no recognition of the item. "Explorer" always newly appeared in my Control Panel Add/Remove list, but never in my list of programs. In addition, full-computer searches never located the supposedly newly-downloaded version, and when I tried to install an older Explorer version I was told that this wasn't possible because a newer version had already been installed. For the heck of it, I tried downloading Firefox, but the results were identical: download "successful," item "not recognized." I've contacted AVG three times through their regular channels, but they have not responded. As I'm sure you all know, getting to the Internet via My Computer + explore leaves many, many, links un-navigable. What to do? Thanks again. Phil B.

  • 4 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 239 Views
  • 1 Day Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by khakilang

Dani AI

Generated

Short summary and context: the symptom you describe (downloads report “successful” but executables won’t run, shortcuts do nothing) most commonly points to either a damaged EXE file association or an antivirus/quarantine action that removed or quarantined key components. is on the right track with an antimalware sweep, and /’s System Restore / repair-install suggestions are sensible backups — below are concrete diagnostic and repair steps to try before a reinstall.

First, do quick tests (use Task Manager → File → New Task if Explorer won’t start). From an elevated command prompt try:

dir C:\Windows\explorer.exe
C:\Windows\explorer.exe

If explorer.exe exists but won’t launch, or double-clicking any .exe does nothing, run these two commands (they restore the .exe association):

assoc .exe=exefile
ftype exefile="%1" %*

After that, try starting the downloaded installer or explorer.exe again. If you can’t run commands normally because .exe apps are blocked, open Task Manager → New Task, then copy C:\Windows\regedit.exe to C:\Windows\regedit.com and run the .com copy to import fixes (export the registry first).

If assoc/ftype doesn’t help, this small .reg fix will reset the basic EXE association (save as fix_exe.reg and import via regedit):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

Precautions and next steps: back up data and export the registry before editing. Check AVG’s quarantine/history — don’t blindly restore quarantined files unless you’re sure. Run a full offline scan (Malwarebytes + a rescue/boot scanner) in Safe Mode or from rescue media. If repairs fail, try System Restore to a pre-infection point, then as a last resort perform an in-place repair using Windows media (backup first).

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for benmar

try to have a full scan of anti virus of your PC, or do a system rstore....

Member Avatar for khakilang

The last option is to boot up your Window CD and do a repair. That will delete the old Window and replace with new. But of course always back up your data before doing this.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.