Member Avatar for mcrrcoker

Hi! Everytime i try to open ANY exe programs notepad pops with a bunch of code like this "5®Ê{Ãÿ%Pcb ‹ÀS3Ûj èîÿÿÿƒøujèâÿÿÿ" I tried to disable a virus by changing the extension cuz it wouldn;t let me delete it so i did that and i think i might of tried to change how it opened but i can't remember sorry! But can anyone help me cuz i really don't want to reinstall windows! Thanks alot!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Cerebral Assasi

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A short diagnosis and safe plan: this is almost always a broken .exe file association (Windows is treating executables like text files). That can happen after an accidental “Open with…” choice or when malware modifies per‑user associations; restoring the default association is the correct fix rather than reinstalling Windows. (learn.microsoft.com)

Fast repair steps (try these first if programs still run): open an elevated Command Prompt (or Task Manager → File → Run new task and start an elevated cmd) and run the two association commands below, then restart.

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

If assoc/ftype execute successfully the .exe problem is usually solved. These commands are the supported way to reset executable file handling. (learn.microsoft.com)

If nothing runnable can be started (no cmd, regedit, etc.), use Task Manager → File → Run new task → type notepad to create a rescue .reg file (save as All Files, .reg) that removes the user-level “open with” entries for .exe and then import it (REG IMPORT <path> or double‑click). Microsoft documents this rescue path and provides the exact registry-clean file to import; back up the registry or create a System Restore point before importing. (learn.microsoft.com)

After restoring associations, validate system health: run an updated anti‑malware scan (Microsoft Safety Scanner or a current reputable tool) to remove any root cause, then repair system files with DISM + SFC:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Repeat SFC after DISM if needed. Finally confirm any AV alerts about Notepad are checked against the file location and digital signature before deleting system files. (learn.microsoft.com)

Notes and cautions: ’s suggestion to try association fixes was on the right track; ’s warning about not assuming an AV finding is definitive is also worth heeding. If the problem follows a feature update (some updates have broken associations for others), restoring the association and running the above integrity scans is still the first, safest approach. Keep a registry backup and a current offline backup of personal files before attempting registry edits. ()

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Member Avatar for caperjack

try this .

Member Avatar for mcrrcoker

Ya i tried that and the secondary way to fix it nothing happend! So i tried the fixreg thing nothing! Than i rebooted and now Mcafee works but nothing else?

EDIT
Ok i think i might have found something here! I was going through the toutorial and i went to this HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ FileExts \ .exe and found out that it says this

Name- Application
Type- REG_SZ
Data- notepad.exe

Is that data wrong? Cuz thats what the apps are opening with in notepad? Should i change it?

Member Avatar for caperjack

Sorry i cant say yes or no to that ,if it were mine i would back up my regstry and try it now im not say for you to delete them !!! you be the judge

Member Avatar for mcrrcoker

I fixed it! I deleted the notepad.exe and changed it to nothing so it works now but thanks for the help

Member Avatar for caperjack

your welcome ,good to see you fixed it .

Member Avatar for Cerebral Assasi

Ya i tried that and the secondary way to fix it nothing happend! So i tried the fixreg thing nothing! Than i rebooted and now Mcafee works but nothing else?

EDIT
Ok i think i might have found something here! I was going through the toutorial and i went to this HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ FileExts \ .exe and found out that it says this

Name- Application
Type- REG_SZ
Data- notepad.exe

Is that data wrong? Cuz thats what the apps are opening with in notepad? Should i change it?

check for that notepad.exe on mc afee virus list....

otepad - notepad.exe - Process Information

Process File: notepad or notepad.exe
Process Name: Windows Notepad

Description:
 notepad.exe is the exectuable for Notepad, the default text editor included in Windows used to open and edit txt documents.

Note: notepad.exe is also a process which is registered as a trojan. This Trojan allows attackers to access your computer from remote locations, stealing passwords, Internet banking and personal data. It is a registered security risk and should be removed immediately.

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