[dba-Tech] .exe always runs Acrobat

Billy Pang tuxedoman888 at gmail.com
Thu Aug 31 18:00:05 CDT 2006


I didn't even know that there was a restore button that replaces the
advanced button on the filetypes tab of the folder options window.  i just
always assumed that that spot was occupied by one button alone.  Perhaps in
the next version of windows (vista or beyond), they should allow either
and/or both the restore and advanced buttons to be greyed out depending on
the situation, if it is still applicable.

On 8/31/06, DJK(John) Robinson <djkr at msn.com> wrote:
>
> Billy, that was a good link.  Thanks!  I finally got to the client
> yesterday
> and fixed the problem.
>
> In fact, the registry edit didn't do the job, but there were some useful
> tips - for instance, if .exe files won't work and you really want to run a
> particular one, then change its extension to .com temporarily.
>
> In the end, it came down to the final suggestion, trying to handle the exe
> association in Explorer's File Types.  The difficulty is that you can't
> see
> this unless you "create" it afresh, whereupon the pre-existing entry
> magically appears.  I've put up a page with the details if you're
> interested
> (watch for wrap):
> http://www.djkr.co.uk/djkrco/tech/misc/EXE_file_association_problem.doc
>
> We haven't been able to reproduce exactly the finger trouble that brought
> about the problem, but there is an area of vulnerability that I'm sure was
> involved.  If the user goes to the executable and right-clicks on "Pin to
> Start menu", then what appears on the Start menu is a particular kind of
> shortcut (don't know what MS call it, but it's not the usual sort).  It
> will
> appear on the Start menu with the name of the .exe file, which he will
> want
> to change to something more meaningful.  Right-click on it and select
> Rename, and all will be well: the name of the link will have been chaged.
>
> But if instead of Rename he selected Properties, he would have been able
> to
> change the name there, too.  BUT - in this case he's changing the name of
> the actual executable itself!  The name on the Menu changes too, but his
> troubles have only just begun...
>
> Although nothing showed up in the registry, I still suspect the problem
> was
> in there somewhere.  I've got Before and After copies (100MB each) and
> will
> explore when I have time.
>
> John
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jon Tydda
> Sent: 24 August 2006 21:56
> To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'
> Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] .exe always runs Acrobat
>
>
> Yes, you can put the registry entries into a text file and save it as a
> *.reg. Then double click the file, it'll enter the required data into the
> registry without using regedit. Voila...
>
>
> Jon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Billy Pang
> Sent: 24 August 2006 21:24
> To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues; djkr at msn.com
> Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] .exe always runs Acrobat
>
> i found this... "How to Fix a Broken .EXE Association"
>
> http://filext.com/info/showthread.php?t=12
>
> it is possible to fix problem by editing the registry without using
> regedit?
> i haven't tried it so not sure if it works.
>
> anyways hope it helps and good luck
>
> Billy
>
>
> On 8/24/06, DJK(John) Robinson <djkr at msn.com> wrote:
> >
> > Got a phone call from a (database) client in a pickle.
> >
> > He's running Win XP, and has done *something* that has resulted in
> > Adobe Acrobat trying to run whenever he tries to run ANY .exe program:
> > Word, regedit, ..., as if Explorer had somehow got a file type
> > association of exe with Acrobat - which doesn't make sense.
> >
> > Double-clicking on a .doc file opens up Word ok, for instance, but
> > trying to run Word directly brings up Acrobat.
> >
> > The last thing he recalls doing was something like pinning a new
> > program onto the upper pane in the Start menu, and then changing its
> > ?name, ?properties.  Sorry, it gets a bit confused here.
> >
> > I've got him to run System Restore from command prompt in Safe Mode,
> > to get back to a previous checkpoint, but this failed at a late stage
> > on starting up Windows when it was apparently trying to run its own
> > restore utility program - yes, an exe, which tried to run Acrobat
> > ...!!&$%"@%!
> >
> > This is outside my experience, and it's a difficult thing to try to
> > look up in the KB.
> >
> > Any bright ideas I can pass on to him when he gets back to work in
> > about
> > 12
> > hours?
> >
> > John
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > dba-Tech mailing list
> > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com
> > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech
> > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Billy Pang
> http://dbnotes.blogspot.com/
> "Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box." -
> Italian proverb _______________________________________________
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-- 
Billy Pang
http://dbnotes.blogspot.com/
"Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box." -
Italian proverb



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