Participant

Question

Adobe Reader 9.0 takes over most Exe. programs

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
July 1, 2009
9 replies
29625 views

Help! I am using Vista (can't change this). When I upgrade to Adobe 9.0, the links for most all Exe. programs are replaced by link to Adobe. I note that others have referenced this problem for months. I can't believe I or anyone else is supposed to manually fix all the Exe. links. What's up with this? What's the problem and the fix? Thank you.

This topic has been closed for replies.

C

Chetty

Participant

I had the same problem but went to the Microsoft "Fixit" program for installing software and the problem was corrected. I now have Adob Reader 10 installed and working.

J

jodon1230

Participant

I have a new computer with windows 7. I'm having the problem of Adobe taking over my icons. Did you resolve & fix this problem? If so how? I'm not a computer expert. FAR FROM IT!. Hope it was easy to do. Please help.

A

Anonymous

LOL!

Your linked MS page was last modified in March 2004!

<copy>

Article ID: 555067 - Last Review: March 1, 2004 - Revision: 1.0

</copy>

The information applies to:

<copy>

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems
Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Standard Edition

</copy>

I am using Windows Vista Home Premium.I hardly think an issue from 5 1/2 YEARS ago applies to today. Please catch up with the times!

L

LGaspar

Participant

Windows Vista uses the Windows NT Kernel (a Kernel is the most basic part of the operating system). Every consumer grade version of Windows after Windows ME (millennium) has used the NT Kernel along with most of the configuration programs and files. This goes, ... > NT 3.5 > NT 4 > Windows 2000 > Windows XP > Windows Vista > Windows 7. Again much of the code from NT 4 is unchanged even in Windows 7, this is actually pretty common for software development.

In this case the issue is from a bug/feature introduced at least as far back as Windows 2000 release version. This has to do with how Windows stores file associations. Typically when you have a .XXX file, when you click on that file Windows checks a list of programs to see if any of them should open the file. If not you get a request message box asking for you to pick an action.

There are several "special" extensions. (an extension is anything past the "." or dot character) This list includes .lnk (shortcut), .exe (executable), .com (also executable but of an older type), .bat (batch file). This list of .extension (dot-extension) file types have special actions associated with double clicking on them.

By default when an executable (.exe) is double-clicked it is loaded into memory and the first set of instructions is carried out.

This issue is caused by a Windows Install feature or bug that has existed since at least the release version of Windows 2000. This "feature" allows a USER to specify "ALL" extensions when the list should be "All of THESE" extensions. If the user has administrative privileges, has certain features turned on in the Windows OS (these are usually set by security software for hardening reasons) the "ALL" option will place an entry in the program/extension association list for .exe. This entry is the cause of the problem. Instead of loading the file into memory, it instead passed to the particular program.

If you would like to test this try the following:

1) Log into your computer with an user account with Administrative privileges (which in most cases you already are).

2) Open up a command line terminal (Start > Run, in the run box type, "cmd" and hit enter).

3) assoc .exe="C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe"

Once you have completed this step, your programs will no longer open in Reader, but in Wordpad. Not that this is any help but it is demonstratively. You can then remove this entry through the method below.

From the command line type:

ASSOC .EXE=exefile

As a last step, I believe that creating a New User account will also reset this as file associations are per user, not per machine.

Let me also say, I did just do both of these steps on this computer as I typed this message. I created the issue described in this post, and then corrected it.

pwillener

Legend

Thanks for the explanation - that makes some very intersting reading!

A

Anonymous

This issue says "can't open exe files": http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555067

Did you even read it???

<copy>

SYMPTOMS

When you try to open EXE files, you may get errors messages like: "Access Deny", "Runtime error" etc.

Back to the top

CAUSE

Corrupt registry settings or some third party product (or virus) can change the default configuration for running EXE files. This may lead to failed operation when you try to run EXE files.

Back to the top

</copy>

Exactly how does that relate to "every single exe on my PC launches Adobe Reader 9 (or another program)"?

If anything, this confirms that Reader 9 is a virus, and Adobe Reader has changed the default configuration for running EXE files!

Unfortunately, the issue re-occurs if I keep Reader installed. I had to uninstall it. Reinstalling only recreated the issue. Seems to be caused by Adobe Reader, not MS.

A

Anonymous

This started happening to me yesterday. I rebooted my PC, and when I tried to launch Google Chrome, it became Adobe Reader 9. It then changed every single EXE file on my desktop to Reader's icon and attempted to launch each app using Adobe Reader. Right clicking on any file's icon gave me the option to 'read' the file. There were no options to open, edit, etc.

Seeing how long this issue has persisted by simply googling 'adobe reader virus', I think it's absolutely ridiculous that Adobe hasn't fixed or acknowledged this a serious bug. I don't know what triggers the registry changes, but it's not caused by a bad install (as a poster above mentioned). If so, the issue would have occurred a long time ago, and not suddenly appeared after a normal reboot.

Unfortunately, when you suffer from this bug, it disables ALL exe files from launching. I couldn't launch System Restore because the buttons link to an EXE file which it connects with Adobe Reader. I also could not launch Windows Defender and could not launch McAfee Security Center. I thought I had a virus and wasted all night and today trying to get rid of the virus. It is not a virus though! It's Adobe's application that broke every single application on my PC, including Anti-virus software which became unresponsive to every click.

Most users are not going to figure out this bug. Adobe really needs to take a look at this! I did install Python and Google's App Engine 2 days ago but I don't see why that would have caused Adobe Reader to change my registry.

I'm so frustrated right now !:(

S

saifsaif

Participant

I had the same problem..and i fixed it !!

here is the solution

you must Reset and Fix Windows Vista default file extension type associations

and in order to do so

go to this site

http://www.kreslavsky.com/2009/03/reset-and-fix-windows-vista-default-file-extention-type-associations.html

download the vista fix file and open the exe fix registry file

A

Anonymous

I'm surprised Adobe would allow someone with 1 post to freely link to a script that changes a user's registery. If you're smart, you won't click the link. Even if it's a real fix, bad people normally spread viruses this way.

Easy fix -- Unintall Adobe Reader and hope they fix it so you can use it again.

S

saifsaif

Participant

I'm surprised Adobe would allow someone with 1 post to freely link to a script that changes a user's registery. If you're smart, you won't click the link. Even if it's a real fix, bad people normally spread viruses this way.
Easy fix -- Unintall Adobe Reader and hope they fix it so you can use it again.

well, am not a "bad people"..and its a real fix from a crediable source

i tried it my self and it worked just fine with no problems

if you wanna wait for adope to fix it..you will wait forever

L

LGaspar

Participant

This is actually a Windows installer / User error and has been most common with Adobe Reader. I could not find the Adobe tech doc that goes over the possible solutions, but here are a couple of sites with decent instructions.

Basically you need to correct a bad entry in the Registry:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistaprograms/thread/16be61fe-76ef-4b91-9f60-3338cbcefb97

http://www.pcpowerguide.com/processes/exe/fix-exe-file-association-errors/

Once you have this fixed you can then re-install Reader. BUT!!! My guess is that something <i>odd</i> was going on during the installation OR you were doing something wrong during the installation.

My suggestion is to download the installer file and save it to your computer (to your desktop for example) then disconnect from the Internet (aka unplug the Ethernet cord/turn off wireless card), turn off any security software you may have (along with anything else you have running) and then try installing again.

If you continue to have problems, call Adobe support.

If you want to avoid being on the phone for long you can also seek online support. There is a Adobe knowledge base document that covers this situation that I used to recommend to people but I can not seem to find it online today. You could ask if they can send you a copy.

S

Santo_3

Participant

I am experiencing the same problem and i can ensure that it is not a user error.

I dont have much to add to the first post except from the fact that in my case, once adobe reader is installed (9.2) and gives the known problem, a way to open the .exe files is right click and select open.

I have done as told in the latter post. But the options that are suggested to be changed in the link given are just as they are supposed to be.

I ended up using Foxit reader.

Seems like we are left out...

A

Anonymous

Hello:

I'm not sure if this will help since I have never run across this particular issue but try running checkdisk on your boot drive forcing it to repair any errors it finds on the disk. Ensure you are running the command prompt with Administrative privledges or disable UAC first.

1. Click Start > Run

2. Type CMD > hit ENTER key

3. Type chkdsk /f > hit ENTER key

4. Type y to the prompt that informs you that checkdisk will run upon the next reboot

5. Type EXIT > hit ENTER

6. Reboot your system

I'll keep looking around for a posible resolution but try this for now. Have you applied all of the Microsoft security patches? Service packs? IE8?

Best of success!

Michael

pwillener

Legend

Not quite sure how CHKDSK (HD) can fix bad file associations (registry). But then this whole thing is a mystery...

Can one of the affected users please check the registry, and tell me the contents of this key (while the error is occurring)

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe

A

Anonymous

Me neither, Pat, except the registry resides on the hard drive thus the suggestion. It has been my experience that checkdisk has resolved very odd OS behaviors so I felt it worth the minimal effort it would take to complete. I admit I have never seen anything like this so I am grasping at straws. The same goes for the registry fix tool on Windows Live OneCare safety scanner, which is why I'd suggest that next if checkdisk doesn't fix the issue.

Good luck!

Michael

pwillener

Legend

pblodge wrote:
... the links for most all Exe. programs are replaced by link to Adobe.

I have read this sentence four or five times, but I cannot imagine what you mean by that - please explain.

P

pblodgeAuthor

Participant

Thank you for asking. Below is an explanation in part lifted from another person's request for help with the same issue in the Adobe Forum back in Jan 2009. There was no explanation or solution posted that I could find.

"I am using Vista. After installing Reader 9.0 it takes over. It changes all of my MS office 2007 icons (and others) to look like Acrobat icons and then tries to launch Adobe instead of the program I am trying to launch when I click on the icon. I get the following error message

c:programfiles\.......reader\Eula.exe

This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the set associations control panel"

I can't believe that I must recreate associations for all many files manually.

I will appreciate it if you have an explanation and can suggest a solution.

pwillener

Legend

Ok, I understand. If I were to experience this situation I would

uninstall Adobe Reader (using Windows Installer Cleanup Utility, if necessary)
run a Repair Install of Office
reinstall Adobe Reader

Did that fix your situation? If not, do you have a System Restore Point of a date before the problem started?

APPLIES TO

SYMPTOMS

CAUSE

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