exe files open as text files

I have encountered a very strange problem. I have downloaded two exe files
recently. When I doubleclick on the exe file, instead of the application
installing, what should happen but Word of all things opens with, in the
case of one of them a box headed 'File Conversion - arw5setup.msi', and a
similar wording in the second, asking me to select the encoding that makes
my document readable. Whatever I select, the exe file then opens as a text
file. (The reference to an msi file is baffling as both files were exe
files.) When it happened the first time I thought it was a corrupt file, but
when it happened again it has to be that there is something wrong with my
system. Is this a virus? Spybot has just come up with a clean slate ...

A program with an extension of .msi is a "Microsoft Installer" when you
right click it can you select anything to in the "Open With..." menu?

Also in the start menu search 'default' without the quotes then hit
enter.

Click on the 'Associate a file type or protocol with a program' option.


Scroll down and find .msi, whats the default program? It should be
Windows Installer


--
CrucialHoax

wapanap wrote:
> I have encountered a very strange problem. I have downloaded two exe
> files recently. When I doubleclick on the exe file, instead of the
> application installing, what should happen but Word of all things opens
> with, in the case of one of them a box headed 'File Conversion -
> arw5setup.msi', and a similar wording in the second, asking me to select
> the encoding that makes my document readable. Whatever I select, the exe
> file then opens as a text file. (The reference to an msi file is
> baffling as both files were exe files.) When it happened the first time
> I thought it was a corrupt file, but when it happened again it has to be
> that there is something wrong with my system. Is this a virus? Spybot
> has just come up with a clean slate ...
>


No way to help without the name of the file

philo;1145768 Wrote:
> wapanap wrote:> > >
> > > I have encountered a very strange problem. I have downloaded two ex
> > > files recently. When I doubleclick on the exe file, instead of th
> > > application installing, what should happen but Word of all thing
> > open
> > > with, in the case of one of them a box headed 'File Conversion
> > > *arw5setup.msi*', and a similar wording in the second, asking me t
> > selec
> > > the encoding that makes my document readable. Whatever I select, th
> > ex
> > > file then opens as a text file. (The reference to an msi file i
> > > baffling as both files were exe files.) When it happened the firs
> > tim
> > > I thought it was a corrupt file, but when it happened again it has t
> > b
> > > that there is something wrong with my system. Is this a virus? Spybo
> > > has just come up with a clean slate ..
> > > > > No way to help without the name of the fil

The name of the file is in the original post..

--
CrucialHoax

Thanks for that crucial intervention! For some reason, the default program
for msi files had been changed to Word. Now I changed it back everything is
fine. Thanks again!

"CrucialHoax" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> A program with an extension of .msi is a "Microsoft Installer" when you
> right click it can you select anything to in the "Open With..." menu?
>
> Also in the start menu search 'default' without the quotes then hit
> enter.
>
> Click on the 'Associate a file type or protocol with a program' option.
>
>
> Scroll down and find .msi, whats the default program? It should be
> Windows Installer
>
>
> --
> CrucialHoax

'JTB World Blog: Have you lost your .EXE file extension association i
Windows Vista?
(http://blog.jtbworld.com/2007/03/hav...extension.html

--
lemu

::If *ANYONE* in this forum helps you, please click o
their *REP* icon. Thanks! (the middle scale icon in the upper righ
corner)::

CrucialHoax wrote:
> philo;1145768 Wrote:
>> wapanap wrote:> > >
>>>> I have encountered a very strange problem. I have downloaded two exe
>>>> files recently. When I doubleclick on the exe file, instead of the
>>>> application installing, what should happen but Word of all things
>>> opens
>>>> with, in the case of one of them a box headed 'File Conversion -
>>>> *arw5setup.msi*', and a similar wording in the second, asking me to
>>> select
>>>> the encoding that makes my document readable. Whatever I select, the
>>> exe
>>>> file then opens as a text file. (The reference to an msi file is
>>>> baffling as both files were exe files.) When it happened the first
>>> time
>>>> I thought it was a corrupt file, but when it happened again it has to
>>> be
>>>> that there is something wrong with my system. Is this a virus? Spybot
>>>> has just come up with a clean slate ...
>>>>>> No way to help without the name of the file
>
> The name of the file is in the original post...
>
>



The way the OP posted...he was pretty confused as he specifically said
it ended in .exe

that's why I wanted him to confirm the file name...

as you correctly surmised...it was of course an .msi file and not .exe

lemur wrote:
> 'JTB World Blog: Have you lost your .EXE file extension association in
> Windows Vista?'
> (http://blog.jtbworld.com/2007/03/hav...extension.html)
>
>


as Crucial Hoax figured out...
the OP mis-posted his question

it was not an exe

LOL

On 9/26/09, philo posted:
> lemur wrote:
>> 'JTB World Blog: Have you lost your .EXE file extension association in
>> Windows Vista?'
>> (http://blog.jtbworld.com/2007/03/hav...extension.html)
>>
>>


> as Crucial Hoax figured out...
> the OP mis-posted his question

> it was not an exe

> LOL

It certainly could have been an exe, in the form of a self-extracting
zip file whose contents were the msi file. Happens all the time.

--
Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com