I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
boonies.)
She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
a valid executable.
I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
Application and Shortcut.
Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
must be those files.
Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
files.
Any ideas what I can check or do?
Thanks!
Liam

Re: WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files. by Shadow36

Shadow36
Mon Jun 02 14:30:53 PDT 2008


"Liam" <news@celticbear.com> wrote in message
news:24cc4d62-b2b0-47e3-bf6f-215d11331941@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
> She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
> boonies.)
> She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
> tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
> a valid executable.
> I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
> Application and Shortcut.
> Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
> must be those files.
> Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
> foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
> files.
> Any ideas what I can check or do?
> Thanks!
> Liam

They don't have to say foo.ex_ to show they weren't fully downloaded. I'm
betting her connection is crappy and the files are corrupt or the download
isn't finishing.



Re: WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files. by Big

Big
Mon Jun 02 14:36:26 PDT 2008

Shadow36 wrote:
> "Liam" <news@celticbear.com> wrote in message
> news:24cc4d62-b2b0-47e3-bf6f-215d11331941@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>> I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
>> She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
>> boonies.)
>> She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
>> tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
>> a valid executable.
>> I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
>> Application and Shortcut.
>> Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
>> must be those files.
>> Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
>> foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
>> files.
>> Any ideas what I can check or do?
>> Thanks!
>> Liam
>
> They don't have to say foo.ex_ to show they weren't fully downloaded. I'm
> betting her connection is crappy and the files are corrupt or the download
> isn't finishing.
>
>

I agree, Skype is about 22 Meg on a modem.
Have her try a slightly smaller file like Belarc Advisor. Its slightly
over 1 Meg.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Re: WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files. by Liam

Liam
Mon Jun 02 14:59:33 PDT 2008

On Jun 2, 4:36=A0pm, Big Al <Bi...@nowhere.com> wrote:
> Shadow36 wrote:
> > "Liam" <n...@celticbear.com> wrote in message
> >news:24cc4d62-b2b0-47e3-bf6f-215d11331941@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...=

> >> I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
> >> She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
> >> boonies.)
> >> She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
> >> tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
> >> a valid executable.
> >> I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
> >> Application and Shortcut.
> >> Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
> >> must be those files.
> >> Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
> >> foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
> >> files.
> >> Any ideas what I can check or do?
> >> Thanks!
> >> Liam
>
> > They don't have to say foo.ex_ to show they weren't fully downloaded. I'=
m
> > betting her connection is crappy and the files are corrupt or the downlo=
ad
> > isn't finishing.
>
> I agree, Skype is about 22 Meg on a modem.
> Have her try a slightly smaller file like Belarc Advisor. =A0Its slightly
> over 1 Meg.http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Yeah, you're all right. The Skype file, for example, was only half a
meg.
I helped her lower her modem port from 115K to 36K--I remember, oh,
ten years ago when I dealt with modems, that would often help
stabilize connections.
Thanks for the reminders!

Re: WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files. by Colon

Colon
Tue Jun 03 12:28:46 PDT 2008

"Liam" <news@celticbear.com> wrote in message
news:1aa61499-c9bd-44ae-ada5-c2e673327f76@z72g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
On Jun 2, 4:36 pm, Big Al <Bi...@nowhere.com> wrote:
> Shadow36 wrote:
> > "Liam" <n...@celticbear.com> wrote in message
> >news:24cc4d62-b2b0-47e3-bf6f-215d11331941@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> >> I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
> >> She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
> >> boonies.)
> >> She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
> >> tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
> >> a valid executable.
> >> I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
> >> Application and Shortcut.
> >> Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
> >> must be those files.
> >> Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
> >> foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
> >> files.
> >> Any ideas what I can check or do?
> >> Thanks!
> >> Liam
>
> > They don't have to say foo.ex_ to show they weren't fully downloaded.
> > I'm
> > betting her connection is crappy and the files are corrupt or the
> > download
> > isn't finishing.
>
> I agree, Skype is about 22 Meg on a modem.
> Have her try a slightly smaller file like Belarc Advisor. Its slightly
> over 1 Meg.http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Yeah, you're all right. The Skype file, for example, was only half a
meg.
I helped her lower her modem port from 115K to 36K--I remember, oh,
ten years ago when I dealt with modems, that would often help
stabilize connections.
Thanks for the reminders!


--------------------

You could help here even more by downloading the files for her on your
hi-speed connection then bruning them to CD and taking them to her.



--
Posted via NewsDemon.com - Premium Uncensored Newsgroup Service
------->>>>>>http://www.NewsDemon.com<<<<<<------
Unlimited Access, Anonymous Accounts, Uncensored Broadband Access

Re: WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files. by Big_Al

Big_Al
Tue Jun 03 12:37:05 PDT 2008

Colon Terminus wrote:
> "Liam" <news@celticbear.com> wrote in message
> news:1aa61499-c9bd-44ae-ada5-c2e673327f76@z72g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> On Jun 2, 4:36 pm, Big Al <Bi...@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> Shadow36 wrote:
>> > "Liam" <n...@celticbear.com> wrote in message
>> >news:24cc4d62-b2b0-47e3-bf6f-215d11331941@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> >> I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
>> >> She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
>> >> boonies.)
>> >> She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
>> >> tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
>> >> a valid executable.
>> >> I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
>> >> Application and Shortcut.
>> >> Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
>> >> must be those files.
>> >> Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
>> >> foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
>> >> files.
>> >> Any ideas what I can check or do?
>> >> Thanks!
>> >> Liam
>>
>> > They don't have to say foo.ex_ to show they weren't fully
>> downloaded. > I'm
>> > betting her connection is crappy and the files are corrupt or the >
>> download
>> > isn't finishing.
>>
>> I agree, Skype is about 22 Meg on a modem.
>> Have her try a slightly smaller file like Belarc Advisor. Its slightly
>> over 1 Meg.http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
>
> Yeah, you're all right. The Skype file, for example, was only half a
> meg.
> I helped her lower her modem port from 115K to 36K--I remember, oh,
> ten years ago when I dealt with modems, that would often help
> stabilize connections.
> Thanks for the reminders!
>
>
> --------------------
>
> You could help here even more by downloading the files for her on your
> hi-speed connection then bruning them to CD and taking them to her.
>
>
That will never solve her problem. Only this problem.
It would be better to install a download manager that would resume the
download after a disconnect or break in the download.

Re: WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files. by Big_Al

Big_Al
Tue Jun 03 12:38:01 PDT 2008

Liam wrote:
> I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
> She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
> boonies.)
> She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
> tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
> a valid executable.
> I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
> Application and Shortcut.
> Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
> must be those files.
> Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
> foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
> files.
> Any ideas what I can check or do?
> Thanks!
> Liam

An item no one seems to address:
Skype takes a lot of throughput on a connection. If she is having
issues with downloading the file, I just can't begin to think how much
issue she's going to have with Skype.

Re: WinXP won't open downloaded EXE files. by Liam

Liam
Tue Jun 03 12:49:23 PDT 2008

On Jun 3, 2:38=A0pm, Big_Al <Bi...@MD.com> wrote:
> Liam wrote:
> > I've a friend with WindowsXP Home.
> > She just installed a new modem and got dial-up service. (Lives in the
> > boonies.)
> > She downloaded the Skype and ZoneAlarm setup executable, but when she
> > tries to run them she gets an error that Windows can't open them, not
> > a valid executable.
> > I made sure EXE and LNK are in the file types associated with
> > Application and Shortcut.
> > Also, she can run cmd.exe, so, it's not an association problem...it
> > must be those files.
> > Had had her look at the properties, and both say foo.exe as opposed to
> > foo.ex_ or some other indication that they weren't fully downloaded
> > files.
> > Any ideas what I can check or do?
> > Thanks!
> > Liam
>
> An item no one seems to address:
> Skype takes a lot of throughput on a connection. =A0If she is having
> issues with downloading the file, I just can't begin to think how much
> issue she's going to have with Skype.

I agree!
But I think she just uses it as a chat program, not the telephony
component.