# Windows Media Player has me held hostage! Please send help! **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705 **Category:** Factual Questions **Created:** [November 6, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705 "2003-11-06T15:42:01Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/1 "2003-11-06T15:42:01Z")
Here’s the deal… Every time I download anything in **.exe** format, Media Player tries to open it. But Media Player doesn’t support .exe format. so, I can’t download any software. Well, I can, I just can’t execute it. This include the Media Player Update which is in .exe format. How do I make it so that edia Player doesn’t try to open these files? What do I use to open them? HELP! … ---
### Author: ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/2 "2003-11-06T15:44:17Z")
I think you should be able to open .exe files by themselves. Just double click on it and see what happens. ---
### Author: ![Xerxes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d2c977/32.png) [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/3 "2003-11-06T16:09:58Z")
I wondered whether MP had become associated with .exe files, but I would reckon that not much would work on the machine if that were so. Did you download it to a specific location (i.e. c: emp or My Downloads or whatever), or did you open it directly? If you downloaded to your drive, what happens when you execute it from there? If you opened it directly, try saving it to your drive first (i.e. right click on the link and save-target-as). If .exes _have_ become associated with MP - and again, I can’t see how this could be - you can break the association with (in XP): Run explorer, goto tools/folder options, then the file types tab. Examine the list to see if MP is associated with .EXEs and remove the association if it exists. ---
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/4 "2003-11-06T16:23:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Super Gnat \* > \*\*I think you should be able to open .exe files by themselves. Just double click on it and see what happens. \*\* Whenever I double-click on it, it opens Media Player. Then I get an error message saying the format is not supported. I **never**"tell it to open Media Player. It just does it on its own. ---
### Author: ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/5 "2003-11-06T16:25:37Z")
This one is a real head-scratcher. **Xerxes** is thinking in the right direction, but there’s a problem. In WinXP (not sure about other flavors), .EXE isn’t even a registered file type. In other words, when you do the tools/folder options thing, .EXE isn’t even listed! It seems as if XP protects you from messing around with the application associations of a .EXE file, for obvious reasons. Which leaves us with **mmm…forbidden doughnut’s** problem - I can’t imagine how I would create that situation even if I wanted to! ---
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/6 "2003-11-06T16:27:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Xerxes \* > \*\* > > If .exes _have_ become associated with MP - and again, I can’t see how this could be - you can break the association with (in XP): > > Run explorer, goto tools/folder options, then the file types tab. Examine the list to see if MP is associated with .EXEs and remove the association if it exists. \*\* Re: the first paragraph, I use Windows 98. So, I’m not sure I really understand what you mean here. Regarding the second, if I do this, what then will open .exe files? ---
### Author: ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/7 "2003-11-06T16:30:38Z")
When you right click on the exe file, which option is bolded? Is it something other than “open”? Can you drop to a dos window, cd into the directory with the exe, and run it from the command line? Can you create a shortcut to the exe and try to run the shortcut? \ -lv ---
### Author: ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/8 "2003-11-06T16:33:58Z")
I don’t have a Win98 machine to play with, but try this: double-click on My Computer. Then, from the toolbar, select View/Folder Options. Then click on the File Types tab. Scroll down through the list of file types, and see if EXE is in the list. If it is, see if there’s a way to “break” its assocation with Media Player. Actually, EXE shouldn’t be associated with any application - the operating system runs files with that extension, not some other application! ---
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/9 "2003-11-06T16:38:43Z")
um, huh? ---
### Author: ![Xerxes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d2c977/32.png) [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/10 "2003-11-06T16:39:02Z")
Exe files should be opened by the OS, (which is why **Early Out** pointed out that it’s not an option under XP to associate them with anything else - and why I pondered that nothing would work if MP tried to open exes). So… what happens when you try and start another exe (say by double-clicking on it, or running it from Start-\>Run)? Can you run _anything_ else on the machine? I’m fast running out of ideas here, but if all else fails, does '98 have \? You can search the registry for certain strings; I’d try search for the name of the MP executable (Find is under Edit). That’s if you can run regedit in the first place, of course, rather than having MP croak trying to run it. ---
### Author: ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/11 "2003-11-06T16:44:34Z")
[This](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;312455) Knowledge Base article mentions a similar problem with QuickTime. You might want to try the registry fix it suggests. ---
### Author: ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/12 "2003-11-06T16:49:48Z")
That just isn’t right. I don’t even have an .exe file type in Folder Options. What happens if you try to run the file from the Run dialog box? There is a file type association tab in Media Player but .exe file types are not listed as they should.You might want to check your setting. The easiest thing to do may be to remove Media Player. ---
### Author: ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/13 "2003-11-06T16:58:41Z")
Might want to try the [EXE fix](http://home.earthlink.net/~rmbox/Reticulated/Toys.html) ? ---
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/14 "2003-11-06T17:34:46Z")
Thank you! Thank you! I will try that as soon as I get home! ---
### Author: ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out) #### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/15 "2003-11-06T18:33:24Z")
I’ll put my money on the KB article that **Number** has tracked down. Don’t ask me why, but it just sounds like the right ticket. ---
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 7, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/16 "2003-11-07T14:22:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*[This](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;312455) Knowledge Base article mentions a similar problem with QuickTime. You might want to try the registry fix it suggests. \*\* This didn’t work. :rolleyes: ---
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 7, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/17 "2003-11-07T14:25:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daizy \* > \*\*Might want to try the [EXE fix](http://home.earthlink.net/~rmbox/Reticulated/Toys.html) ? \*\* Neither did this. I did everything it said to do and it was very easy. But when I tried to open an exe file, MP still opened. I didn’t restart the computer before I tried and then gave up. Could that be it? ---
### Author: ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number) #### Post date: [November 7, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/18 "2003-11-07T14:33:41Z")
When did this problem start? If it’s within the last few days then you may be able to restore the registry using Win98’s [scanreg](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;183887&Product=w98) utility. Boot into DOS (hit F8 before Windows loads and select **Command prompt only** ), type **scanreg /restore** , and select a date before the problem occurred. ---
### Author: ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy) #### Post date: [November 7, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/19 "2003-11-07T14:47:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I didn’t restart the computer before I tried and then gave up. Could that be it? Easy way to find out?! 🙂 ---
### Author: ![mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@mmm.forbidden\_doughnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmm.forbidden_doughnut) #### Post date: [November 7, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705/20 "2003-11-07T14:53:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mmm… forbidden doughnut \* > \*\*This didn’t work. :rolleyes: \*\* I guess I should say what happened. I did what this page said to do but when I got the exe part of the command “HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\InternetExplorer\Plugins\Extension.exe” exe wasn’t listed. What now? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-has-me-held-hostage-please-send-help/211705.md?page=2)