Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10

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If you are unable to download any exe file in Windows 10 or even on Windows 7/8/8.1, there may be a problem in your Internet Options or Windows Registry needs to be configured correctly.

This error usually occurs when you have disabled downloading of executable files in Internet Options. This can be done manually by any user or it can also be altered automatically through some software. While there can be many other possibilities, these two are the most popular ones. We will talk about fixing unable to download any exe file in Windows 10 using both methods. Let’s start with fixing Internet Options.

You may also like to read about how our 3 must have tools to fix most Windows problems without getting help from a techie.

Fixing unable to download any exe files using Internet Options

Your Internet Options are not set properly that’s why .exe file download is creating an issue. Apply below steps to set Internet Options orderly.

  1. Type Internet Options in the Start Menu and open the first result you get.
  2. Go to Security tab, in Internet Options window and select Custom Level.
    Unable To Download Any EXE File fix
  3. A new window will open. Here find  Downloads, expand it further and enable File Download and Font Download.
    Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10 8
  4. Scroll below to look for another option with name Launching applications and unsafe files and select the Prompt option for it.
    Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10 9
  5. Press Apply and OK. Close all open windows.

Fixing exe files not opening using Windows Registry

  1. Open the Registry Editor window by typing regedit.exe in Run dialog/. And go to the following entry.
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ploicies\Attachments”.
    Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10 10
  2. Here you have to create a new 32-bit DWORD value with name ScanWithAntivirus and set its value to 1, this value will off or disable the scan.
    Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10 11

So now any file you will download, antivirus software will not scan it, and your download will not suffer anymore.

Adding a Registry for EXE file extension

  1. Download the following Registry key:

    Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10 12  Reset EXE Extensions (Windows Registry) (5.7 KiB, 2,811 hits)

  2. Now go to the file where you save it, double-click on it to add this registry to the Windows Registry.
    Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10 13
  3. A confirmatory window will open to ask you for changes you are going to made in Registry Editor. Press Yes, and here you are done.
    Fix: Unable To Download Any EXE File In Windows 10 14

After applying the fixes, hopefully your issue of being unable to download or save any exe file will be resolved. But be sure of what you are downloading, and always download from official websites to avoid viruses with downloads, as you may suffer any issue if the virus comes along with your download files.

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Maham Mukhtar
Having done MPhil in Computer Sciences, I'm passionate about new IT technologies and eager to learn. I write about tech trends, new tools and software, and rapidly emerging technologies.

7 comments

  • Rieyaz Ahamed
    Rieyaz Ahamed

    hi i cant find the attachments folder in “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ploicies\Attachments”. What can i do

  • Fred

    Adding a Registry for EXE file extension
    Download the following Registry key:
    Reset Exe in Windows Registry
    Now go to file where you save it, double-click on it to add this registry into Windows Registry.

    this link doesn’t work

  • ayush patel
    ayush patel

    it does not work . sometime before I deleted all H_KEY files by mistake . from then no exe files open and install . I want to install an exe apk please help me. make a video on thus topic and give me your channel link please bro. by this my regedit not opening and shows problem on opening regedit and all exe files is “windows cannot find .please check you named correctly and check spelling”

  • Frank

    Doesnt work my trouble is different
    S.O.S

  • Linda Hill
    Linda Hill

    I have done everything on this page, but the reset exe in windows reg and it says it can not run because it can not be found so it did not download and run so what do I do now I would like for this dang thing to work right and do my exe so I can get the shit on here that I need. It is no good to me as it is now and it was working ok until the last update so they need to fix it right This is crazy it will not even let me post the comment.

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