Answer:File is corrupt, bad, or missing
If the file or program you're attempting to run is corrupt
or missing, Windows will be unable to execute the file properly and
sometimes generate this error message.
Download
files If you downloaded this file and verified it
is complete and compatible with your version of
Windows,
delete the file and try downloading and running it again. It's possible
during the download that the file became corrupted.
Finally,
if the second download does not work, try downloading the file from a
different webpage. It is possible that the person or company maintaining
the website mistakenly uploaded a corrupt version of the file you're
attempting download.
Installing a program from a
CD or other disk If you're attempting to install a
program and are getting this error, verify that the CD is clean. If the
CD is dirty or bad, you could get this error during the install and/or
get this error after the program has been installed because it was not
copied properly onto the computer.
- Additional information
about cleaning a CD can be found on our cleaning page.
Running a program from the computer If you're running the program from a shortcut on the
computer, verify that the program is still on the computer. In some
cases if the program is no longer installed on the computer you may get
this error.
If the hard disk drive is corrupted or
bad it can also cause working programs to fail either because not all
the data can be read from the hard disk drive or because the program has
become corrupted while on the drive. Run
scandisk
and
defrag
on the hard disk drive to check for any potential errors.
Long file name issue Make sure the
program or file you're attempting to run does not contain the same name
as the long file name directory it is contained in. For example,
executing a file named "program" in the "program files" directory can
cause errors in some versions of Windows.
Additionally,
if you're attempting to install a program and after the install the
program does not work, you may also want to try installing the program
in a different
directory.
Bad file Any file can be
changed or renamed to be a .exe file. If you're downloading the file,
make sure the file is supposed to be a .exe file and that it's not being
changed. If you're attempting to create a .exe, file make sure you're
compiling
the file for Windows and never just rename a file to a .exe file. For
example, renaming a .bat file to a .exe file will not make the file an
executable file. For a file to become an executable file it needs to
either be compiled or converted through a software program designed to
convert the file.
File is not designed for your
version of Windows
If you're trying to run a program
that is not designed for your version of Windows you may get this error.
Although many older programs designed to work in older versions of
Windows will work with new versions of Windows, unfortunately, not all
programs will work.
- If the program is an
older MS-DOS program or early Windows program you may get this error.
- If the program is designed for a 64-bit version of Windows
and you're running it in a 32-bit version of Windows, it will not work
and generate this error.
If you're
attempting to run an older computer game in a new version of Windows,
see
document
CH000587 for additional suggestions about getting older games to
work in Windows.
File is a virus, worm, or other
malware file
This
error can be
generated by a
file
that is a
virus,
worm,
trojan, or
other
type
of
malware
file. Often, this will be caused because the virus scanner installed in
the
computer
will not allow the file to be installed or run. Try scanning the file
to verify it is not a virus and/or infected.
If the
file has been checked and is clean, it is still possible that the virus
protection program and/or another program installed on the computer is
causing issues during the install or execution of the program. Boot the
computer into Safe Mode and try running the program; booting the
computer into Safe Mode will make sure nothing is running in the
background that could be causing this issue. Additional information
about Safe Mode can be found on
document CHSAFE.
Hardware incompatibility
If
you're getting this error during the installation of a program it's also
possible that the CD-ROM drive or the drive you're installing the
program from is not compatible with Windows or has drivers that are not
compatible with Windows.
Download the latest drivers
for your CD drive or other drive through our
drivers page.
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