Solved Security won't let me open downloaded exe files

[jencarr]

HI there

I have only had my laptop 6 months, and I recently got a nasty virus on it that shut everything down. I managed to salvage it and it now works OK, problem is that since the virus I cannot run downloaded exe files. A windows security box pops up and says 'These files can't be opened. Your Internet Security settings prevented one or more files from being opened.'.

The virus I had was a fake antivirus that installed itself on my laptop and stopped task manager and other stuff from working. This is all now fixed and its just this downloading problem.

I have tried changing all security settings to low and this doesn't work. I also tried custom levels and ensured all downloading was enabled. Finally I tried checking it all in the registry by going to Internet Settings and ensuring that 1803 was set to 0 and it was in both local machine and current user.

Can anyone help as I'm really stuck now.

 

[Francis93]

HI there

I have only had my laptop 6 months, and I recently got a nasty virus on it that shut everything down. I managed to salvage it and it now works OK, problem is that since the virus I cannot run downloaded exe files. A windows security box pops up and says 'These files can't be opened. Your Internet Security settings prevented one or more files from being opened.'.

The virus I had was a fake antivirus that installed itself on my laptop and stopped task manager and other stuff from working. This is all now fixed and its just this downloading problem.

I have tried changing all security settings to low and this doesn't work. I also tried custom levels and ensured all downloading was enabled. Finally I tried checking it all in the registry by going to Internet Settings and ensuring that 1803 was set to 0 and it was in both local machine and current user.

Can anyone help as I'm really stuck now.

Hello jencarr,

Welcome to SevenForums!

Have you re-scanned your laptop (with Malwarebytes or your AV) if there are still any remnants of the virus?

It's much better to backup your files and then do a repair install (or a fresh, clean install). Such damage has been done to your PC by the virus, making it unstable and restoring your PC's normal, stable and healthy state would surely be very exhausting.

 

[yowanvista]

Run malwarebytes
Malwarebytes

Or do a system restore
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

 

[jencarr]

Yes I've tried running malwarebytes and nothing has changed. I also cannot do a system restore as the virus deleted all my system restore files.

 

[jencarr]

Oh and also I got my laptop with the OS already installed and no disc so I can't reinstall... I'm really stuck

 

[Francis93]

Oh and also I got my laptop with the OS already installed and no disc so I can't reinstall... I'm really stuck

You must contact the manufacturer or the authorized vendor of your laptop and ask them to reinstall Windows for you. If it's still under warranty, technical support/repair should be free of charge.

 

[Bill2]

Try the solutions in these threads.

Internet security settings prevents one or more files from being opened

Your Internet security settings prevented one or more files from being opened.

If those dont help, run a sfc scan 3-4 times.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[jencarr]

Try the solutions in these threads.

Internet security settings prevents one or more files from being opened

Your Internet security settings prevented one or more files from being opened.

If those dont help, run a sfc scan 3-4 times.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

Sorted! This thread Internet security settings prevents one or more files from being opened

showed me that 'Launching applications and unsafe files' was disabled in my custom levels settings. I'd missed that one when I checked it before. Thanks so much!

 

[peaceweapon]

Didn't work for me...

 

[Petey7]

Didn't work for me...

What problem(s) are you specifically having? What have you tried to fix it?

 

[peaceweapon]

my problem is the same, I try to open, for ex, Asus live update or even directly extract downloaded files with winrar using right click (if I first open them with winrar and copy them to another directory it doesn't happen), then a yellow warning appears, the same as here: Windows 7 security problem : Operating Systems
I've tried the solution here (altering internet options) and even system restore, but I can't go back anymore and it is still happening...
Sometimes it comes out of nowhere (Asus live update starting).

When I go see which program was blocked it is either the exe file from asus update or the winrar exe or another program....
I opened McAfee firewall and made sure the asus update was in the allowed list, I made a new permission on windows firewall just in case (it's not turned on anyway), I checked if windows defender was on (it's not), my UAC is normal....
I saw some solutions that alter the registry somewhere, and another saying I should just make a new user account... I don't want to do it unless it goes much worse... but it's really anoying...

It's the second stupid thing in the last 2 weeks (the other one was the black gadget problem, but the solution found in this forum only solves my problem until I turn off the PC, next session is the same....)

Sad...

Oh, Windows 7 64b and using firefox as main browser and mcafee as AV

 

[Petey7]

McAfee is known for causing weird problems, such as the one you speak of, expecially after updating. For testing purposes, uninstall McAfee and run the removal tool (can be easilly found with google), and disconnect from the internet. If the problem still occurs, you can reinstall McAfee if you want to (although I would never recommend using McAfee). If the problem stops, or you do not wish to continue using McAfee, download and install Microsoft Security Essentials (it is free). Have you tried the system file checker? Open and elevated command prompt and type "SFC /SCANNOW".

 

[peaceweapon]

Well, actually I'm using McAfee for over a year now... never gave me any problem. I did recently renew it.... I hope that isn't the prob cause I just paid for another year for 2 computers... Weird it is the same problem as other people have and some have solved it and others didn't even have mcafee, I think... and the gadget problem was previous to renewal.

Also, my wife's PC is about the same (win7 64b, Toshiba, equivalent to mine in characteristics) and also using McAfee... and nothing happened yet...

I'll check the system too.... thanks

 

[peaceweapon]

SOLVED!!

Had nothing to do with any of that!
I started to have problems like this - http://www.sevenforums.com/gadgets/102165-gadget-black-error-4.html#post1097428 - little before I had this problem.

After trying to solve both problems I noticed the solutions proposed had to do with altering the same directory in regedit, so I wondered if both problems were caused by the same thing.

I had recently firewall-blocked a program from connecting with the internet that had entered my PC somehow near the same time the gadget problem appeared but neither my AV nor malwarebytes found harmful, so I let them be. It kept asking me to connect to the internet so I blocked it, and the second problem appeared...

The program had the name "Nice Wares" and was running in the processes. The blocked programs were called that way but the name of the files were "lqyvua.exe" in the C:\Windows directory and "lpd.exe" (or was it ldp?) in User\appdata\local\temp.
These 2 files were making 3 programs run at startup - the 2 files and another called "nwares.exe" or something like that, dependent on lqyvua.exe.
I checked again with the AV and MWB and nothing. So I just stopped the process and deleted them, made a new admin user account that had none of the problems above, exported the Internet settings directory (where both problems were located), deleted the same on my main user account and ran the .reg I exported before.
And since then I started the PC 3 times and gadgets ok and no more windows security thingy.
(I had done the reg thing before deleting the referred files with no results, at startup it the problems would be there again)

I guess it was some kind of new malware, I haven't found anything on the web about them....

HAPPY!!

P.S.: Should I do anything to report this apparent malware? How do I do it?