Fix “These Files Can’t Be Opened” error on Windows 10/8.1/7

Did you just try to open a file on Windows and get the error message “These files can’t be opened” The error mainly occurs for .exe files, but some users also encounter this error with other file types The problem is most common on Windows 7 and 8, but you can still experience it on a PC running Windows 10.

Fortunately, fixing the error won’t take you long. However, determining the cause of the error so that you can apply the appropriate fix will take more time.

Whatever the cause, one of the following fixes will help you access the files you need again.

1. Check if the file is blocked

Sometimes, when you download an executable from the Internet or transfer files between PCs, Windows may decide to block the file to protect your system. When this happens, you will see “These files can’t be opened” error, but you only need two steps to unblock this file.

To illustrate this behavior here, the article downloaded the setup file of 4K Video Downloader to the PC. Windows does not block access to this file, but warns in the Security under tab File Properties > General.

Check if the file is blocked
Check if the file is blocked

Notice says “This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer”. If the file cannot be accessed, you can fix it by checking the box Unblock and press OK. If you’re using a different version of Windows, you may see a button instead of a checkbox, but the process stays the same.

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Once you’re done, try running the file and see if everything is back on track.

2. Change Internet Properties

Windows will check Internet Properties when deciding if the file is allowed to run on the PC. If your Internet Properties marks a file as unsafe, Windows will throw a “These files can’t be opened” error. Therefore, to change the behavior of Windows, you need to make some changes to Internet Properties.

Note that this will require you to make less stringent security settings from Internet Properties. Although you can fix the error by doing this, it will also make the system vulnerable to security threats, if you do not pay attention to which files download to your system.

If you decide to go this route, start by opening Internet Properties. To do this, press Win + CHEAP, import inetcpl.cpl and press Enter. Switch to tabs Security in the window Internet Properties and click the button Custom levels.

Click the Custom level button
Click the Custom level button

You should now see a window named Security Settings – Internet Zone. Scroll through the list in the section Settings And find Launching applications and unsafe files.

Find Launching applications and unsafe files
Find Launching applications and unsafe files

Make sure that Prompt (recommended) selected. This option is usually selected by default, but if you’ve rummaged through your Internet properties before, you may have accidentally changed it to Disabled.

Once done, click OK and see if you can run the file.

3. Try editing the value in the Windows Registry

If the previous fixes didn’t work, you can also try allowing unsafe files by editing the Windows Registry. You will need to add a new registry entry using the Command Prompt. Start by launching Command Prompt with admin rights.

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Execute each of the following commands:

reg add "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesAssociations" /v "DefaultFileTypeRisk" /t REG_DWORD /d "1808" /f
reg add "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesAttachments" /v "SaveZoneInformation" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f

This will add two new registry keys. Once done, restart your PC and try opening the files.

4. Reset Internet Explorer

If you use Internet Explorer, resetting the settings to default can help. To reset Internet Explorer settings, click the ellipsis icon at the top right of the browser and click Internet Options. Switch to tabs Advanced and click the button Reset. When prompted, confirm the reset and then restart the PC.

Reset Internet Explorer
Reset Internet Explorer

If you still can’t run the files you want, it might be time to try the last resort.

If you were able to run a particular file in the past but started getting this error after messing up some settings, you can restore your system to an earlier state, when everything was going normally.

If there is no restore point, you will see a message “No restore points have been created on your computer’s system drive”. This means that your PC has no waypoints to revert to and therefore you cannot use this method to fix your problem.

Revert the computer to a previous system restore point
Revert the computer to a previous system restore point

If you have a restore point on your system, select a recommended restore point or choose another based on when the problem started and click Next. Continue to follow the wizard prompts. After the system is restored, the PC will reboot and you can now run the files you want.

Good luck!

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