Problem running an exe file in XP (dos window opens/closes)

Hi,

A few weeks ago I started having a problem installing programs with exe files. When I double click on any exe program file, instead of running the installation program I get a dos window opening and closing. This may have been at the same time that I added a external USB Maxtor hard drive to the PC.

Today I reformatted and reinstalled XP on another PC and have the same problem. I was installing the programs from the same external USB maxtor hard drive!

Thinking that it could be a problem with the Maxtor hard disk driver ?? I restored windows to its original installation configuration and still have the problem!

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

I'm on XP SP2.

Andrew

Perhaps the dos program is installing the drivers and closing the box
quickly before you had any time to read the messages.

How about running from a cmd prompt. You can do this by:

START, RUN, cmd

now type the name of the file/program including the path without the
extension .exe.

See what you get.

HTH


andrewparadou wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> A few weeks ago I started having a problem installing programs with
> exe files. When I double click on any exe program file, instead of
> running the installation program I get a dos window opening and
> closing. This may have been at the same time that I added a external
> USB Maxtor hard drive to the PC.
>
> Today I reformatted and reinstalled XP on another PC and have the same
> problem. I was installing the programs from the same external USB
> maxtor hard drive!
>
> Thinking that it could be a problem with the Maxtor hard disk driver
> ?? I restored windows to its original installation configuration and
> still have the problem!
>
> Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> I’m on XP SP2.
>
> Andrew
>
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