"This app can't run on your PC" error when trying to install Explorer Patcher

Hello, I am trying to install the latest version of Explorer Patcher on my Lenovo Yoga Duet 7 with the latest version of Windows 11 installed. I keep getting the error nessage "This app can't run on your PC" when I click on the setup file. I downloaded the setup file first from the github website which hosts Explorer Patcher. Then from majorgeeks website to try again. Got the error message with both files. Anyone have an idea on why the error message?

Edit to add: I have had no problems installing other programs on my Yoga Duet. I also have Explorer Patcher running on an HP Envy with no issues.

That message brings up the question of whether Explorer Patcher is written for both x86 and x64 versions of Windows? Win11 is x64 only but can run some/most x86 programs that Win10 can but I make sure I get the x64 version of a program 'just in case'.

I believe Explorer Patcher is written for X64 bit operating systems. But I don't see any reports of people having trouble installing it. Which leads me to believe it's something in my settings, maybe. I have no clue.

Did you try right-clicking the setup.exe file and run in Compatibility mode?

Don't run ep_setup.exe in Compatibility mode. Have you tried running sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt? Have you checked for disk errors that might have occurred maybe some time ago? Maybe your user profile got corrupted in Windows, in which case you might be able to fix the problem by creating a new user profile (with your settings and apps moved to it) before deleting the one that you currently are using. AFAIK ExplorerPatcher needs access to a working administrator account. Some people wrongly assume that the built-in administrator account, which is disabled in Windows by default, can be used as a substitute for a typical administrator account that people use to grant access rights and/or grant elevated privileges─to run a task "as an administrator". That in fact is an old classical mistake, as that is most certainly NOT what the built-in administrator account is for. Anyway, there's a lot of plausible explanations how ep_setup.exe can give you a hard time, even though we all know that it's worth it, and in fact it's worth much, MUCH more than that. ("We" here = the people who are sane... lol!)

If you still can't seem to find the culprit right away, doing a Repair Upgrade of Windows 11 would seem like the way to go IMO. Because, if the problem still persists after that, then that would greatly reduce the chance of it being due to some part of Windows having gone bad somehow so, at least it would narrow down the long list of possible fixes to try.

EDIT: It could be something as simple as the SmartScreen feature disallowing you to run your downloaded executable file.

Right click> Run as Admin? As long as you are sure it's legit Explorer Patcher? Just because it's Explorer Patcher doesn't mean it's Explorer Patcher

Blueberries

A Guy

No, you don't have to right-click | choose run as admin. And when you google ExplorerPatcher, the very 1st search result that turns up is valinet's project page on GitHub, it is the only one that is real. GitHub - valinet/ExplorerPatcher: This project aims to enhance the working environment on Windows

You can immediately recognize the project by the funny description title that it has, a more formal one would've been something like: This project fixes Windows because working on Windows is technically materially impossible without...

hdmi said:

No, you don't have to right-click | choose run as admin

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Normally no...but you also don't normally get a "This app can't run on your PC" error...

A Guy

A Guy said:

Normally no...but you also don't normally get a "This app can't run on your PC" error...

A Guy

Click to expand...

...which is why I had offered the proper suggestion, to try and troubleshoot that abnormality first.

Ghot said:

Could it be the Yoga Duet's Intel® Iris® Xe graphics, causing the problem?

Click to expand...

Anything's possible, and, keeping the drivers (and especially the graphics driver) always up to date is a good practice while it helps to avoid bumping into all kinds of problems. But, my laptop also uses Intel Iris Xe graphics, I have been using ExplorerPatcher on Windows 11 for a whole year and I never got this problem. Either way, I will repeat that doing a Repair Upgrade rules out a lot of this type of arbitrary guesswork, at least that way you'll have a lot more certainty as for the reliability and stability of the Windows installation itself─as opposed to facing the potential risk of being in the uncomfortable position that can be best described as chasing your own tail for like half a day or maybe even longer.

hdmi said:

...which is why I had offered the proper suggestion, to try and troubleshoot that abnormality first.

Anything's possible, and, keeping the drivers (and especially the graphics driver) always up to date is a good practice while it helps to avoid bumping into all kinds of problems. But, my laptop also uses Intel Iris Xe graphics, I have been using ExplorerPatcher on Windows 11 for a whole year and I never got this problem. Either way, I will repeat that doing a Repair Upgrade rules out a lot of this type of arbitrary guesswork, at least that way you'll have a lot more certainty as for the reliability and stability of the Windows installation itself─as opposed to facing the potential risk of being in the uncomfortable position that can be best described as chasing your own tail for like half a day or maybe even longer.

Click to expand...

I think you're probably correct.
In-Place upgrade fixes a heck of a lot of problems.

The bad news: I have tried most of the simpler suggestions posted here and on other places on the web. That includes ensuring I have administrator rights, doing an sfc/scannow, and trying to run the .exe file in various compatibility modes. I also made sure all Windows components and Lenovo software were up to date. None of those simpler steps worked. I avoided any more involved suggestions like doing a repair upgrade or creating an entirely new user account not only because of how much time those steps take, but also because everything about this Lenovo Yoga is basically brand new -- there is less than 20 hours of usage on the laptop bought directly from Lenovo, and all installs of Windows and Lenovo software are new or up to date.

The good news: I found a workaround. I dug up the ExplorerPatcher install file I used on my HP Envy back in January and was able to easily install it. on the Lenovo. Not a single issue. Then I did an update from within the installed app so I am up to date on that now too. But if it weren't for my long-time habit to archive installation files I'd still be up a creek on this.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

I wouldn't be at all suprised if it's just Option Two in this tutorial:
Even good o'le Firefox recognizes the file as being a "not frequently downloaded file" so prolly that got the alarm bells all sounding off in there. lol

@hdmi

Well... Explorer Patcher generates a "This app can't run on your PC" error for me.

1. Just did an In-Place upgrade
2. sfc comes up clean
3. Windows security is OFF
4. Turned Bitdefender... OFF
5. Tried all the usual... Run as Admin, Compatibility etc.
6. Might be a conflict with Winaero Tweaker. That's pretty much all that's left.

Ghot said:

@hdmi

Well... Explorer Patcher generates a "This app can't run on your PC" error for me.

1. Just did an In-Place upgrade
2. sfc comes up clean
3. Windows security is OFF
4. Turned Bitdefender... OFF
5. Tried all the usual... Run as Admin, Compatibility etc.
6. Might be a conflict with Winaero Tweaker. That's pretty much all that's left.

Click to expand...

Have you checked for disk errors? Have you tried creating a new admin account and logging into that one instead of the account that you normally are logged into?

hdmi said:

Have you checked for disk errors? Have you tried creating a new admin account and logging into that one instead of the account that you normally are logged into?

Click to expand...

I'm thinking this may be the problem...

Ghot said:

I'm thinking this may be the problem...

It wasn't Microsoft... this time. Er... yes it was. :(

Ok, I just upgraded from 21H2 to 22H2 on the 24th of September. I run Bitdefender Internet Security, and have since 2013. Ok, this first screenshot is from July 2022. Note the items on the Windows 11 side (left). Now this screenshot was taken just now. Again note the items, especially...

www.elevenforum.com

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I don't use any 3rd party AV because I don't download viruses and I don't usually like surprises, at least not the kind of surprises you described in that thread, and besides, even if I could be convinced somehow that those surprises aren't real (which they are), AV suites are still inferior to Sandboxie-Plus if you know how to use it. I keep Microsoft Defender turned on anyway just in case, but I have Automatic Sample Submission and PUA Protection turned off because I don't usually like surprises, BUT... when I grow up I want to be federal minister of surprises.

hdmi said:

I don't use any 3rd party AV because I don't download viruses and I don't usually like surprises, at least not the kind of surprises you described in that thread, and besides, even if I could be convinced somehow that those surprises aren't real (which they are), AV suites are still inferior to Sandboxie-Plus if you know how to use it. I keep Microsoft Defender turned on anyway just in case, but I have Automatic Sample Submission and PUA Protection turned off because I don't usually like surprises, BUT... when I grow up I want to be federal minister of surprises.

Click to expand...

It's the Bitdefender thing. The Bitdefender CL Contextual Menu (Windows App), that only shows up on Windows 11.
On Windows 10, I can install Explorer Patcher, easily.
Even on Windows 10, it doesn't take too long before Bitdefender flags it as malicious.

I'm sure it's a false positive, and on Win 10 I could probably exclude it.
On Windows 11 though, the Bitdefender CL Contextual Menu (Windows App), won't permit that.

I really don't like BitDefender. See this thread.

It could be something on the pre install windows by the oem?