Solved Windows can't find .exe file


bamagull

bamagull

Well-known member
Local time
12:31 PM
Posts
6
OS
windows 11
When I try to open NORDVPN I get the file not found message shown in the pic. I have had this problem with other files. When I look in File Explorer, it is there. Please advise.

1753659264621.webp

system info

1753659586179.webp
 
Windows Build/Version
24h2

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor, 4300 Mhz 16 core
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI7 R2
    Memory
    32gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
    Sound Card
    Realtek USB Audio
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 9100 Pro 2TB
    WDC WD10EZEX-08M2NA0 USB Device
    Model Lexar SL600 SCSI Disk Device
    Case
    Corsair 5400 Air cool
Hi, welcome.
Are you trying to open it from the Start Menu or a Desktop shortcut?
If you double click on C:\Program Files\NordVPN\NordVPN.exe in file explorer, does the program launch?

Was NordVPN installed using a different user account?
Have you tried opening NordVPN as administrator?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built 2013
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard thingy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Touch Screen Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / Mx Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    2000/500Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    TP-Link BE9300 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 (Archer TBE550E)
    TP-Link TX201 V1 2.5GB Lan

    Grandstream HT812 - VoIP
    ASUS DSL-AX82U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-AC68U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-BE88U Router

    Brother MFC-L2880DW Printer

    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7 14IRL8 - 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
Welcome to the forum.
Here are some things that can cause that message.
1. Corrupted or missing file association for .exe file type (but this would affect all .exe files. You indicated it was only some.) You can reset default file type .exe to be sure. Reset and Restore Default Apps for File Types in Windows 11
3. Your antivirus is blocking the .exe
4. Check that the shortcut is not broken
5. Your user profile could be corrupted. See if the issue exists using another user account.. If it works in that account, your account is corrupted. You would need to backup your data and create another user account.

If the issue exists using another account as well, it would point to a corrupted path environment variable. A system reset or a repair install should fix it.
www.elevenforum.com

Reset Windows 11 PC

This tutorial will show you how to reset Windows 11 and Remove everything or Keep my files. You can reset Windows 11 when your PC isn’t working well and it’s been a while since you installed an app, driver, or update. Resetting reinstalls Windows 11, but lets you choose whether to keep your...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

​

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
antspants said:
Hi, welcome.
Are you trying to open it from the Start Menu or a Desktop shortcut? both
If you double click on C:\Program Files\NordVPN\NordVPN.exe in file explorer, does the program launch? no

Was NordVPN installed using a different user account? no
Have you tried opening NordVPN as administrator? yes
Click to expand...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor, 4300 Mhz 16 core
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI7 R2
    Memory
    32gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
    Sound Card
    Realtek USB Audio
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 9100 Pro 2TB
    WDC WD10EZEX-08M2NA0 USB Device
    Model Lexar SL600 SCSI Disk Device
    Case
    Corsair 5400 Air cool
glasskuter said:
Welcome to the forum.
Here are some things that can cause that message.
1. Corrupted or missing file association for .exe file type (but this would affect all .exe files. You indicated it was only some.) You can reset default file type .exe to be sure. Reset and Restore Default Apps for File Types in Windows 11
3. Your antivirus is blocking the .exe added to safe program. months ago i had no problem with nordvpn
4. Check that the shortcut is not broken it is not
5. Your user profile could be corrupted. See if the issue exists using another user account.. If it works in that account, your account is corrupted. You would need to backup your data and create another user account. other user has same problem

If the issue exists using another account as well, it would point to a corrupted path environment variable. A system reset or a repair install should fix it.
www.elevenforum.com

Reset Windows 11 PC

This tutorial will show you how to reset Windows 11 and Remove everything or Keep my files. You can reset Windows 11 when your PC isn’t working well and it’s been a while since you installed an app, driver, or update. Resetting reinstalls Windows 11, but lets you choose whether to keep your...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade
Click to expand...
I have done the repair several times
glasskuter said:

​

Click to expand...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor, 4300 Mhz 16 core
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI7 R2
    Memory
    32gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
    Sound Card
    Realtek USB Audio
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 9100 Pro 2TB
    WDC WD10EZEX-08M2NA0 USB Device
    Model Lexar SL600 SCSI Disk Device
    Case
    Corsair 5400 Air cool

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
Maybe add the Nord folder to your antivirus exclude settings

Also, try glasskuters suggestion in post 3 and trying a different user account to see if your main account might be somehow corrupt.. You can remove the account after testing

www.elevenforum.com

Add Local User Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to create and add a local account as a user on the PC in Windows 11. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

www.elevenforum.com

Delete User Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to delete a user account to remove it from your Windows 11 PC. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and desktop...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built 2013
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard thingy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Touch Screen Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / Mx Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    2000/500Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    TP-Link BE9300 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 (Archer TBE550E)
    TP-Link TX201 V1 2.5GB Lan

    Grandstream HT812 - VoIP
    ASUS DSL-AX82U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-AC68U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-BE88U Router

    Brother MFC-L2880DW Printer

    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7 14IRL8 - 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
I found this on another site, and it fixed the issue.

Open regedit , go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
and on the meu bar 'edit' / 'find' , put in NordVPN.exe.
Press F3 to continue searching for the application entry where the .exe resides.
Look for the word Debugger. If it is there delete it. If not, it's something else.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor, 4300 Mhz 16 core
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI7 R2
    Memory
    32gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
    Sound Card
    Realtek USB Audio
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 9100 Pro 2TB
    WDC WD10EZEX-08M2NA0 USB Device
    Model Lexar SL600 SCSI Disk Device
    Case
    Corsair 5400 Air cool
bamagull said:
I found this on another site, and it fixed the issue.

Open regedit , go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
and on the meu bar 'edit' / 'find' , put in NordVPN.exe.
Press F3 to continue searching for the application entry where the .exe resides.
Look for the word Debugger. If it is there delete it. If not, it's something else.
Click to expand...
Correct, that would be created by CCleaner for some reason.

Windows can't find .exe file after I double-click it

Trying to launch nord-vpn .exe file. I have no idea WTF is going on here: SFC /SCANNOW didn't find any issues. I uninstalled/reinstalled... I removed .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 and reinstalled them... nothing helps. Any ideas? It only happens with this app. OS info: Edition Windows 11...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    All Branches but Release
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Nitro ANV15-51
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 3200-4500 Mhz 8 cores x 2
    Motherboard
    Sportage_RBH
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphic / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    AMD/Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (15.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    KINGSTON OM8SEP4512Q-AA 1TB
    Western Digital 256GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & 1GB Orange-fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly-Chrome Dev-Chrome Dev
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Beta
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus X751BP
    CPU
    AMD A9-9420
    Memory
    8 GB of DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1 TB
Easiest way is to simply uninstall nordvpn and reinstall it. That should sort it (done it myself)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
cereberus said:
Easiest way is to simply uninstall nordvpn and reinstall it. That should sort it (done it myself)
Click to expand...
No Nordvpn here so that is something I could not test.
The question is why does CCleaner takes the liberty to do such thing without warning the user?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    All Branches but Release
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Nitro ANV15-51
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 3200-4500 Mhz 8 cores x 2
    Motherboard
    Sportage_RBH
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphic / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    AMD/Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (15.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    KINGSTON OM8SEP4512Q-AA 1TB
    Western Digital 256GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & 1GB Orange-fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly-Chrome Dev-Chrome Dev
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Beta
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus X751BP
    CPU
    AMD A9-9420
    Memory
    8 GB of DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1 TB
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