Unable to download .exe files

I am not able to download any .exe files any longer, and I have no clue why. I run Malaware Bytes and Microsoft Essentials and nothing is ever found. When I try to download the new Tweaking download from Majorgeeks.com website and when I try to download Spybot Search & Destroy I get the "unable to download the ... .exe file". My system is Vista Home Premium 32 bit with SP2. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I am not a real real techie person, so help in very easy steps would be GREATLY appreciated

 

Re: Can't download files - Main User Profile

The problem may be UAC (User Account Control) built in to Windows Vista and later.

Try turning it off by going to Start Orb -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and click on the link that says Turn User Account Control on or off. Uncheck the box in front of "Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer". Then click OK, close Control Panel and restart your computer.

 

Re: Can't download files - Main User Profile

Changing the UAC setting did NOT help. Any other suggestions? Having a very full "Temp" folder wouldn't have changed my ability to download .exe files would it?

 

Re: Can't download files - Main User Profile

Where are you trying to download them to? If the desktop, did you get a message like this:

"C:\Users\*********\Desktop\***** could not be saved, because you cannot change the contents of that folder."

 

Re: Can't download files - Main User Profile

Which is your browser ? What is your antivirus programme are you using ? Do you have any firewall software in your machine ? You can use this online antivirus

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=149856 :wave

 

Whenever I try to download any file or software, the white and yellow box appears at the bottom of the screen pops up and says "unable to download the exe.file". I'm not aware that any settings are trying to automatically download those files or software to the desktop. I am fairly certain that the laptop is set up to download to the "Downloads" folder. It does this when I use IE or Chrome browsers. The only antivirus I have on that laptop is Microsoft Security Essentials. The laptop also does have the Windows Firewall. I also run the free version of Malaware Bytes every week or so.

 

tsiebert...

Perhaps this might help:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/470439/cant-download-any-files-with-any-browser/

Warning the first post is long, so I will get to the chase of the fix for this individual's download problem. The first part of the fix was this:

http://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html

The instructions are in post 7 for using the program. How you could get it onto the PC is of course the problem. Could you download it on another computer to a portable storage device and then attach the device to the affected PC?

 

Just out of curiosity, what do you have here in firefox: