can not open file downloads

please someone tell me why i can not open file downloads? i click on open and it flashes back at me,which is an improvement over what it used to do,(on the third click it would flash as in the accessibily thingie and i would have to hit the power button to get it to stop) it doesnt do that any longer it just will not let me open it! i have a s t i n g e r opt on my desktop that i usually delete but now it wont let me do that either, says it might be write protected or in use. thats two things, sorry but i would really like to be able to open files and delete the stinger opt. how???

 

sorry the file in question is opt(the s-t-i-n-g-e-r.opt)that stinger generates every time it runs a scan. i got rid of them by just deleting, and that is how i got rid of this one today by renaming then deleting. i always save when i d/l,usually that works and i can get it opened.

 

jan roberts--In all honesty, it is hard to understand just what is happening or what the problem is. Runnning scans with Stinger is one thing. Not being able to open downloaded files is another. Why do you connect running scans with Stinger and not being able to open files?
1) You should leave the Stinger.opt file alone, but it should also be in the same folder as Stinger.exe. There also is no need for you to Open Stinger.opt.
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
2) What downloaded files are not opening? Steve R Jones has asked if they are .exe or .zip or? We need to know to be able to help.

 

To expand on what Jim said:

When downloadeded to the desktop, you should make a folder specifically for stinger. The folder should be named what ever you like usig a name that makes sense to you. Move that folder off the desktop and put where ever you like. Make a shortcut to "stinger.exe" and place it on the desktop, if that is your preference. When ran an *.opt file will be created. *.opt as in options for stinger. ie;
You ran Stinger and now have a Stinger.opt file, what is that?
When Stinger runs it creates the Stinger.opt file that saves the current Stinger configuration. This way when you run Stinger the next time your previous configuration is what is used, as long as the Stinger.opt file is in the same directory as Stinger.

It is not made for you to open, it is a config file used by Stinger. If you try to open it, you would get the dialogue popup that asks which program to open it with. If you tried doing any of this while stinger was running or opened you would get a warning popup that you could not do it because the file was opened, in use or write protected or similar. The ability to delete the *.opt file previously, in the past, would have been possible because a new one would have been made when you ran stinger again. Not what should be done under normal circumstances, but acceptable.

If, however you are referring to the file you downloaded, "S_t_i_n_g_e_r.exe" as the the file that will not run when clicked, that is another matter. This file should run, (ideally with nothing opened or running in the background). Does this run the stand alone virus scanner "Stinger.exe "?

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Personally speaking, I will download to the desktop or to the folder I specifically made for keeping my downloads in. It is aptly called "Zips ". I always make and put downloaded files in their own folders, generally with notepad readme, explaining to myself, what the download is for and what it does. From that point on it gets a little more complicated to explain how to best open these in a controlled manner. That would depend on the extensions, my rightclick options, whether they have expected default install locations, what was in the file when extracted, whether I decide to keep it, delete it or whether it can be ran directly from the zip, etc. But at least having these in one centralized location, (folder named "Zips "), in their own subfolders, before extractions (to avoid bloopers that can happen on occasion) can cause less confusion, forgetfulness, and is easier to burn to cd, in an organized manner, when that time comes.

 

the stinger opt was a bad example but the only one i could find at the time.but i have found another file that i cant open (this is probably worse because its a dll file but it is also an uninstalled foxy tunes for the firefox) and i wouldnt mind getting it installed. btw does it matter what you open a file with when it says open with...? i used the explorer(ie) and did fine until i clicked on it and there is that blasted box titled file download. i click on open and the box goes and comes back. cant save it since it seems that i tried that already and cant replace it get an error copying file. i can not open this file and there are others that if i could figure out how to get them opened i would find them. am i doing it right? i want it to be opened so it can be installed or whatever. i dont want it saved. i want it in there and working. so why cant it let me do it? but on the bright side at least it doesnt do like it did when i had windows 98 first edition where it would after the third click start flashing and i'd have to hit the power button to stop it. it survived a clean install. any ideas? oh by the way when i say flashing i mean like a strobe light that fast. bewildered confused irritated

 

YES, it matters very much! As an example, a .zip file would be associated with winzip or such, a .html file would be associated with your web browser. Now if you tell the system to open that same .html file with winzip it 'just ain't gonna work'. Since you say you will never make beginner... don't mess with .dll files at all! If you are seeing .dll file icons on your desktop you are installing wrong.

Get back on just where the .dll file was that you tried to open. As far as foxy tunes for firefox that should be installed through extensions within firefox, not as a seperate install.

 

jan roberts--So far I have understood that you have tried to "open" a .opt and a .dll file.
Neither of these file types are supposed to be opened (at least not by us mortals).
If these are the only two files that you cannot open, I am not sure you have a problem.
There are many types of "openable" files, like .exe, .txt, .doc, .jpg, and so on. Are you are able to open them? (I think I would suggest you try a .jpg, .txt or .doc file, since "opening" the others could produce an undesired result.) .exe files are executables to get a program to run. If you have a .exe file that you know what it will do when you click on it (like CLIPBRD.EXE, which opens your Clipboard or mspaint.exe, which opens Paint), you could try them, too. Let us know.

 

You found a file
used the explorer(ie)
you clicked on it
you got box titled "file download "
you click on open and the box goes
and then box comes back
cant save it
cant replace,
get an error copying file
can not open this file

if you could figure out how to get them opened you would find them:
This makes no sense at all.

you want it to be opened so it can be installed
you dont want it saved. you want it in there and working.
bewildered confused
Your not the only one. This post has jumped around from a download/install problem to opening files on your harddrive that are not meant to be opened by you (the user). There are not enough specifics in this to make it clear exactly what you are trying to do, what you expect the results to be, what you are doing, how and what your using to do it with, what happens when you do it. Perhaps a specific step by step example would help.

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Okay.....let's back this puppy up and see if you can fill in some holes. Be as descriptive as you can. I think I know what the problem is but rather than continue to guess I think we need to first clearly establish what the issue is.

You found a file:
What file (include extension)? Where is this file located? Where and how did you get this file

Used IE:

you clicked on it

you got box titled "file download "

you click on open and the box goes
Why open? Why didn't you just download it?

and then box comes back
Perhaps because you do not have the program needed to open the file with.

Are you working with
*files on your harddrive or
*files that can be downloaded from the web or
*files on your harddrive that you downloaded?

 

Great questions Goddez1!!

Takeing a scroll back I discovered that I had totally forgot what the origional question was.

You're right. Need some definate specifics/step by step. I find myself sitting here trying to figure out whats going on, scratching my head...