Chess Program Download Help

HI, for the past hour and a half I have been trying to download this program:

http://www.chess.com/download/view/guess-the-move

As per usual with every other thing I try to download I get the 'windows cannot identify this program' message, with the prompt the search the internet, which 100% every single time says 'file unknown'.

I looked on the author of this program's You Tube clip and found someone asked a similar message. The author suggested he download a particular file. So I did the same, ran it and restarted the computer and 'windows cannot identify this program' and the usual pointless 'file unknow' message following the search.

Anybody any tips as this computer is about to go through the window and I'm back to books and candles.

Ta.

Do you have Winzip installed?

No idea. I'll have a look if I can find it.

Don't think I have winzip so I have tried to download that, so that I can open the exe. However, all the free winzip programs I tried come with crap you have to download along with it, such as new toolbars and smiley faced pointers. So I cancelled the download. Forget it for today.

I had something similar happen with different programs. I needed to do the install as an "administrator." There wasn't any clue in the error messages.

you can probe 7-zip

I think I am the administrator.

I tried the 7 zip, it was one of them with loads of extra crap. Also I wonder if I need the zip as I can open the folder and get to the exe. but not run it. I don't know.

Thanks.

I'm a little confused by this discussion. What exactly are you trying to do when you get the error messages? What Windows OS are you using? Do you have Microsoft's .Net Framework installed, and if so, what version?

I use 7-Zip, and I don't remember it installing any crap. Did you get 7-Zip directly from the author's web site? (http://www.7-zip.org/). I also use an old version of IZArc, before it started bundling in the OpenCandy crap. (IZArc 4.0 beta 1 Build 1760). You can get the old version here:

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/desktop/compression_tools/izarc.cfm#tab3

Probably but you may need to explicitly tell it you are using that privilege. I can't remember but it may be right click on what ever install executable you get after unzipping (if unzipping is needed). Anyway, good luck with it.

I'm trying to open the exe when I get that message.

I'm using Windox XP on my computer and Widows 7 on my laptop, both the same result, no joy.

I have no idea if I have Microsoft's .Net Framework, nor what it is.

Thanks for the link, but again it is forcing me to download crap, like Babylon tool bar and Babylon default search provided. I've mistakenly downloaded these before and they are a nightmare to get rid of so no thanks. I can't even be sure that such program will work to open the chess program anyway as everything I do download is not working to open the program.

I spoke to a computer whizz today who suggested I download the latest Adobe flash players and Java. I have just done this, run them/restarted the computer etc and tried to open the chess program but still no joy. The chess program opened a work no problem.

Something seems very wrong to me. I'd start from square one and check your systems for viruses/malware. (Malwarebytes, AVG, or some other choice of anti-virus software). I don't think either 7-Zip or the old version of IZArc should install any extra toolbars, etc., so I suspect something else is going on that isn't desirable.

Also, regarding the exe, it's a standalone executable that doesn't contain a program installer, so it should either run or not run, depending on whether you have a recent version of Microsoft .Net Framework installed.

To see if you have Microsoft .Net Framework installed on your laptop (I'm not sure of the procedure for Win XP), click on the Start icon, then "Control Panel", "Programs", then "Uninstall a program". Then just check the list of installed programs to see if "Microsoft .NET Framework 4" (or some prior version) is listed.

A lot of viruses are getting onto PCs via Java or Javascript browser plugins, so I'd recommend that you disable your browser plugins for Java and Javascript, at least until you get this problem under control. (And consider keeping them disabled going forward, if you don't absolutely need them.)

Thanks. I've found the .NET Framework 4 (also have 3.5, 3 and 2). I doubt it is a virus as I would have to have the same on both computers. I am running a virus check now though.

The second link you provided, the old version, forces you (or did me) to download the Babylon stuff.

I've also just tried to download something else from Chess.com a collection of annotated games and I've got the same result.

I just checked the IZArc 4.0 beta 1 Build 1760 file from AfterDawn, and compared the file hash signature against the same file that I downloaded a while back when I installed it on my systems. The hash signatures of the two files are different; The file has changed in some way over time.

I'll have to investigate this. I might uninstall my existing IZArc 4.0 and try installing the new IZArc 4.0 to see if it tries to install anything extra.

Edit - I just checked the 7-Zip files from the author's site for ver 9.20 (32-bit and 64-bit Windows), and they have NOT changed from when I downloaded them a while back.

i've just found a 4 pups and one virus on my computer XP and got rid of those. But I have found that I have Babylon installed on my Internet Explorer. I always use Firefox so I didn't realise it was on there. I'm now trying to get Babylon off of Internet Explorer as maybe that is why I am having trouble and also Babylon is a massive pain and I want shut of it. It is a pain to get rid of though so currently looking to do that. I've done it before just got to find how I did it.

No it is just not happening. I've got rid of the Babylon and downloaded 7-Zip directly from the author's web site (http://www.7-zip.org/). I've then tried to open the program and I'm still getting the message:

File Download

Do you want to open this file?

Name: ChessGuessTheMove.exe.config

Type: Unknown File Type

OPEN  CANCEL

I open it and get:

Windows cannot open this file:

File: ChessGuessTheMove.execonfig

To open this file, windows needs to know what program created it. Windows can go online…

*Use the web service to find the appropriate programme

*Select the program from a list

I use the web to find and appropriate programme (if it needs one) which helpfully brings up:

File Association

Windows has the following information about this file type. This page will help you find software needed to open your file.

File Type: Unknown

Description: Windows does not recognize this file type.

Just right back at square one. Any other thoughts?

It looks like a zip (compressed file) to me ie "program.zip" Right click on it and look around for extract in the context menu. And bookmark these links to look up file extensions when Windows doesn't know what to do with a file, ie program.exe, chessquiz.zip, most file extensions are 3 letters after a period at the end of the filename

You can also look up "problem files" by typing  exactly what you see into a search engine

http://filext.com/    http://www.file-extensions.org/

You are trying to unzip (extract) the "GuessTheMoveV31.zip" file, right?

On your Windows 7 laptop, click on the Start icon, then "Default Programs", then "Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program". In the "Name" column, scroll down to the .zip entry and verify that it's associated with 7-Zip. If it's associated with some other program, click on the "Change program..." button, and select 7-Zip.

No, I can get into the zip folder by just double clicking. Once inside the folder I get another folder "Guess the move" file folder, inside that I get a number of file and file types:

Engine (folder)

chesscontrol.dll

chesscontro.dll

Guessthemove Application

Guessthemove.exe (which is what I am trying to open to start it)

GTM history

GTM plot.plt

Logger.dll

PGNparser.dll

sample

search.dll

It's the Guessthemove.exe that when I try to open it does as described previously.

Edit: I've looked in the defalut programs, do you mean this zip file?

Zfsendtotarget     Compressed (zipped Foder SendTo Target           Unknown Application

I've clicked to change Unknown Applicated to 7 Zip and the 7 Zip thing is not amongst the options.

Yeah, but I'm guessing that zip files might be associated with Windows Explorer instead of 7-Zip, which might be causing your problems.

Try deleting any folders that have been unzipped/extracted, then verify the file association as described above, then try double-clicking on the zip file again. It should open up 7-Zip. Then extract the folder, and then try running the exe file. Maybe that will work.

Thanks. Is that the right folder as I described in my edit?