Err Msg: Application Execution Error..No Association Exists

Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
Article ID: Q86168

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

SYMPTOMS

When you try to run a non-Windows-based application from Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0 and 3.1, the following error messages may appear, respectively:

   Application Execution Error
   No association exists for the specified file.
                        OK

   Application Execution Error
   No application is associated with the specified file.
   Create an association by using File Manager.
                        OK

CAUSE

The above error messages may be generated while attempting to run a non- Windows-based application if there is an omission in the WIN.INI file. The error messages imply that an association can be created for program files. This is incorrect, associations cannot be created for program files. Program files, in the Windows operating system, have one of the following extensions:

   COM  EXE  BAT  PIF

(PIF stands for program information file. For more information on creating and maintaining PIFs, see your "Microsoft Windows User's Guide" or use the Windows online Help utility.)

The above error messages may occur not only with non-Windows applications, but with any file having one of the above extensions if the file is absent from the "Programs=" line in the [Windows] section of the WIN.INI file.

When upgrading from Windows 386 2.x to Windows 3.0, the WIN.INI file may not be correctly updated to reflect the addition of "PIF" to the Programs=" line. In any case, the "Programs=" line should be updated as follows:

   Programs=COM EXE BAT PIF

If any, or all, of the values for the "Programs=" setting are not present, they may be added using a text editor such as Notepad.

KBCategory: kbother kberrmsg
KBSubcategory: win30 win31
Additional reference words: 3.10 3.11 3.00 3.00a err msg

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Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
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