What causes this error?

[zalloy]

Last week, I was in the Malware Removal section of the forum with Maniac helping to rid my computer of malware/viruses. I was having this error both before and after the removal process. There are certain programs that when I try to run them, I get an error message:

"The version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you are running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need a x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version of this program, and then contact the software publisher."

Does this mean that the executable is corrupted, and I need to get a new copy of the software? Or could it mean that there is still malware/viruses/etc. on this computer?

I ran a scan with Malwarebytes Pro, and it turned up clean. I also use Comodo, and that hasn't noticed anything either. Just trying to figure out what my next steps are. Also, sometimes the computer seems to be slowing down, and lagging. When I open Firefox or MS Office, it says the program is not responding for a minute or two before it will let me do anything.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[rgabbard]

This typically means you're trying to install a 32bit app on a 64bit operating system or vise versa. You'll want to double check which version of windows you are running. You can do that by clicking on start and right clicking on computer and selecting properties.

[zalloy]

That's the thing. I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium x64 on an AMD dual-core PC. Wouldn't that mean I should be able to run both x86 and x64 software? I think I figured it out. I think I had a bad .exe file. I got a new copy, and it's working now. Thanks

[Coldheart]

Wouldn't that mean I should be able to run both x86 and x64 software?

Yes. You can run 32-bit software on a 64-bit system, but not the other way around.

[rgabbard]

Yes, you can run anything that's designed for Windows 7. I have seen software give that error before because it's looking for a different OS.