The most bizarre and annoying problem I have ever had

Okay so first;
Windows 10 Home edition
64 bit
Manufacturer: Acer
Model: Aspire Z3-711

I can not use certain .exe files because "This application has been blocked by your system administrator". I am the Admin, I even used the "net user admin" from command prompt and it was blocked from installing the same thing. I tried starting the application through command prompt to be told "This program is blocked by group policy", I looked up what group policy is and I didn't even have "gpedit.msc" on my computer, this is doing my head in so much I've been looking for hours upon hours with no solution, here are a few things I've tried;

System admin / net user admin
Reset group policy settings
"Take ownership" of the file I'm trying to launch
Turn off antivirus / firewall
Even edits to the registry

Please help me before I go insane.

Thankyou
- No, the file was downloaded from the Internet but I trust it though, if that matters
- A few but they were just deletion of some "policies" folders in "'Microsoft"
- I think I do but is this worthy of a system restore? I can't afford to lose all I've got and all I want is for this application to open

Also when I right click the file it tells me "this file came from another computer and is blocked" etc. and when I try to unblock it tells me there was an "assertion failure"

Cantusemypcata said:

Also when I right click the file it tells me "this file came from another computer and is blocked" etc. and when I try to unblock it tells me there was an "assertion failure"

The data that tells Windows that "this file came from another computer..." is stored in the file's alternate data stream...
Alternate data streams?
...the "assertion failure" is because file permissions are not allowing you to modify this.

If you can't figure out what permissions you need to change, one 'quick and dirty' way to remove the alternate data stream is to copy the file to a USB stick then back again. Alternate data streams are an NTFS feature and can't be copied to the USB's Fat32.

Okay so I'm worried about everything but I never imagined it would be so hard to open a goddamn .exe file you know?

Sorry I realise what they are now and I will restore to before the registry edit although I don't feel like that's the problem.

Smart screen was disabled when I first came across this and searched for answers

Thankyou I am trying that now, any idea what I would need to change in order to be able to open applications downloaded from the Internet?

Cantusemypcata said:

Thankyou I am trying that now, any idea what I would need to change in order to be able to open applications downloaded from the Internet?

Settings > Apps > Apps and Features > Installing Apps > Probably on Allow Apps from Store Only, change to Allow Apps from Anywhere.

Cantusemypcata said:

...any idea what I would need to change in order to be able to open applications downloaded from the Internet?

Sounds like a good way to pick up a virus, you have to be very careful with downloaded files.

You shouldn't have to change anything, apart from unblocking the downloaded file - and you should be able to unblock a file even if you are using a Standard User account. The permissions that are preventing you are probably those of the folder you have downloaded to, or inherited from a folder higher up. Where exactly did you download this file to?