Windows 10 blocks Active Sky 2016 for FSX:SE install with "Can't run this app" error

A few things to check (this “Can’t run this app on your PC” message is usually Windows blocking the EXE, or an architecture mismatch)

Hi Giuseppe — sorry you’re running into this. That Windows 10 message is frustratingly vague, but there are a handful of common causes with older flight sim installers like AS2016.

Step 1 – Confirm you’re not hitting a 32-bit/64-bit mismatch
Active Sky 2016 for FSX is a 32-bit application, which should run fine on 64-bit Windows 10. The one thing that will not work is the other way around (a 64-bit-only installer on 32-bit Windows).

1. Click Start -> Settings -> System -> About
2. Look at System type and tell us if it says 64-bit or 32-bit Windows

Step 2 – Make sure Windows isn’t blocking the downloaded installer file
Windows will sometimes “mark” a downloaded EXE as untrusted and block it.

1. Right-click the AS2016 installer EXE -> Properties
2. On the General tab, look for an Unblock checkbox/button
3. If you see it, tick it -> Apply -> OK
4. Then right-click the EXE again and choose Run as administrator

Step 3 – Check SmartScreen / reputation-based blocking
If SmartScreen is set aggressively, it can stop older installers before they even start.

1. When the “Can’t run this app” appears, do you get any option like More info / Run anyway, or is it a hard stop with only Close?

If it’s a hard stop, it’s often policy-based (Windows Security setting, or something like “S mode”, or a corporate policy).

Step 4 – Confirm you’re not on Windows “S mode”
If your Windows is in S mode, it can block traditional desktop installers outright.

1. Start -> Settings -> Update & Security -> Activation
2. See if it mentions S mode

Step 5 – Try extracting / re-downloading (corrupt or incomplete EXE is also common)
SimMarket downloads sometimes come as a wrapper/downloader or a compressed archive.

1. Re-download the installer from SimMarket (don’t use the same file)
2. If it came in a ZIP/RAR, extract it fully first (don’t run it from inside the archive)
3. Move the installer to a simple path like your Desktop (avoid very long folder paths)

Step 6 – Compatibility mode (last resort, but worth trying)

1. Right-click installer -> Properties -> Compatibility
2. Tick Run this program in compatibility mode and try Windows 7
3. Also tick Run this program as an administrator

A couple targeted questions so we don’t guess

1. What exactly is your Windows 10 System type (32-bit or 64-bit)?
2. Does the installer show a publisher name in the Properties -> General tab, or does it say “Unknown publisher”?
3. Is the message a hard block (only Close), or do you get a “More info / Run anyway” option?
4. What file name did SimMarket give you (just the installer name), and is it an EXE or an archive you have to extract first?

Answer those and we can narrow it down quickly—this is usually fixable without needing to refund.